Signs of survival - Rene G. Hartman

Meet Renee and Herta, two sisters who faced the unimaginable
- together. This is their true story.

RENEE: I was ten years old then, and my sister was
eight. The responsibility was on me to warn everyone when the soldiers
were coming because my sister and both my parents were deaf.

I was my family's ears.

As Jews living in 1940s Czechoslovakia, Renee, Herta and their
parents were in immediate danger when the Holocaust came to their
door. As the only hearing person in her family, Renee had to alert
her parents and sister whenever the sound of Nazi boots approached
their home so they could hide.

But soon their parents were tragically taken away, and the two
sisters went on the run, desperate to find a safe place to hide.
Eventually they, too, would be captured and taken to the concentration
camp Bergen-Belsen. Communicating in sign language and relying
on each other for strength in the midst of illness, death and
starvation, Renee and Herta would have to fight to survive the
darkest of times.

This gripping memoir, told in a vivid 'oral history' format, is
a testament to the power of sisterhood and love, and now more than
ever a reminder of how important it is to honour the past, and
keep telling our own stories.

• A memoir of the Holocaust


• Perfect for those who want to learn more about the experiences
  of people during this period of time in history


• Written with Joshua M. Greene, a renowned Holocaust scholar.