My Bridges of Hope

This is one of the best sequels to a Shoah memoir I've read yet. Too many such sequels fall into the trap of simply recounting what happened next and aren't as compelling as the first book because there's no constant suspense and wondering what's going to happen next, which of these people being spoken about survived and who perished. In this sequel, though, there are a lot of interesting details about what happened next, such as Elli's involvement in the Bricha, the refugee house she liked to visit and hang out at, her work at a childrens' summer camp in the mountains, her training to become a teacher, and the long hard road she and her mother went through on their way from escaping from their home town to America before it was too late and the Iron Curtain closed permanently. It was also nice that each chapter was prefaced with the date or dates during which it transpired, so you had a real timeframe of things. The only minor complaint I have is about the languages used; in this book, the Friedmanns' town has returned to Czechoslovakian control and is in what is now the free nation of Slovakia, so they speak Slovakian, though in the first book, when they were in Hungarian hands, they seemed to be native speakers of Hungarian, and in the section of this book where Elli and her mother are being cross-examined when they're sneaking over the border with a transport of real Hungarians, Elli says they can make it, since they speak Hungarian as well as natives. I can't find any mention in the first book about the Friedmanns being Slovakians or speaking that language like their native tongue, but overall, apart from that minor unexplained detail, it's a really good sequel.

I recommended the first book to two of the people I know, but what was dissapointing was that they never wanted to read the second book. I think that this was even better than the first, which was really good too! This was a really good addition to the first, very suspenseful and interesting. You only want the best for her.

This book is an amazing book, about a girl and her family that struggles after the Holocaust. I suggest you read I have Lived a Thousand Years, before you read this book. In the book, I Have Lived a Thousand Years it introduces you to the characters and tells about their life before and during the holocaust. This book, My Bridges of Hope: Searching for Life and Love After Auschwitz, is amazing book that tells the story of Elli Friedmann's life after the holocaust has took place, and the many adventures along the way. I suggest that you read this book, after you have read the first one.

This book was amazing! A story of courage, will and strength to carry on. It trasports you to the painful results of the holacaust. It is a book of how life was torn apart for many families. A story where everything doesn't go right and I highly reccomend it for all ages but first you must read I HaveLived A Thousand years.

I never knew that so much happened after Elli's experience in Auchwitz.Told with humor,courage,and passion, this is a book that you do not want to leave sitting on the shelf!!! :-)