Gertruda's Oath

Gertruda's Oath: A Child, a Promise, and a Heroic Escape During World War II is a 2009 book (originally published in Israel as ha-Shevu?ah in 2007) by Ram Oren and translated by Barbara Harshav. It follows the story of a jewish boy, Michael Stolowitzky, and his Catholic nanny, Gertruda Bablinska, and their escape from Poland to Palestine during WWII.

Gertruda's Oath: A Child, a Promise, and a Heroic Escape During World War II
AuthorRam Oren
Original titleha-Shevu?ah
TranslatorBarbara Harshav
CountryUSA
LanguageEnglish
SubjectBiography, Jewish history, Holocaust survivors
Published2009 (Doubleday)
Media typePrint (hardback)
Pages310
ISBN9780385527194
OCLC1039113073

Publication history
  • 2007, ha-Shevu?ah, Israel, Keshet ISBN 9789657130322
  • 2009, USA, Doubleday ISBN 9780385527194

Reception

A review in Booklist of Gertruda's Oath wrote "this is memoir uses the techniques of historical fiction, but the author points out that although he has invented dialogue and detail, the characters and events are true." and "The story is never sentimentalized, and the reality of the genocide is always there.".[1]

Gertruda's Oath has also been reviewed by The Polish Review,[2] the Catholic Standard,[3] Yad Vashem,[4] and the Jewish Book Council.[5]

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References
  1. "Mother's Day Surprise". Booklist. American Library Association. 2009. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  2. "Gertruda's Oath: A Child, a Promise, and a Heroic Escape During World War II". The Polish Review. Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America (United States). 54 (3): 378. September 2009. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  3. Eugene J. Fisher (September 4, 2009). "Tales of Holocaust survivors can challenge, uplift Catholic readers". Catholic Standard. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  4. Yael Weinstock Mashbaum. "Gertruda's Oath: A Child, A Promise, and a Heroic Escape During World War II - Ram Oren". yadvashem.org. Yad Vashem. Retrieved March 6, 2019. This touching story is a testament to the human spirit as well as to the righteousness of a select few, who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. This book has difficult parts, but grips the reader immediately, and has you identifying with the characters on an emotional level. It could be used in a high school classroom and would bring up the issue of an SS man married to a Jew, a topic not often discussed.
  5. David Cohen. "Gertruda's Oath". jewishbookcouncil.org. Jewish Book Council. Retrieved March 6, 2019. One could complain about certain elements— the author’s knowledge of World War II history is a little weak (the Soviet Union, for instance, also invaded Poland in 1939) and some of the sentences spoken by the very young sound contrived. Still, there’s no getting around what an astounding story this is. In the spirit of Gone With the Wind, this is a true tale of people caught up in the pulverizing sweep of history, as well as of survival under the most trying circumstances imaginable.
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