Rabbi Rifat Sonsino
"Through the eyes of a teenage girl who spent little time in concentration camps, readers are thrust into a life on the run from the Nazis. In following Inge's incredible adventures, we gain new insights into the emotional and ethical dilemmas created by the Holocaust for Jews and non-Jews alike. I found this to be an engaging book, one that I not only couldn't put down but also couldn't get out of my mind for a long time afterward."
Michael Berenbaum
"Poignant and powerful, this memoir is the joint effort of the survivor, Inge Joseph Bleier, and her able nephew, David E. Gumpert, who successfully captures the voice and tone of his aunt and weaves her narrative into a moving work. One senses the anticipation of danger, the anguish of the unknown, and the precariousness of life on the run along with the excitement of a girl growing into a woman, of the discovery of first love, and of one's ability to confront a powerful enemy. This is no romanticization of the past or of the mixed blessing of survival but an honest recollection of things past. I recommend this book highly."
Diet Eman
"When Inge first tried to get her book published, she was told that because there were already so many books on the subject, including Anne Frank's Diary, there was no more interest. But times have changed. Reading European newspapers today makes it clear that, especially in Europe, anti-Semitism is rearing its ugly head again. It is therefore necessary that the Holocaust — the most vicious organized murder of one group of innocent people in history — never be forgotten and that the world remain alert to looming dangers. We cannot say anymore, 'This horror can never happen again.' I recommend this book, which tells the true story of the suffering of an innocent young girl and the friends she met. It also tells of the long-term aftereffects experienced by these victims. In view of recent world events, the publishing of Inge is both timely and necessary."
Catholic Library World
"The book captures the authentic voice of fear, threat, loss and grief embedded in the grit of daily life. . . Inge's biography merits a place in public, high school and college libraries."
Association of Jewish Libraries Newsletter
"This is a much different story than that of Anne Frank, yet one of survival and hope nonetheless. . . A wonderful addition to any library in which the population is interested in history, the Holocaust, and in individual experiences of the time."
Booklist
"A compelling account of one woman's personal Holocaust struggle."
Iris Posner
"This is a moving portrait of a young Jewish girl's amazing journey of survival through Nazi Europe, and it is a page-turner to boot. Equally important, it is a significant addition to the literature about the impact of the Holocaust on survivor families, about the terrible choices families had to make because they could not save all their children. While Inge eloquently captures the triumph of will that helped children survive the horrors of the Holocaust, it is also a cautionary and sad tale about the heavy burden of guilt felt by these children once they became adults."
Lawrence L. Langer
"Unlike Anne Frank, Inge Joseph was separated from her family as a young teen and spent the war years living with children's groups in Belgium and France a few steps ahead of the Germans. David Gumpert has transformed his aunt's manuscript about her ordeal into an absorbing, unsentimental narrative that combines the relief of survival with the melancholy of memory. This story of a Jewish girl's efforts to reshape her fate while resisting her doom pays tribute to those who helped her stay alive despite the perils of discovery that frequently threatened them. Inge's subsequent life in America reminds readers that one may outlive the past without always escaping its painful legacy."