My roommate Laura recently lent me this book to read, and I took a break from the "Twilight" series so that I could sneak this one in (and believe it or not, it's worth it!) :)
I've always loved stories about WWII, and have always been fascinated by the changes that war brings about in people's lives. So fascinated, in fact, that as a child I used to play "holocaust" and try to imagine what it was like to be alive during WWII. Mary, you can now share your stories of finding me in the crib in the closet... (it's true, how embarrassing!! Was anyone just slightly worried about me playing concentration camp?? Phew, good thing that phase didn't last long, I promise I'm not crazy or permanently scarred from this experience.)
ANYWAY, We were not alone is a story of an LDS Family who survived the war in Berlin. It is a great book about the war because it's focused on an entirely different aspect--no one goes to a concentration camp, they don't hide Jews, and they're not involved in the underground effort--rather, it's just a story of spiritual guidance, family togetherness, and survival. I quite liked the lack of drama in it :)
I don't want to be the spoiler for the rest of the book, so if you're going to read it, don't read on.....
I just wanted to share my favorite part of the book, because it really did kind of change my life...
Karola is the writer of the story, so the book is in her perspective (the youngest child of 5 in the family). Karola, her parents, and her three sisters are living in West Berlin after the war, and food is scarce. Karola has to take a train once a week in the morning to East Germany and walk for three hours to buy food from a greenhouse in a small town. The road that she walks along is dangerous, and the Russian guard station is particularly scary. She is protected many times from being raped or killed, and she truly feels that God has tested her faith through the experience. After one particularly precarious situation, her family realizes she cannot go to this particular place anymore. Karola's mother refuses to eat her full portion of food and gives it to her family to live on--but by doing so she is in effect starving to death. She is very weak and pale, and is eventually on her deathbed. The situation is dire, and there's not much more the family can do.
One morning Karola goes to get food and her Mother starts praying and asking God for help. A peaceful feeling came over her, and she somehow knew that food was on the way. A half hour later an American Major came to the door carrying several boxes of food. He said that he walked past a store that morning and felt as if someone pushed him inside. He bought groceries and then asked the Lord what he was supposed to do with it. He had remembered seeing Karola and her sisters at church, and had no idea who they were, but somehow found out from the mission home and brought the food to the house. He told the family they need not worry about food anymore.
When Karola's mom told her this, Karola said "He's answered our prayers, Mother. He's answered them again." Mother said "Why, yes, Karola. The Lord always answers our prayers." Karola then said, "But why did he wait so long? I don't understand."
"Sometimes he waits so that we will know how much we want what we ask for. Sometimes he waits because the time is not yet right, sometimes to test our faith, sometimes he waits for reasons only known to him, and sometimes the answer is 'no.'"
"Karola, I know that he answers prayers in his own way, according to our faith."
I love this story. A family, for several years, labors to find food and to merely survive in midst of trial after trial. They remain faithful, and God blesses them miraculously. It truly changed the way I think. I really do believe that God answers our prayers according to our faith, and that he knows the right timing for things.
Anyway, the American Major ends up bringing them food every week for several months and even brings the Mother medicine so that she can heal and get better. :)
(I'm so bad at blog endings....) Um it changed my life the end. :)
8 comments:
Well, that is a great story. I got all teary-eyed about it sitting here drinking my hot chocolate. Thanks for sharing this book recommendation. What a faithful family they must have been.
Sounds good Jane. Who's the author? You probably had to play concentration camp because I refused to play with you or let you make decisions as to what the playing would be. We all know how selfish I can be like that. :)
This sounds like an amazing book on faith. My friend Becky's grandma kept the mission home open during WWII. She was the office secretary or something. Brave and faithful folks.
so i love to read and I too love the holocaust stuff so i didn't read on! I just might have to get this one. Oh and I am so glad you love the holocaust too because i thought it was a little warped of me to be so interested by it.
so i love to read and I too love the holocaust stuff so i didn't read on! I just might have to get this one. Oh and I am so glad you love the holocaust too because i thought it was a little warped of me to be so interested by it.
Oh I can't wait to read this! Thanks for the book tip!
P.S. I can't believe you played concentration camp! Were your parents terrified that you would be scarred for life?
Jane, I am sure you meant no harm by this post, and, because of that, I think you should know how incredibly offensive it is to talk about the Holocaust in these terms. To "play Holocaust" or to "play concentration camp" as a child who knows no better is one thing, but to recount the experience years later as an adult on a public blog and to talk about it in the same whimsical and childish way goes beyond play and into the dark realms of insensitivity and complete lack of understanding for the suffering of others. Normally I wouldn't choose to comment on someone's blog whom I don't know, but, since you invited comments earlier, I feel like it is ok to tell you how horrible this sounds to outside readers, Jewish readers and non-Jews alike who recognize the serious weight of the events that occurred during WWII and before. In this same post and in other places on your blog, you mention that you are LDS. I hope not all LDS people grew up with this distorted view of play Holocaust. What was fictional and exciting to you was the darkest time in humanity for many - please have more respect. The problems that preceded WWII are alive and well in today's world and speaking of them in trite terms makes it easier for people to deny and or forget the tragedy of what happened. Thanks.
I am sorry that offense was taken at this post. In referring to my childhood "play" I think I intended not to make light of obviously a very tragic and dark time in the world, but rather to refer to the fact that since I was a child I have been interested in empathizing with the circumstances of the holocaust. I do not pretend to understand everything about this part of history, but I do not feel like I was making light of anything, and if you'll read the rest of my post you'll see that I rather was adding insight to the miracles and amazing circumstances that sprung hope out of dreadful times.
As a side note, I never have intended for this blog to be one of public forum, but rather thoughts and experiences in my life. It is intended for family and close friends who wish to keep up-to-date with my current happenings.
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