Publication Date: August 29, 2024
Auschwitz, 1943. I cradle my little sister’s feverish body and weep silently in the darkness. “I love you,” I whisper, “Remember, tomorrow we’re free.” And I know in my heart that whatever it takes, I will find a way out of here—for me, and for my sister…
At the imposing iron gates of Auschwitz, twenty-one-year-old
But Auschwitz is no place for a little girl, and keeping Bayla safe takes every ounce of Hodaya’s strength. She hates watching the spark in her little sister’s eyes dull, and as she hands over her daily rations of watery soup and stale bread to keep Bayla fed, she feels herself weakening by the second. But she vows to find a way out, even if it means sacrificing the young woman she once was.
Admiring the bravery of other prisoners’ revolts and imagining a world in which she joins in, Hodaya battles between her determination to save Bayla and mounting despair. But in the end, it’s the most unlikely person who reminds her to dare to hope: Alaric, a German soldier. As desperate hunger closes in, Alaric draws a parcel of warm food from a satchel and offers it to Hodaya – his expression guarded, blue eyes troubled, but his hand steady.
But can Hodaya trust a stranger, particularly a German? And as sickness takes hold of Bayla, is it already too late to keep her promise to keep Bayla safe—or will the last ounce of hope in her heart lead to an escape from the darkest of places?
A breath-taking, gut-wrenching World War Two page-turner which will tear your heart apart at the same time it restores your faith in the power of love, family and sisterhood to triumph over evil. Perfect for fans of The Midwife of Auschwitz, The Choice and The Tattooist of Auschwitz.
Historical fiction set in World War II often highlights the deaths connected to the concentration camps, telling stories of families destroyed by the Nazis.
Author S.E. Rutledge takes a different approach in A Promise to My Sister. In the prologue, readers are introduced to Hodaya Alperstein in 1961. She’s struggled to leave the horrors of the past but decides it is time to acknowledge all the pain and sacrifices needed to save her little sister, Bayla, and the man who ensured she survived.
Hodaya writes the events, beginning in 1943, as she and her family are removed from their Polish home and crammed into a rail car destined for Auschwitz.
Told in first person, Hodaya takes the story back to 1939 to highlight life before the German invasion. The family stays under the radar until it is discovered they are Jewish. From being forced into a ghetto with few resources to their eventual railway trip, the horrors mount.
The author’s descriptive language of walking skeletons serves as an apt depiction of those stuck in the concentration camps. It’s one thing to see the struggle through Hodaya’s adult eyes, but the same event is much worse for young Bayla.
The horrors of the camp, whether the lack of food, clothing, or daily beatings, provide additional context. Readers will cheer for Hodaya for her seemingly endless supply of resilience.
A Promise to My Sister is ultimately a story of survival packed with heartbreaking twists and turns.
Savannah Rutledge was born and raised in Mariposa, California – a rural, historical town at the gateway of Yosemite, USA. Her passion lies in writing historical fiction featuring imperfect, complex characters, and exploring human nature and questions of morality. Even as a child, she was taken by the dream of telling stories and bringing her imagination to life through words and art.
