Aranka Siegal
Encyclopedia
Aranka Siegal
is a writer, Holocaust survivor, and recipient of the Newbery Honor and Boston Globe-Horn Book Award
, both awarded to her in 1982. She is the author of three books, the best known of which is Upon the Head of the Goat: A Childhood in Hungary 1930-1944, a memoir of her childhood in Hungary
before her 12-month imprisonment in the Nazi concentration camps, Auschwitz – Birkenau
and Bergen-Belsen
. Other works of hers include Grace in the Wilderness: After the Liberation 1945-1948 and Memories of Babi. Her novels are sold worldwide, and have been translated into several different languages including, but not limited to, English, French, Italian, Japanese, Dutch, and German. Siegal herself speaks six languages and is the fifth child of seven children.
/Beregszász, Czechoslovakia
(1095-1920 and 1938-1945 Berehove belonged to Hungary
, now in Ukraina). Siegal's mother's maiden surname is 'Rosner', which she changed to 'Meizlik' after her first marriage to Meyer Meizlik, and later to 'Davidowitz' after her second marriage to Ignac Davidowitz. Siegal's father, Meyer Meizlik, died when she was nine months of age. While Siegal was still an infant, her mother remarried to Ignac Davidowitz. Siegal was born the fifth child of seven children: Lilli, Rozsi, Etu, Iboya, Aranka (Siegal), Sandor, and Joli. These are her four older sisters, herself, younger half-brother, and younger half-sister, respectively.
Growing up, Siegal would often spend her summers visiting her grandmother, Babi (born Fage Rosner), in Komjaty, a small farming community just across the Hungarian
border in the Carpathian Mountains
of Ukraine
. Most of Siegal's family was relatively conservative
with their religious practices, keeping up with many of the Jewish customs and traditions. Siegal's grandmother, however, lived a strict orthodox life. Siegal credits her grandmother with teaching her many of life's lessons and instilling in her an appreciation for books and a sense of pride in her Jewish background. Babi would often refer to Siegal by Siegal's Yiddish name, 'Perele'. The children Siegal played with during her summers in Komjaty picked up on the name, but would say 'Piri' instead. 'Piri' is also the name Siegal uses for herself in all of her novels.
, when Aranka Siegal was thirteen years old, she, her mother, and her siblings, Iboya, Sandor, and Joli, were forcibly moved from their home to the Beregszász
brick factory, which had been turned into a ghetto to house Jews. At the time of their departure, Siegal's father, Ignac, was serving in the Hungarian Second Army
on the Russian front. Meanwhile, her older sister, Roszi, was in Komjaty with their grandmother, and her other older sister, Etu, was in Budapest. Shortly before the family's move to the ghetto, however, some of Siegal's family had already been taken away by the Nazis: Lilli (Siegal's older sister), Lajos (Lilli's husband), and Manci (Lilli and Lajos's baby daughter).
Soon after Siegal and her family had arrived in the ghetto, they were deported to Auschwitz
. Upon their arrival on May 9, 1944, she and Iboya, were separated from the rest of the family, and they never saw them again. Eventually, the two girls were sent to another concentration camp, Bergen-Belsen
. Little more than half a year had passed since their initial arrival into Auschwitz
when they were rescued by the British First Army
in early 1945. By the end of the war
, only two of Siegal's immediate family remained alive: her older sisters, Iboya and Etu.
Through the Swedish
Red Cross, Aranka and Iboya were brought to Sweden
, where they were rehabilitated and went to a make-shift school. They later worked in a factory. Siegal and her older sister lived in Sweden
for three and a half years before emigrating to the United States
when Siegal turned eighteen years old.
to the United States
. They were reunited with some of their family in New York
, where the two sisters would begin life anew. Now in the U.S., Siegal had to master her sixth language, English
. In 1951, Siegal, then twenty-one years old, married her husband of late, Gilbert Siegal. Gilbert Siegal, ten years her senior, was a Harvard Law
graduate and an officer of the United States Airforce during World War II
. Aranka and Gilbert Siegal resided in New York City
for most of their life together, before moving to Aventura, Florida
in 2000.
Aranka and Gilbert Siegal had two children together: Rissa Siegal and Joseph Siegal. Their daughter, Rissa, is named for Siegal's mother, Rise Davidowitz. After their two children had gone on to college, Aranka Siegal, then in her mid-forties, returned to school in pursuit of her undergraduate degree. In 1977, Siegal received her Bachelor's degree
in Social Anthropology
from New York University
. That same year she hosted a radio show on which she recounted her experiences in Hungary
and other countries.
since 2000. Her husband, Gilbert Siegal, died in the spring of 2004. Today, Siegal continues to keep up with some of her religious practices, maintains a close relationship to her two children, and enjoys swimming and yoga. Currently, she is taking courses at Florida International University
and is a volunteer of the University of Miami's
ICHEIC Service Corps. She spends much of her free time visiting schools around the country telling the story of her life and experiences during World War II. Siegal's latest book, Memories of Babi, was published in January 2008.
in 1981. Siegal is the nine-year-old Piri of the narrative. The name 'Piri' comes from the Yiddish name Siegal's grandmother used to call her by, 'Perele'. During her summers visiting her grandmother, the children Siegal played with picked up on the name, but would instead say 'Piri'. Also, the title, Upon the Head of the Goat, comes from the Biblical
passage, Leviticus
16, which Siegal came across while looking up the definition of "scapegoat".
town of Beregszász
, playing with other children and attending elementary school. Her life soon begins to change with outbreak of World War II
. She soon begins to feel a direct impact of the war upon her own life. During a summer visit to her grandmother's home in the Ukrainian countryside, Piri finds that she cannot return to her family in Beregszász
. Piri finally returns home the following year to a very different Beregszász
from the one she once knew: she can no longer attend school, her father is serving in the Russian front, food and supplies are scarce, and her mother's attempt to send her children to the United States has failed. Despite the unpleasant changes that have taken place, Piri's mother, Rise Davidowitz, tries to maintain a sense of normalcy for her family, keeping up with the family's traditional customs. Soon to come though, her family is forcibly moved from their home to the ghetto, and later, to the Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz – Birkenau
.
, Newbery Honor Book
, American Library Association Notable Children's Books, Janusz Korczak Literary Competition, IRA Teachers' Choices, Booklist Best Books of the '80s, Booklist Editors' Choice, and Library Journal Best Books of the Year.
Recommendations: Booklist, Boston Globe, Bulletin-Center Child Books, Elementary School Library Collection, Horn Book, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, and Starred Review.
passage. The title of her second novel comes from Jeremiah
31.
. After six months of being in the camp, she and her sister are liberated and rescued by the Swedish
Red Cross. Soon after, she travels with her sister, Iboya, to Sweden
where she is adopted by a Jewish-Swedish family. Soon she falls in love with David, giving herself a hard decision. Who will she choose? The love of her life, or Iboya the sister who quided her through everything? Throughout the novel, Piri contends with growing up, making decisions for the future, the loss of her family, and the memories of being in the camp. At the age of eighteen, Piri leaves her adoptive family to sail to the United States
with her sister. Once in New York
, Piri and Iboya are reunited with some of the members of their family where they begin life anew.
Recommendations: Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, The New York Times Book Review, School Library Journal, and Starred Review.
countryside with her grandmother, Babi, whom the book is titled after.
village of Komjaty. There is a lot that Piri finds strange, even scary, in Komjaty, such as the ghost in the form of a rooster who supposedly haunts the cemetery! But Piri loves country life: making corn bread, eating plums right off the tree, venturing out with her grandmother in the early morning to hunt for mushrooms. And during her time with Babi, Piri learns lessons that will stay with her all of her life, about the importance of honest hard work, of caring for the less fortunate, and of having the courage to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves.
Sydney Taylor Honor Award
Recommendations: Booklist, Horn Book, and Kirkus Reviews.
is a writer, Holocaust survivor, and recipient of the Newbery Honor and Boston Globe-Horn Book Award
Boston Globe-Horn Book Award
The Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards were first presented by The Boston Globe and Horn Book Magazine in 1967. They are among the most prestigious honors in the United States in the field of children’s and young adult literature...
, both awarded to her in 1982. She is the author of three books, the best known of which is Upon the Head of the Goat: A Childhood in Hungary 1930-1944, a memoir of her childhood in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
before her 12-month imprisonment in the Nazi concentration camps, Auschwitz – Birkenau
Auschwitz concentration camp
Concentration camp Auschwitz was a network of Nazi concentration and extermination camps built and operated by the Third Reich in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany during World War II...
and Bergen-Belsen
Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
Bergen-Belsen was a Nazi concentration camp in Lower Saxony in northwestern Germany, southwest of the town of Bergen near Celle...
. Other works of hers include Grace in the Wilderness: After the Liberation 1945-1948 and Memories of Babi. Her novels are sold worldwide, and have been translated into several different languages including, but not limited to, English, French, Italian, Japanese, Dutch, and German. Siegal herself speaks six languages and is the fifth child of seven children.
Early life
Aranka Siegal was born to Meyer and Rise Meizlik in the small town of BerehoveBerehove
Berehove is a city located in the Zakarpattia Oblast in western Ukraine, near the border with Hungary.Serving as the administrative center of the Berehove Raion , the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast...
/Beregszász, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
(1095-1920 and 1938-1945 Berehove belonged to Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, now in Ukraina). Siegal's mother's maiden surname is 'Rosner', which she changed to 'Meizlik' after her first marriage to Meyer Meizlik, and later to 'Davidowitz' after her second marriage to Ignac Davidowitz. Siegal's father, Meyer Meizlik, died when she was nine months of age. While Siegal was still an infant, her mother remarried to Ignac Davidowitz. Siegal was born the fifth child of seven children: Lilli, Rozsi, Etu, Iboya, Aranka (Siegal), Sandor, and Joli. These are her four older sisters, herself, younger half-brother, and younger half-sister, respectively.
Growing up, Siegal would often spend her summers visiting her grandmother, Babi (born Fage Rosner), in Komjaty, a small farming community just across the Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
border in the Carpathian Mountains
Carpathian Mountains
The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians are a range of mountains forming an arc roughly long across Central and Eastern Europe, making them the second-longest mountain range in Europe...
of Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. Most of Siegal's family was relatively conservative
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
with their religious practices, keeping up with many of the Jewish customs and traditions. Siegal's grandmother, however, lived a strict orthodox life. Siegal credits her grandmother with teaching her many of life's lessons and instilling in her an appreciation for books and a sense of pride in her Jewish background. Babi would often refer to Siegal by Siegal's Yiddish name, 'Perele'. The children Siegal played with during her summers in Komjaty picked up on the name, but would say 'Piri' instead. 'Piri' is also the name Siegal uses for herself in all of her novels.
World War II
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when Aranka Siegal was thirteen years old, she, her mother, and her siblings, Iboya, Sandor, and Joli, were forcibly moved from their home to the Beregszász
Berehove
Berehove is a city located in the Zakarpattia Oblast in western Ukraine, near the border with Hungary.Serving as the administrative center of the Berehove Raion , the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast...
brick factory, which had been turned into a ghetto to house Jews. At the time of their departure, Siegal's father, Ignac, was serving in the Hungarian Second Army
Hungarian Second Army
The Hungarian Second Army was one of three field armies raised by the Kingdom of Hungary which saw action during World War II. All three armies were formed on March 1, 1940...
on the Russian front. Meanwhile, her older sister, Roszi, was in Komjaty with their grandmother, and her other older sister, Etu, was in Budapest. Shortly before the family's move to the ghetto, however, some of Siegal's family had already been taken away by the Nazis: Lilli (Siegal's older sister), Lajos (Lilli's husband), and Manci (Lilli and Lajos's baby daughter).
Soon after Siegal and her family had arrived in the ghetto, they were deported to Auschwitz
Auschwitz concentration camp
Concentration camp Auschwitz was a network of Nazi concentration and extermination camps built and operated by the Third Reich in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany during World War II...
. Upon their arrival on May 9, 1944, she and Iboya, were separated from the rest of the family, and they never saw them again. Eventually, the two girls were sent to another concentration camp, Bergen-Belsen
Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
Bergen-Belsen was a Nazi concentration camp in Lower Saxony in northwestern Germany, southwest of the town of Bergen near Celle...
. Little more than half a year had passed since their initial arrival into Auschwitz
Auschwitz concentration camp
Concentration camp Auschwitz was a network of Nazi concentration and extermination camps built and operated by the Third Reich in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany during World War II...
when they were rescued by the British First Army
British First Army
The First Army was a field army of the British Army that existed during the First and Second World Wars. Despite being a British command, the First Army also included Indian and Portuguese forces during the First World War and American and French during the Second World War.-First World War:The...
in early 1945. By the end of the war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, only two of Siegal's immediate family remained alive: her older sisters, Iboya and Etu.
Through the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Red Cross, Aranka and Iboya were brought to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, where they were rehabilitated and went to a make-shift school. They later worked in a factory. Siegal and her older sister lived in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
for three and a half years before emigrating to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
when Siegal turned eighteen years old.
Life in the United States
In August 1948, Aranka Siegal and her sister, Iboya, sailed from SwedenSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. They were reunited with some of their family in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, where the two sisters would begin life anew. Now in the U.S., Siegal had to master her sixth language, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. In 1951, Siegal, then twenty-one years old, married her husband of late, Gilbert Siegal. Gilbert Siegal, ten years her senior, was a Harvard Law
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
graduate and an officer of the United States Airforce during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Aranka and Gilbert Siegal resided in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
for most of their life together, before moving to Aventura, Florida
Aventura, Florida
Aventura is a planned, suburban city located in northeastern Miami-Dade County, Florida. The city name is from the Spanish word for "adventure", and was named "Aventura" after one of the developers of the original group of condominiums in the area remarked to the others, "What an adventure this is...
in 2000.
Aranka and Gilbert Siegal had two children together: Rissa Siegal and Joseph Siegal. Their daughter, Rissa, is named for Siegal's mother, Rise Davidowitz. After their two children had gone on to college, Aranka Siegal, then in her mid-forties, returned to school in pursuit of her undergraduate degree. In 1977, Siegal received her Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Social Anthropology
Social anthropology
Social Anthropology is one of the four or five branches of anthropology that studies how contemporary human beings behave in social groups. Practitioners of social anthropology investigate, often through long-term, intensive field studies , the social organization of a particular person: customs,...
from New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
. That same year she hosted a radio show on which she recounted her experiences in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and other countries.
Recent years
Aranka Siegal has resided in Aventura, FloridaAventura, Florida
Aventura is a planned, suburban city located in northeastern Miami-Dade County, Florida. The city name is from the Spanish word for "adventure", and was named "Aventura" after one of the developers of the original group of condominiums in the area remarked to the others, "What an adventure this is...
since 2000. Her husband, Gilbert Siegal, died in the spring of 2004. Today, Siegal continues to keep up with some of her religious practices, maintains a close relationship to her two children, and enjoys swimming and yoga. Currently, she is taking courses at Florida International University
Florida International University
Florida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park...
and is a volunteer of the University of Miami's
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
ICHEIC Service Corps. She spends much of her free time visiting schools around the country telling the story of her life and experiences during World War II. Siegal's latest book, Memories of Babi, was published in January 2008.
About the Book
Published by Farrar, Straus and GirouxFarrar, Straus and Giroux
Farrar, Straus and Giroux is an American book publishing company, founded in 1946 by Roger W. Straus, Jr. and John C. Farrar. Known primarily as Farrar, Straus in its first decade of existence, the company was renamed several times, including Farrar, Straus and Young and Farrar, Straus and Cudahy...
in 1981. Siegal is the nine-year-old Piri of the narrative. The name 'Piri' comes from the Yiddish name Siegal's grandmother used to call her by, 'Perele'. During her summers visiting her grandmother, the children Siegal played with picked up on the name, but would instead say 'Piri'. Also, the title, Upon the Head of the Goat, comes from the Biblical
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
passage, Leviticus
Leviticus
The Book of Leviticus is the third book of the Hebrew Bible, and the third of five books of the Torah ....
16, which Siegal came across while looking up the definition of "scapegoat".
Summary
Piri (Siegal) lives a normal childhood with her family in the HungarianHungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
town of Beregszász
Berehove
Berehove is a city located in the Zakarpattia Oblast in western Ukraine, near the border with Hungary.Serving as the administrative center of the Berehove Raion , the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast...
, playing with other children and attending elementary school. Her life soon begins to change with outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. She soon begins to feel a direct impact of the war upon her own life. During a summer visit to her grandmother's home in the Ukrainian countryside, Piri finds that she cannot return to her family in Beregszász
Berehove
Berehove is a city located in the Zakarpattia Oblast in western Ukraine, near the border with Hungary.Serving as the administrative center of the Berehove Raion , the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast...
. Piri finally returns home the following year to a very different Beregszász
Berehove
Berehove is a city located in the Zakarpattia Oblast in western Ukraine, near the border with Hungary.Serving as the administrative center of the Berehove Raion , the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast...
from the one she once knew: she can no longer attend school, her father is serving in the Russian front, food and supplies are scarce, and her mother's attempt to send her children to the United States has failed. Despite the unpleasant changes that have taken place, Piri's mother, Rise Davidowitz, tries to maintain a sense of normalcy for her family, keeping up with the family's traditional customs. Soon to come though, her family is forcibly moved from their home to the ghetto, and later, to the Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz – Birkenau
Auschwitz concentration camp
Concentration camp Auschwitz was a network of Nazi concentration and extermination camps built and operated by the Third Reich in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany during World War II...
.
Literary Acclaim
Awards: Boston Globe-Horn Book AwardBoston Globe-Horn Book Award
The Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards were first presented by The Boston Globe and Horn Book Magazine in 1967. They are among the most prestigious honors in the United States in the field of children’s and young adult literature...
, Newbery Honor Book
Newbery Medal
The John Newbery Medal is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association . The award is given to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. The award has been given since 1922. ...
, American Library Association Notable Children's Books, Janusz Korczak Literary Competition, IRA Teachers' Choices, Booklist Best Books of the '80s, Booklist Editors' Choice, and Library Journal Best Books of the Year.
Recommendations: Booklist, Boston Globe, Bulletin-Center Child Books, Elementary School Library Collection, Horn Book, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, and Starred Review.
About the Book
Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Inc. in 1985. Aranka Siegal is the fourteen-year-old Piri of the narrative. Like her first novel, the title, Grace in the Wilderness, also comes from a BiblicalOld Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
passage. The title of her second novel comes from Jeremiah
Jeremiah
Jeremiah Hebrew：יִרְמְיָה , Modern Hebrew:Yirməyāhū, IPA: jirməˈjaːhu, Tiberian:Yirmĭyahu, Greek:Ἰερεμίας), meaning "Yahweh exalts", or called the "Weeping prophet" was one of the main prophets of the Hebrew Bible...
31.
Summary
Fourteen-year-old Piri is a survivor of the Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz – BirkenauAuschwitz concentration camp
Concentration camp Auschwitz was a network of Nazi concentration and extermination camps built and operated by the Third Reich in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany during World War II...
. After six months of being in the camp, she and her sister are liberated and rescued by the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Red Cross. Soon after, she travels with her sister, Iboya, to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
where she is adopted by a Jewish-Swedish family. Soon she falls in love with David, giving herself a hard decision. Who will she choose? The love of her life, or Iboya the sister who quided her through everything? Throughout the novel, Piri contends with growing up, making decisions for the future, the loss of her family, and the memories of being in the camp. At the age of eighteen, Piri leaves her adoptive family to sail to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with her sister. Once in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Piri and Iboya are reunited with some of the members of their family where they begin life anew.
Literary Acclaim
Awards: NCSS-CBC Notable Trade Book in the Field of Social StudiesRecommendations: Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, The New York Times Book Review, School Library Journal, and Starred Review.
About the Book
Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Inc. in 2008. Aranka Siegal is the young Piri of the narrative. The nine stories in this book are inspired by Siegal's own experiences in the UkrainianUkraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
countryside with her grandmother, Babi, whom the book is titled after.
Summary
Piri is a city girl, but every year she goes to visit her grandmother Babi on her farm in the UkrainianUkraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
village of Komjaty. There is a lot that Piri finds strange, even scary, in Komjaty, such as the ghost in the form of a rooster who supposedly haunts the cemetery! But Piri loves country life: making corn bread, eating plums right off the tree, venturing out with her grandmother in the early morning to hunt for mushrooms. And during her time with Babi, Piri learns lessons that will stay with her all of her life, about the importance of honest hard work, of caring for the less fortunate, and of having the courage to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves.
Literary Acclaim
Awards: NYPL Book for Reading and Sharing, 2008 National Jewish Book Awards (Children's and Young Adult Literature Finalist), 2009 Bank Street College, Best Children's Books of the Year List, 100th Anniversary Edition, andSydney Taylor Honor Award
Recommendations: Booklist, Horn Book, and Kirkus Reviews.