A gripping read that should remind everyone that the right of every human being is to have a life free of oppression and one of respect for others.

Beautifully written from Jafa Wallach's notes and spoken to her daughter, Rena. The pain and the horror the Jewish people went through will again be very evident to the reader. This book was not about a concentration camp, but about being in hiding. The Wallach family....five of them at one point....lived and hid in a hole that they had dug themselves under a friend's home. A hole that was so cramped they couldn't even stand up. A hole that they shared with vermin and insects and one that was either too hot or too cold and one with barely any air and a life filled with daily starvation and no water.

Enduring those 22 months below ground was a horrible nightmare that was shared by many more Jewish people than the five that lived there. I was counting the seconds and the days until liberation as I was reading their story of the terror of fearing for your life every day and the dread of living in that horrific space.

The person who made their survival possible was a wonderful person named Jozio. He lead a seemingly normal, but stressful life during the day and helped the Wallach family by giving them food and water at night whenever he could.

As difficult as their lives were, the human spirit is one thing that the Germans couldn't break or take from Jafa and her family. They survived with the knowledge that their little girl was safe and that they would be reunited with her after the war. These thoughts kept them going even though it was not easy.

As the book ends, you will hear the other side of the story from Rena and how she lived those 22 months without her mother and father.

Being aware of the Holocaust atrocities and the lives it changed forever should hopefully be more than enough to have the human race strive to not let this happen again. This wonderfully written book is a book about love, family, surviving, heartbreak, and compassion. The publisher also included photos in the back of the book. . 5/5

This book was given to me free of charge by the publisher for an honest review. All opinions are mine. ( )

Holocaust books have special meaning as they tell what happened under the Nazis in World War II and before. The occupation of Poland and the establishment of Ghettos is often the theme of many of these books. What makes “Bitter Freedom” stand out from the rest is how several family members were able to survive in the face of extreme odds against them.

Historically, Germany and Russia were allies at the start of the occupation of Poland. A river divided the two segments so that the Nazi regime was on one side and the Russians were on the other side. People who lived on either side of the river found themselves having to live with different types of oppression. Nazis shot Jews, Gypsies, infirmed, and put them in concentration camps if they were lucky enough to survive. Russians took away land ownership, animals, crops, and said they belonged to everyone.

Those who were still alive struggled to make sense of all the turmoil. “Bitter Freedom” is the story of unbelievable circumstances, which enabled a husband, wife, and her two brothers to survive the fate of 6 million Jews throughout Europe. Natan Wallach was a physician who was able to continue aiding the ill until it became apparent he and his wife would suffer the fate of the rest of the Jews in their area.

Escaping from a fenced enclosure during a confused period when the Nazi soldiers were not sure of their roles, Natan and Jafa Wallach had one of those ironic twists of fate. Guards for a period of a few days left the gates open and the couple just walked out of their confinement!

Natan and Jafa sought refuge at the home of the town’s mechanic. Under his mechanic shop, they found a place to hide. When they first entered this underground hideout, they had a small shovel with which to dig out a space to lie in. Little did they realize at the time that they would be there for the next 22 months! The mechanic, Jozef Zwonarz, was the only person who knew they were in this 5 x 4 ½-foot hole, which was 4 feet deep. During the day, they had to be silent! 20 feet away was the Gestapo headquarters with their trained German Shepherds.

During this entire period, it appeared to the Nazis that Jozef Zwonarz was a patriot for the German cause. In reality, he was a saboteur! He put salt in their gas tanks, aided the underground, and got food for his hidden friends.

Many twists and turns that take place with regard to the survival of the Wallach family showing how under the most oppressive conditions the will to survive can conquer the evil that some men do to others. Even after liberation by the Russians, the Wallach’s had many harrowing experiences until they emigrated to the United States in May 1947.

This is a highly recommended 5 star book. ( )