Lilka Trzcinska and her sisters and brother were still teenagers when they were arrested for their part in the Polish Resistance against the invading Germans in World War II. Sent to Auschwitz, the infamous concentration camp, they endured hardship and tragedy before being united after the war. This book is Lilka's memoir of those days before, during and immediately after the war years.

It is a chronicle of a young girl's living nightmare as she takes on the part of Ariadne, trying to find her way out of `this labyrinth of dangerous hours' that were the years of horror during WWII.

discovering how horrific it was for concentration camp victims, even those who survived. Yet it also demonstrates the invincibility of love, dignity and the strength of the human spirit.

the poems which are woven seamlessly into the narrative throughout the book. They're beautifully written and perfectly placed, many infused with characters from Greek mythology. Even though some deal with war-time atrocities, hope and beauty somehow prevail, filtered through Lilka's innocent young eyes and mind.

read more about WWII, maybe Suite Francaise.

sad and horrified that human beings can perpetrate such atrocities on each other. I also felt admiration for Lilka and her sister Marina. Throughout their horrendous ordeal, the sisters' bond held them together, both in body and in spirit. Their survival is a testament to their love and devotion to one another, and the triumph of innocence, dignity, and inner beauty over the unspeakable atrocities and depravities perpetrated by human beings upon each other in the name of war.

it's beautifully written, easy to read, and is probably one of the last memoirs of the Holocaust to be published.

The title of the book, The Labyrinth of Dangerous Hours, is a line taken from one of the many poems.

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Created May 16, 2007 at 9:52pm • Submit your own review...