In Mania's Memory

by Lisa Birnie

Mania dreams of becoming Poland's Shirley Temple. She is seven when World War II begins and eleven when she witnesses her mother die in Auschwitz. A year later, she is transferred to the work camp, Reichenbach. Johanne, an SS guard, slips her food and looks out for her, giving her hope that she will survive. Johanne even voices her desire to adopt Mania when the war ends. But when at last it does, they are suddenly separated. As the years pass, Mania often thinks about Johanne and wishes that she could thank her. Then, decades later, their lives serendipitously, perhaps miraculously, reconnect. Mania hires a cleaning lady whom she is sure is Johanne, but the woman elusively denies it.

Lisa Birnie interweaves the true stories of these two remarkable women with her own experience of the war, as she attempts to discover the truth. Her book fearlessly traverse gray areas of war, belief and memory. Will Johanne admit to being the one who saved Mania? Is she deliberately keeping the truth a secret?

Or is Mania mistaken? As Mania often says, "Life's full of secrets, and every secret has a purpose."

237 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Sandy Seppala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read many books about WWII and the Holocaust, I found this book different from the others. It's a true story about Mania, who was a secular Jew and who spent her childhood in concentration camps in Germany. When WWII ends she's 12 years old and has lived by herself after her mother died in the camps. Her survival was helped throughout those years by various circumstances and people, including Johanne, an SS guard, who wanted to adopt Mania after the war. Johanne was from Poland quite near Reichenbach, the work camp that Mania was in for a time.

The book documents Mania's and Johanne's memories 60 years after the war. They both tell of their day-to-day life in the late 30s and, for Mania, in different concentration camps and, for Johanne, her love for an SS officer and her admiration for the German cause. Their accounts each show what people had to do to survive during those years. Each story illustrates how they survived during the war and for the rest of their lives.

By chance much later when Mania is living in Canada, she thinks that her cleaning lady is Johanne, although Johanne denies it. The author decides to make a documentary about these two women. There are three voices throughout: the author with her thoughts as she interviews the two women; Mania, and Johanne. Mania's and Johanne's stories are compelling. I recommend this book.

[Anna Hazen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down it is based on a true story of Mania a little Jewish girl during the Holocaust and the SS lady guard who helped her. The SS lady guard tells her side of the story to but does not say anything about knowing Mania or helping her. This is a very emotional book.

[Karen O'Brien]

A friend gave me this to read. I had to finish it.
If you are interested in how Auschwitz really was
from the eyes of a survivor, it's a worthy read

[Westcoast_girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story epitomizes how real life is as wonderfully and horribly complex as fiction.

In "In Mania's Memory," the seemingly unbelievable lives of Mania and Johanna are intertwined through the memories, emotions, beliefs of the two women. This isn't a perfect story; the content and characters are imperfect, as is even the credibility. But so is life. Life has no plot line, no climax, nor morals. Life just happens. And it happens incredibly.

I'm not sure how I would have written this story. At times, I was critical of the author's way of adding in her own thoughts. They, to me, seemed to impede on the telling. All I know is that I'm glad she did tell it.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lisa Birnie retells Mania's story like a well written suspense novel, but this is not fiction. Birnie follows the documentary of Mania a holocaust survivor who was in various camps aged 7-12. In the last camp a nazi guard took care of her, gave her food, warm clothes and special care and offered to adopt her after the war. In 1976 Mania hired a cleaning lady who she believes to be the same nazi guard. The book explores both woman's stories.

[Lorelei · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story to untangle. The author did a good job of keeping her feelings real, sharing her own preconceived notions and dedicating herself to do better in her attitudes. A good reminder in this story and so many holocaust stories is that by silence you are complicit. When you see injustice around you, you have the responsibility to stand up against indignities and discrimination against other people. A good reminder to me to always be the champion of the underdog.

[Makensie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was really good until the ending! I didn't like that at all! Would have been 4 or even 5 stars!!

[Dawn A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it. Compelling read bridging two eras - WWII and present.