A short-but-sweet review of Tilar J. Mazzeo’s Irena’s Children: a True Story of Courage.
Irena’s Children is the fascinating, inspiring account of a woman who refused to lie down when the Nazis began enacting the “final solution” in Poland. Irena Sendler worked tirelessly to smuggle medication into the Jewish ghetto of Warsaw—and smuggle children out. Together with her dedicated team, she saved well over 2000 children from the Holocaust.
While this is Irena’s story, it is also an affirmation that all over Poland decent people risked their lives to save the lives of the “least of these.” I appreciated the author’s refusal to portray Irena as a saint. We see her in all her imperfections, including her stubbornness and her inability to commit to her own husband. Yet we also see a woman who could not turn away while innocents were slaughtered. She risked her life time after time to rescue as many people as she possibly could. And her example inspired many other Poles to do the same. May it continue to inspire us to seek justice at the cost of our own comforts today!
Personal Note on Irena’s Children:
I felt while reading this that I would not have identified with Irena’s politics or goals during the early part of her life. But I stood amazed by how she was used to save the lives of so many Jewish people targeted by the Nazis.
The author isn’t always able to write biography with an inspired touch, but she did her research thoroughly and successfully brought Irena to life. I was particularly struck by the fact that so many of these stories were buried for years during the Soviet occupation of Poland. Perhaps we will see more books like this one and The Zookeeper’s Wife during these decades after the fall of the U.S.S.R.
Further Reading:
Check out my series of mini book reviews for more reading recommendations. Also, if you enjoyed Irena’s Children, I think you’ll love The Zookeeper’s Wife! (Click here to see The Zookeeper’s Wife, another true story about Polish heroes during WWII.)
Current prices on Irena’s Children can be found by clicking the photo below. This book is probably also available at your local library!