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We Were the Lucky Ones Hardcover – 14 February 2017
Inspired by the incredible true story of one Jewish family separated at the start of World War II, determined to survive--and to reunite--We Were the Lucky Ones is a tribute to the triumph of hope and love against all odds
"Love in the face of global adversity? It couldn't be more timely." --Glamour
It is the spring of 1939 and three generations of the Kurc family are doing their best to live normal lives, even as the shadow of war grows closer. The talk around the family Seder table is of new babies and budding romance, not of the increasing hardships threatening Jews in their hometown of Radom, Poland. But soon the horrors overtaking Europe will become inescapable and the Kurcs will be flung to the far corners of the world, each desperately trying to navigate his or her own path to safety.
As one sibling is forced into exile, another attempts to flee the continent, while others struggle to escape certain death, either by working grueling hours on empty stomachs in the factories of the ghetto or by hiding as gentiles in plain sight. Driven by an unwavering will to survive and by the fear that they may never see one another again, the Kurcs must rely on hope, ingenuity, and inner strength to persevere.
An extraordinary, propulsive novel, We Were the Lucky Ones demonstrates how in the face of the twentieth century's darkest moment, the human spirit can endure and even thrive.
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherViking
- Publication date14 February 2017
- Dimensions15.88 x 3.33 x 23.65 cm
- ISBN-100399563083
- ISBN-13978-0399563089
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Product description
Review
""Georgia Hunter s "We Were the Lucky Ones "is a skillfully woven reimagining of her own family s struggle for survival during World War II. Hunter takes us from the Polish ghetto to Siberia to Brazil, all with spectacular historical detail. This emotionally resonant, gripping portrait of the war is filled with beautifully drawn and wonderfully heroic characters I won t soon forget. Jillian Cantor, author of "Margot" and "The Hours Count""
Reading Georgia Hunter s We Were the Lucky Ones is like being swung heart first into history. Her engrossing and deeply affecting account of how the Kurc family survives the Holocaust, against every possible odd, will leave you breathless. But the true wonder of the book is how convincingly Hunter inhabits these characters, each modeled after her own family members. This is theirstory Hunter is telling so beautifully and profoundly, and ours as well. A brave and mesmerizing debut, and a truly tremendous accomplishment.
Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife and Circling the Sun
We Were the Lucky Ones is the most gripping novel I've read in years. Georgia Hunter pulled me into another world, vivid, horrifying, astonishing, and heartbreaking, and I walked with the Kurc family as they traversed the edges of life and death.
Lauren Belfer, New York Times bestselling author of And After the Fire, A Fierce Radiance, and City of Light.
Georgia Hunter sWe Were the Lucky Onesis a skillfully woven reimagining of her own family s struggle for survival during World War II. Hunter takes us from the Polish ghetto to Siberia to Brazil, all with spectacular historical detail. This emotionally resonant, gripping portrait of the war is filled with beautifully drawn and wonderfully heroic characters I won t soon forget.
Jillian Cantor, author ofMargotandThe Hours Count
In her debut novelWe Were the Lucky Ones, Georgia Hunter has crafted her own family history into a sprawling, yet still intimate portrait of those swept up in the devastation of war and scattered to the winds. It is an astonishing saga of hope, of luck, of destruction, and most remarkably of love, made all the more astonishing because of the true story at its core.
David R. Gillham, New York Times bestselling author of City of Women
Elegantly executed and always clear, Hunter evokes pre-war Poland with loving detail, clearly showing what was left behind and lost.. . . We Were the Lucky Ones is a compelling read, notable for Hunter s clear portraits of her plucky, resilient family, and for her ability to build suspense and investment without emotional manipulation.
Courtney Naliboff, ReformJudaism.org"
[A] remarkable history . . . Hunter sidesteps hollow sentimentality and nihilism, revealing instead the beautiful complexity and ambiguity of life in this extraordinarily moving tale.
Publishers Weekly
Reading Georgia Hunter s We Were the Lucky Ones is like being swung heart first into history. Her engrossing and deeply affecting account of how the Kurc family survives the Holocaust, against every possible odd, will leave you breathless. But the true wonder of the book is how convincingly Hunter inhabits these characters, each modeled after her own family members. This is theirstory Hunter is telling so beautifully and profoundly, and ours as well. A brave and mesmerizing debut, and a truly tremendous accomplishment.
Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife and Circling the Sun
We Were the Lucky Ones is the most gripping novel I've read in years. Georgia Hunter pulled me into another world, vivid, horrifying, astonishing, and heartbreaking, and I walked with the Kurc family as they traversed the edges of life and death.
Lauren Belfer, New York Times bestselling author of And After the Fire, A Fierce Radiance, and City of Light.
Georgia Hunter sWe Were the Lucky Onesis a skillfully woven reimagining of her own family s struggle for survival during World War II. Hunter takes us from the Polish ghetto to Siberia to Brazil, all with spectacular historical detail. This emotionally resonant, gripping portrait of the war is filled with beautifully drawn and wonderfully heroic characters I won t soon forget.
Jillian Cantor, author ofMargotandThe Hours Count
In her debut novelWe Were the Lucky Ones, Georgia Hunter has crafted her own family history into a sprawling, yet still intimate portrait of those swept up in the devastation of war and scattered to the winds. It is an astonishing saga of hope, of luck, of destruction, and most remarkably of love, made all the more astonishing because of the true story at its core.
David R. Gillham, New York Times bestselling author of City of Women
Elegantly executed and always clear, Hunter evokes pre-war Poland with loving detail, clearly showing what was left behind and lost.. . . We Were the Lucky Ones is a compelling read, notable for Hunter s clear portraits of her plucky, resilient family, and for her ability to build suspense and investment without emotional manipulation.
Courtney Naliboff, ReformJudaism.org"
"[A] remarkable history . . . Hunter sidesteps hollow sentimentality and nihilism, revealing instead the beautiful complexity and ambiguity of life in this extraordinarily moving tale."
--Publishers Weekly
"Reading Georgia Hunter's We Were the Lucky Ones is like being swung heart first into history. Her engrossing and deeply affecting account of how the Kurc family survives the Holocaust, against every possible odd, will leave you breathless. But the true wonder of the book is how convincingly Hunter inhabits these characters, each modeled after her own family members. This is their story Hunter is telling so beautifully and profoundly, and ours as well. A brave and mesmerizing debut, and a truly tremendous accomplishment."
--Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife and Circling the Sun
"We Were the Lucky Ones is the most gripping novel I've read in years. Georgia Hunter pulled me into another world, vivid, horrifying, astonishing, and heartbreaking, and I walked with the Kurc family as they traversed the edges of life and death."
--Lauren Belfer, New York Times bestselling author of And After the Fire, A Fierce Radiance, and City of Light.
"Georgia Hunter's We Were the Lucky Ones is a skillfully woven reimagining of her own family's struggle for survival during World War II. Hunter takes us from the Polish ghetto to Siberia to Brazil, all with spectacular historical detail. This emotionally resonant, gripping portrait of the war is filled with beautifully drawn and wonderfully heroic characters I won't soon forget."
--Jillian Cantor, author of Margot and The Hours Count
"In her debut novel We Were the Lucky Ones, Georgia Hunter has crafted her own family history into a sprawling, yet still intimate portrait of those swept up in the devastation of war and scattered to the winds. It is an astonishing saga of hope, of luck, of destruction, and most remarkably of love, made all the more astonishing because of the true story at its core."
--David R. Gillham, New York Times bestselling author of City of Women
"Elegantly executed and always clear, Hunter evokes pre-war Poland with loving detail, clearly showing what was left behind and lost. . . . We Were the Lucky Ones is a compelling read, notable for Hunter's clear portraits of her plucky, resilient family, and for her ability to build suspense and investment without emotional manipulation."
--Courtney Naliboff, ReformJudaism.org
"[A] gripping and moving story."
--Bustle, "15 New Authors You're Going To Be Obsessed With This Year"
"[Georgia Hunter is] just as courageous as the characters her writing will never let us forget."
--Harper's Bazaar
"Love in the face of global adversity? It couldn't be more timely."
--Glamour, "Best Books to Read in 2017"
"Turning history into fiction can be tricky, especially when using real names and details. Hunter finesses the challenge. Her novel brings the Kurcs to life in heart-pounding detail, from passionate young love and beloved traditions to narrow escapes, heartbreaking choices, starvation, imprisonment and torture. We come to care deeply about the fate of each of these resourceful, determined characters."
--The Jewish Voice
"The story that so grippingly comes across in the pages of We Were the Lucky Ones isn't strictly fiction--the characters and events that inhabit this Holocaust survival story are based on her family's own history."
--Newsweek
"[A] must-read."
--New York Post
"[A] remarkable history . . . Hunter sidesteps hollow sentimentality and nihilism, revealing instead the beautiful complexity and ambiguity of life in this extraordinarily moving tale."
--Publishers Weekly
"Reading Georgia Hunter's We Were the Lucky Ones is like being swung heart first into history. Her engrossing and deeply affecting account of how the Kurc family survives the Holocaust, against every possible odd, will leave you breathless. But the true wonder of the book is how convincingly Hunter inhabits these characters, each modeled after her own family members. This is their story Hunter is telling so beautifully and profoundly, and ours as well. A brave and mesmerizing debut, and a truly tremendous accomplishment."
--Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife and Circling the Sun
"We Were the Lucky Ones is the most gripping novel I've read in years. Georgia Hunter pulled me into another world, vivid, horrifying, astonishing, and heartbreaking, and I walked with the Kurc family as they traversed the edges of life and death."
--Lauren Belfer, New York Times bestselling author of And After the Fire, A Fierce Radiance, and City of Light.
"Georgia Hunter's We Were the Lucky Ones is a skillfully woven reimagining of her own family's struggle for survival during World War II. Hunter takes us from the Polish ghetto to Siberia to Brazil, all with spectacular historical detail. This emotionally resonant, gripping portrait of the war is filled with beautifully drawn and wonderfully heroic characters I won't soon forget."
--Jillian Cantor, author of Margot and The Hours Count
"In her debut novel We Were the Lucky Ones, Georgia Hunter has crafted her own family history into a sprawling, yet still intimate portrait of those swept up in the devastation of war and scattered to the winds. It is an astonishing saga of hope, of luck, of destruction, and most remarkably of love, made all the more astonishing because of the true story at its core."
--David R. Gillham, New York Times bestselling author of City of Women
"Elegantly executed and always clear, Hunter evokes pre-war Poland with loving detail, clearly showing what was left behind and lost. . . . We Were the Lucky Ones is a compelling read, notable for Hunter's clear portraits of her plucky, resilient family, and for her ability to build suspense and investment without emotional manipulation."
--Courtney Naliboff, ReformJudaism.org
"[Georgia Hunter is] just as courageous as the characters her writing will never let us forget." --Harper's Bazaar
"Love in the face of global adversity? It couldn't be more timely." --Glamour, "Best Books to Read in 2017"
"[A] gripping, emotional novel." --People, "The Best New Books"
"A remarkable story of courage, love, and of course, luck." --Book Riot's Best Books of 2017
"[A] gripping and moving story." --Bustle, "15 New Authors You're Going To Be Obsessed With This Year"
"Turning history into fiction can be tricky . . . Hunter finesses the challenge. Her novel brings the Kurcs to life in heart-pounding detail." --The Jewish Voice
"The story that so grippingly comes across in the pages of We Were the Lucky Ones isn't strictly fiction--the characters and events that inhabit this Holocaust survival story are based on her family's own history." --Newsweek
"[A] must-read." --New York Post
"[A] remarkable history . . . Hunter sidesteps hollow sentimentality and nihilism, revealing instead the beautiful complexity and ambiguity of life in this extraordinarily moving tale." --Publishers Weekly
A Finalist for the National Jewish Book Awards' Book Club Award
A Women's National Book Association Great Group Read
"Reading Georgia Hunter's We Were the Lucky Ones is like being swung heart first into history. Her engrossing and deeply affecting account . . . will leave you breathless. But the true wonder of the book is how convincingly Hunter inhabits these characters, each modeled after her own family members. This is their story Hunter is telling so beautifully and profoundly, and ours as well. A brave and mesmerizing debut, and a truly tremendous accomplishment." --Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife and Circling the Sun
"We Were the Lucky Ones is the most gripping novel I've read in years. Georgia Hunter pulled me into another world, vivid, horrifying, astonishing, and heartbreaking." --Lauren Belfer, New York Times bestselling author of And After the Fire, A Fierce Radiance, and City of Light.
"We Were the Lucky Ones is a skillfully woven reimagining of [Hunter's] own family's struggle for survival during World War II . . . with spectacular historical detail. This emotionally resonant, gripping portrait of the war is filled with beautifully drawn and wonderfully heroic characters I won't soon forget." --Jillian Cantor, author of Margot and The Hours Count
"Georgia Hunter has crafted her own family history into a sprawling, yet still intimate portrait of those swept up in the devastation of war and scattered to the winds. It is an astonishing saga of hope, of luck, of destruction, and most remarkably of love, made all the more astonishing because of the true story at its core." --David R. Gillham, New York Times bestselling author of City of Women
"Elegantly executed and always clear, Hunter evokes pre-war Poland with loving detail, clearly showing what was left behind and lost. . . . We Were the Lucky Ones is a compelling read, notable for Hunter's clear portraits of her plucky, resilient family, and for her ability to build suspense and investment without emotional manipulation." --Courtney Naliboff, ReformJudaism.org
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Viking (14 February 2017)
- Language : English
- ISBN-10 : 0399563083
- ISBN-13 : 978-0399563089
- Dimensions : 15.88 x 3.33 x 23.65 cm
- Best Sellers Rank: 999,661 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 1,094 in Historical Jewish Fiction
- 2,042 in Jewish Literature (Books)
- 3,951 in Fictional Historical Biographies
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
When Georgia Hunter was fifteen years old, she learned that she came from a family of Holocaust survivors. We Were the Lucky Ones was born of her quest to uncover her family’s staggering history. Hunter’s site, www.georgiahunterauthor.com, offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the extensive research this project has entailed. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and two sons.
Customer reviews
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Hunter begins her book in Radom, Poland, a city in central Poland with a large and thriving pre-war Jewish community. The Kurc family was celebrating Passover,1939, with four of their five children and their husbands around the table. The only child missing was Addy, who was living in Toulouse, France, and couldn't return home to join in the celebration. For the next six years as the winds of war tossed Polish Jews from the ghettos set up by the German occupiers, to the killing fields, and finally to Treblinka and Auschwitz, the Kurcs fought in the resistance armies, labored in the concentration camps, and were unbelievably lucky in their fate. (This is not a surprise to the readers as they're told that the family survived; the book tells their stories.)
Georgia Hunter is a good writer and the story of the family's survival is presented well. She is the daughter of Addy's daughter, who was born after the war to Addy and an American woman he met while living in Rio. The Kurc's tale is an interesting one.
It’s an excellent true story on how a family’s strength, determination, love prevails and saves them all! You will laugh and cry with them as you read!
Lucky in that a school project awoke an interest in the author as a child to delve more into the family origins.
Lucky that the surviving family members were prepared to talk about the topic.
Lucky that the author had great determination (her family history shows from where that came) to persist in many years of travel and research.
Lucky in that meticulous research was able to expand, influence and colour the narrative.
Lucky that the author had such supportive family, friends, assistants, editors, researchers, etc who were prepared to go those extra miles because they believed in the project.
Lucky in that the author has used a thoughtful, calm recounting of the horrors experienced - allowing the story itself to be the horror without having that horror trumpeted from the rooftops.
Lucky that the author has been able to wonderfully convey the rejoicing at the news of another family member being discovered alive; the celebration of that joy; from the depths of despair to the elation of being together at war's end.
This refugee family was lucky that other lands were willing to take them in. Millions of families world wide today are in desperate circumstances caused by wars. What's to be done?
The highest recommendation I am able to give.