Mary Berg was fifteen when the German army poured into Poland in 1939. She survived four years of Nazi terror, and managed to keep a diary throughout. This astonishing, vivid portrayal of life inside the Warsaw Ghetto ranks with the most significant documents of the Second World War. Mary Berg candidly chronicles not only the daily deprivations and mass deportations, but also the resistance and resilience of the inhabitants, their secret societies, and the youth at the forefront of the fight against Nazi terror. Above all The Diary of Mary Berg is a uniquely personal story of a life-loving girl’s encounter with unparalleled human suffering, and offers an extraordinary insight into one of the darkest chapters of human history.
About the Author :
Susan Pentlin was Emeritus Professor of Modern Languages at Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, MO, and the leading expert on this work.
Review :
"Without qualification, this reviewer recommends Mary Berg's diary to everybody"
"A moving record of terrorism"
"Berg’s powerful record of those terrible times is astonishingly lucid. The strength of her memories and the intensity of her experiences are naturally heart-breaking. This extraordinary, chilling memoir is essential reading for everyone"
"One of the most important documents in the age of Hitler"
"What makes her account stand out is her novelist's eye: this is not just a crucial historical document but a classic read."
"Mary Berg’s diary records the dignity of man, his moral consciousness. Once again we are reminded that amid blazing homes, flame-swept streets and mass murders there were human beings who admitted no defeat."
"Direct, sharp-eyed and full of compelling detail, this Diary is both a major resource for historians and a richly compelling human document"
"What makes her account stand out is her novelist's eye: this is not just a crucial historical document but a classic read"
"Mary Berg’s diary records the dignity of man, his moral consciousness. Once again we are reminded that amid blazing homes, flame-swept streets and mass murders there were human beings who admitted no defeat."
"Direct, sharp-eyed and full of compelling detail, this Diary is both a major resource for historians and a richly compelling human document."
"This powerful testament documents Nazi brutalities. Berg is a remarkably clear-eyed, skillful and heart-breaking recorder of thos terrible years."
"this is not just a crucial historical document but a classic read."
"This book […] gave me nightmares. But that is how colourful the writing of Berg is, how intense this one family’s story is and how it can have an impact on the world. A must-read for everyone"
"…book is gripping and reads well. It is hard to put the book down because Berg’s Writings…to share it with the world so many years later is a treasure. I believe it is a must-read for everyone"
"Mary Berg’s diary reminds us, Jewish life under the Nazis consisted of light as well as shade"
Short announcement of books existence
"A heartbreaking record of [Mary Berg's] experiences growing up in the Warsaw Ghetto"
"The Richness of Berg’s memories and the intensity of here experiences record for posterity a chilling account of childhood during the Holocaust."
