Malka

by Mirjam Pressler

Book Overview

When the round-ups start in the Polish village, Malka's mother knows she must get her daughters across the Hungarian border to safety-a place where Jews can live in peace. But escape proves harder than they could have ever imagined. Raw and bleeding feet, bad weather, fear and homesickness fill their nights, until little Malka falls very ill, and must be left behind to be brought across when the threat has passed. But the threat doesn't pass. Separated...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399239847
• ISBN13: 9780399239847
• Release Date: May 2003
• Publisher: Philomel Books
• Length: 280 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.8" x 8.6"
• Age Range: 10 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 5 and higher

Customer Reviews

Bittersweetly Wonderful Story!!!

Malka is clearly a five star book. It tells about all the hardships Malka, her sister Minna, and her mother Hannah went through during the Holocaust on their flee to Hungary and away from their homeland of Lawoczne, Poland. I could not stop reading after I started. I had to go on. I kept wondering; what will happen to Malka or Minna or Hannah? Will they survive? Right from the start, I got hooked on the bittersweet story of Malka and her family. I guarantee you that you will love this book, even if you don't like historical fiction!

The Lost Face

"Malka" is about a 10 year old girl who comes home after playing with one of the neighbors who is German. Malka goes home to find out that they have to leave their town of Lawoczne. They were leaving because the Germans were doing their operations to captures the Jews. She and her mother Hannah and sister Minna had stopped at a person's house who her mother had helped save a lady's husband survive a serious wound. They stopped and rested because Malka was very ill. Malka's mother who was a doctor that had helped a lot of people a long ways from home. When her sister and mother left they left Malka behind because she couldn't go much further. They were heading toward Hungary when they bumped into some people they new and started to travel together. When Malka got better she had to leave because the German operation was coming to check there house even though they were German, but they thought that they were helping the Jews which they were because they were nice people. Now Malka was left alone cold and scared. Then when she was walking the German border control. This went on during WW2. I liked this book because it gave very good descriptions of how she everything happened. Another reason is that the cover when you look at it, it made you say wow this looks like a really good book. The last is that at the end it made you think she might or might not make it through.

A powerful, emotional maelstrom that won't let go

This book was an incredible experience... I read it in one sitting because I couldn't bear to stop. It was such a powerful look into the reality of what Hitler did, not only to the Jews, but how he brought out the best and worst of the Germans and othe people. I was impressed by the reality of the character descriptions... every person in the story was imperfect, as all people are. It was painfully easy to identify with some of the characters. This may be a bit powerful for younger readers, but will be an excellent discussion starter for teens (and adults) who could use some insight into cause and effect.