Cirla's Story

In Cirla’s Story we find a narrative as gripping as it is poignant, capturing the author's first-hand experiences of evading capture in German-occupied Belgium during the harrowing years of World War II. Cirla Italiaander, born to Jewish parents, was a mere five years old when the Germans marched into her homeland in 1939. The world as she knew it spiralled into chaos as Jewish families, hers included, were relentlessly pursued and disappeared to unknown destinations.

Told through the eyes of young Cirla, the unfolding story captures an innocent's bewilderment at a world turned upside down, lending a dreamlike, almost surreal quality to her recollections. We witness the heartbreak of both sets of her grandparents being spirited away, soon followed by her father and uncle. In a desperate attempt to escape such a fate, Cirla and her mother slip into hiding. Their salvation comes in the form of a courageous non-Jewish family, entwined with the Belgian resistance, who risk their own lives to shield the fugitives from harm. Against all odds, this brave household successfully harbours Cirla and her mother (and others) throughout the war, an example of human bravery in its finest form.

Cirla pens this book with a trio of intentions: to enlighten today's youth about the grim realities of her wartime childhood, to pay homage to the valiant souls who sheltered her, and, most poignantly, to enshrine the cherished memories of her grandparents and father, whose lives were among those cruelly extinguished at Auschwitz.

Crafted in language both elegant and approachable, this book invites readers of all ages to gain a deeper understanding of those sombre times we must never let slip from memory. 

After the war, Cirla found love with an Englishman and made her home in England. In later life her passion for remembrance led her to the Imperial War Museum in London, where she became an educator at its permanent Holocaust Exhibition. Over a decade, she engaged with countless visitors and will doubtless be fondly remembered by all those who had the good fortune to meet her.

Publisher - Woodfield Publishing Ltd

Language - English

Perfect Bound

Contributors

By author

Cirla Lewis

Published Date - 2008-08-01

ISBN - 9781846830518

Dimensions - 21 x 14.8 x 0.9 cm

Page Count - 158