All But My Life, Blog 1

When I first started reading this book, I knew about the Holocaust. However, while reading the book, I am learning what strength, courage, and faith the victims in these camps had to have. Even though Gerda was at a fairly nice camp, life wasn't a piece of cake. Working for eleven hours a day had to have been hard work. I could not imagine how these girls felt. While getting more in depth into the book, I realized that this was going to be a hard book to read. The descriptions of the scenes Gerda saw are heartbreaking. The scene that has stuck with me now, is the one about what happened to Erika's mother and baby brother. The pain that the victims must have endorsed was exponential. I can't imagine having a horse walk over the back of me, while I am alive. However, the whole story of Erika's last letter Gerda recieved was hard to read. This young girl said that her heart is dead. The detail of that letter really got to me and from then on, I have found that this book is full of dreadful and oddly inspiring things. The part in the book about Lotte and how Gerda told her readers the story of Lotte was very upsetting. I also wonder about Abek. At first, I did not like him. I felt he was weird and awkward. However, as I kept reading, I began to like Abek. In ways, I wish that Gerda did marry Abek because I believe she loved him. I just think that her friend, Ilse had persuaded her to not? I am not quite sure, but I think she did to a degree. I am learning so much in this book about the Holocaust that I never even knew. I have an upstanding respect for Gerda and what she persevered through.