All But My Life

I never realized how depressing the Holocaust was until I read the first part of All But My Life. There were so many parts in this book where I would tear up, and just think how awful it would have been for Gerda and her family. Gerda and her family are incredibly strong, stronger than I would ever be if I endured this war. I wondered why an orange was so precious to Gerda when she received it for her eighteenth birthday. I wondered why she would not go and live with Abek's family when she had the opportunity. As I read I thought what if this was me? What if I had been separated from my family for months and months at a time? It hurts to read about what had happened, like when the Jewish people were laid on the ground bare naked, trampled by horses till they were dead. It is heartbreaking to think back knowing someone actually went through all of this. I could not imagine having a German soldier pushing me around, putting a loaded pistol up to my chest, knowing that i could die at any second. The "love" between Abek and Gerda reminds me of a past relationship that I had gone through. I know how it feels to be told that you are loved, and not knowing if you feel the same way. I cannot really relate to anything else that Gerda had been through. I know that by the end of this book I will be more thankful than ever, knowing I didn't have to see or go through this cold war of death.