Review of Still The Soul Survives

[Martina Sette]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Still The Soul Survives" by Pamel Goldstein.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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The book can be summarized in one line: “The Holocaust showed me how ugly and dirty and cruel life could get.”

This is how "Still The Soul Survives" by Pamela Goldstein begins; it goes straight to the point. From this, a person can immediately grasp the theme of the book and how hard it will be to read. Not because it's boring, but because it is filled with intense emotions that, as a sensitive person, I find hard to bear. And that's exactly how it was — and I’m glad for it.

Pamela Goldstein's life was changed forever by a series of encounters with WWII Holocaust survivors in 1973 as she worked in the ER of her local hospital. These patients deeply moved her and shaped her perspective on the world of Jews. Her relationship with Jacob, Ellie, and the other survivors teach Pam a lot, and they show her that love will always overcome evil.

But here, the story not only focuses on the survivors but also honors all the victims and preserves their memories. And this is reflected again and again through many scenes of violence. In short, it’s not a book suitable for very sensitive readers, as it is a raw and intense read, but that’s how it should be because it shows exactly what war was and what it still is today, even if in different forms.

Reading this book was as difficult as it was emotional. Although it recounts events from 80 years ago during WWII and situations that happened in the 1970s, this book feels extremely relevant, and perhaps that’s what scares me the most. It gives me chills to think that even today, despite everything that has happened, there are still people who support such a horrifying cause. Ellie's story is the most heartbreaking and it hurts even more knowing that these are real events, but I don't want to continue to avoid spoilers, so I'll leave it for you to discover.

I appreciated the presence of multiple languages in the book, even if just a few words in French, German, and some Hebrew words, as they immerse the reader even more deeply into the historical context.

I enjoyed reading this book, and that's why I rate it 5 out of 5 stars. I didn't find anything negative in this book; I liked everything from start to finish. There are a few grammatical errors, but they're not annoying. I think everyone should read this book because it has a lot to teach.

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Still The Soul Survives
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[Priya Murugesan]

I am a sensitive reader. Yet, I want to read this book and immerse in the lives of WWII survirvors. Your review got me intrigued. Thanks for your awesome review!

[Gerry Steen]

People must continue to read books like this. We must not forget the brutalities of WW2. We must dicourage our neighbours , coworkers, and loved ones from engaging in any ideology that supports the marginalization and cleansing of any group of people. Ethnic cleansing is still happening in the world. These books remind us that we must do everything in our power to discourage this manner of solving social problems.

[Autumn K]

People must continue to read books like this. We must not forget the brutalities of WW2. We must dicourage our neighbours , coworkers, and loved ones from engaging in any ideology that supports the marginalization and cleansing of any group of people. Ethnic cleansing is still happening in the world. These books remind us that we must do everything in our power to discourage this manner of solving social problems.

This is so important to remember. Books, songs, tv, media etc need to have an amazing amount of visibility for this reason. Ignorance is contagious and the reminder that ethnic cleansing has not only happened, but continues to happen is so important to remember.

[Chi Chiu Michael Mak]

It is only by remembering cruel systematic events like this that the people prevent another grave mistake. Reading this soon!

[Julie Basil]

This sounds like a difficult, but important book that reminds readers to treat others with human dignity, without exceptions. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!