A Brilliant Life: My Mother’s Inspiring True Story of Surviving the Holocaust

4.5 | 235 ratings

Price: 22.04

Last update: 12-10-2024

About this item

The powerful, true story of a Holocaust survivor told by her daughter—a tale that reminds us of the resilience of the soul and the ability of the heart to heal.

As Mira is nearing the end of her life, her daughter Rachelle wants to find out how her mother had lived through four concentration camps, including Auschwitz, and a Death March. There was a mystery to her survival, it seemed—which perhaps had something to do with the strange things that always happened around her. And, incredibly, when giving testimony later in life, she says that it was during this time—despite witnessing the depths of man’s cruelty—that she learned about “the goodness of people.”

Born in Czechoslovakia, Mira was only 12 years old when World War II broke out. At 88, living in Australia, she is diagnosed with cancer, and her journalist daughter decides to interview her to distract her from her illness. What Rachelle discovers about her mother helps her fit together the jigsaw pieces of her own life. A Brilliant Life portrays not only how remote a prospect it was to live through the Holocaust, but what it is like to be the child of a survivor.

A story of love, loss, wonder and the deepest kind of faith, A Brilliant Life questions the role that fate, chance and destiny play in one's life. It is a tribute to family, a story of incredible resilience and a chronicle of the deep connection between mother and child that not even death can destroy.

David M. Baron

A captivating and immersive true-life story that held my attention from start to finish...

Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2023

I absolutely loved every aspect of this book. It's a captivating and immersive true-life story that held my attention from start to finish. I found myself completely captivated, finishing it in just two days.

The talented author beautifully weaves an unforgettable narrative for readers of all generations, focusing on her loving mother, Mira Unreich, of blessed memory. 'A Brilliant Life' unveils the powerful journey of an incredible woman who not only survived the horrors of the Holocaust but also imparted invaluable lessons on living life to the fullest - a message that resonates powerfully even today. This book is a must-read, offering a profound and inspiring story that leaves a lasting impact.

Meghan Baker

Very good read about a wonderful woman.

Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2024

I loved this book. Mira's story is one of all the shades of the rainbow. She inspires us to have a full and wonderful life in spite of whatever awful thing had been done to us. The only negative I have is with the author herself, many times she steered the story into a paragraph or two about herself. I often skimmed through these parts, which I felt were, a little narcissistic and intrusive. But I didn't detract a star because of it.

lisa

easy read, beautiful story of hope, survival and love in the face of brutality

Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2024

I absolutely LOVED this memoir. I couldn't put it down and finished in a few days. I loved it so much I bought the Australian version (with pictures) and started reading it again! The memoir is easy to read, provides lots of historical context and tells the story of Mira's life journey from her early days surviving to her later days thriving. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to see a first person account of hope, survival and love in the face of human brutality.

Librarian

Interesting read

Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2024

A different read of a Holocaust memoir by a second generation author. She skillfully combines her mother’s history with her own life, connecting experiences and impact. Well done

NCMarygirl

Life is what you make it

Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2024

Loved this book. It about an elderly female Holocaust survivor who refused to live in the past and not be bitter. She took life by the horns and lived a wonder life with family, friends, etc. Great motivation for anyone who suffered severe trauma earlier in life.

openmypages

A Brilliant Life

Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2023

{3.5 stars}

Mira is dying and her daughter wants to know more about her history. They currently live in Australia but she knows her mother and her family were victims of the Holocaust. The story flips back and forth in the beginning as we get to know Mira now and as a youth in Czechoslovakia as the war reached her small village. We hear about her family first in hiding and then separated, where Mira ends up in being moved through various concentration camps suffering more and more leading up to the Death March and her final liberation. It then goes on to tell her post war struggles and how she ended up in Australia.

What I really appreciated about this story was that amidst all of the struggles, pains and horrors of the Holocaust, Mira told her stories focused on the kindnesses she experienced and the little moments that made a difference to her survival. It was a take on a Holocaust story that I hadn't heard before. I so admired her resilience and her desire to move on with her life and not let suffering and loss define her. My only issue with the book was the chunk at the end that focused more on the daughter's life, I get what she was trying to do by emphasizing the legacy of her mother and embracing her faith but that bit was a little too long and lacking the drama and intensity of the first 2/3s of the book.

Thanks to Harper for the gifted copy. All opinions above are my own.

Kindle CustomerJean

A Compelling Story

Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2024

This book gave me a specific understanding how one woman survived the Holocaust. By her own account that should not have to the case. One point at the end I would have liked clarified. The author mentions finding information that her mother had been picked for selection by Mengele, but doesn't clarify how Mira avoided that. Or if Ms Unreich did cover it I must have missed it. For the rest of her book, I was caught up in her mother's life.

Pamela J. Lewis

Just “So-So”

Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2024

I kept waiting for something to happen in this book, but nothing, almost as if Mira actually shared any real story of her time spent in the camps. Maybe she protected her family from those horrors ? I lost interest and it is pretty hard to finish this book.. I would not recommend.. So sorry to the author..

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