Parallel Journeys

Rating:
Summary: Courageous
Review: I have read many books about the Holocaust which have moved me. This book, however, was unique because side by side it presented two divergent stories brought together in a very factual way by the author.So in essence, we have three points of view; that of a survivor, a perpetrator and an author. The author has woven these stories together very skillfully and given a very comprehensive picture of Nazi Germany leading up to, during and after WWII.This book gives us two, true suspenseful stories against a factual historical backdrop all in one powerfully moving book. It was a courageous endeavor by each of the three who wrote it. I would recommend it for all students who are interested in getting an authentic view of this dark period in the history of the 20th Century. The book ends on a note of hope. Indeed just the fact that such a book could be written by two people with such opposite - life and death experiencesis a testimony that healing of even the most abominableexperiences imaginable is possible. I couldn't recommend it more highly.I would give it a 10+.

Rating:
Summary: A Great Book!
Review: I read the book "Parallel Journeys" by Eleanor Ayer. This is a very good book and I think everybody should take the chance to read it. Unlike most Holocaust books, this book gives you both sides of the story, using Helen Waterford, the Jew, and by using Alfons Heck, the Nazi. By going chapter through chapter, you see that the story alternates between the two chapters by chapter. This is a very unique technique. I think the biggest shock in this book was when Alfons said that when the war was over and the Allies told people about the concentration camps, he thought they were lying. Even after he was shown the pictures of the prisoners, he thought they were fake. At the end of the book, he said he regrets ever believing that what he saw in the pictures was fake. Now he and Helen travel around the United States together going to schools and lecturing about the Holocaust. One question Alfons will never forget was when he was asked, "If you were in World War II and ordered to kill Helen, would you?" He replied in all honestly, "Yes." After that particular lecture, he said he was sorry to Helen but she said, "If you would have said no, I could never believe you again."

Rating:
Summary: Parallel Journeys
Review: I really liked this book, because it talks about two people (of different genders) and their lives throught out the Holocaust. It told it from two different points of view, one from a German boy and one from a Jewish girl. It shows how different those two worlds are and what it was like being a Jewish girl and a German boy durring the Holocaust. In the end the boy finally realized how wrong it was to be on the German side and he switched and turned against the Germans. The Girl, it tells how she went through hiding and her struggles of being a Jew at this time in her or anyother Jews life. It's a really good book and I recommend it to anyone intrested in a good, fiction, weather it's for a school class or just to read something.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best Holocaust books I've ever read!
Review: I thought that Parallel Journeys was an amazing and informational books, and I thought that it was the best Holocaust book that I have ever read. (And that it is a lot of books) And why, people ask, do I like Parallel Journeys so much? It is because it gives both sides of the Holocaust: one of a Nazi and the other of a German Jew. It was amazing, and I learned quite a bit for it. And the way it was written: with one chapter of the Nazi's story and the next of the Jew and so on, was amazing. Both stories facinated me, and I will never forget the huge amount of information that I learned from it.

Rating:
Summary: Remarkable
Review: In middle school we were doing group readings. I picked this book because it was a historical book and seemed mildly interesting. It is one of the most amazing books I have ever read. It shows Nazi Germany from two points of view. I liked that it wasn't hostile toward the Germans that were caught up in the Fatherland. The boy in the book is a part of the Hitler Youth and you have relate to him. I used to think that everyone in Germany knew of all the horrible things that were happening, because that is basically what they taught us in school. This book changed that, now I think most people would have followed Hitler, becuase he did bring prosperity back to Germany. Don't believe that I am saying this because the Nazi were good people, but it makes them seem more real. On the other side of the story is a woman and her attempts at trying to escape and how her life was during that time, even though she wasn't in Germany the whole time. You can tell the horrors she and her family were put through. The sadest part was all that happened with her daughter. The end was really good though becuase it talks about how the two of them now go around and talk about their experiences together. It helped me relize the whole of World War II not just what the teachers decided to tell us.

Rating:
Summary: A GREAT BOOK!
Review: My name is Eric Nolan, I'm 14 years old and I have just finished a very good book, Parellel Journeys. It's a true account of life at a camp and as a Hitler Youth, which I think is a strong point, by showing you two sides of WWII. Another strong point is how it is written, not only was it part narration and quotes from the main characters that experienced that time, but also historical facts that follow the time given by the main characters during the war. Again this is a terrific book and I think the Jewish/Nazi point of view should be in one book more often. This book would be extremely appropriate for a history class, for the ages 12-15.

Rating:
Summary: Kayla Sawyer 7* Reading 213 Words
Review: Parallel Journey is stories of Helen Waterford, a Jewish girl who grew up near Frankfurt, Germany. Through WW2 she was married with a child. But then hid in the Netherlands before she was arrested and sent to Auschwitz. Helen and her husband were separated at Auschwitz and they never found each other again. As for her daughter, she was sent in a separate hiding place when they first went into hiding and remained safe. Alfons grew up on a farm but was a Nazi boy who became a commander at age sixteen. This book shows Hitler's impact on the youth of Germany. Alfons was brainwashed by Hitler's promises and participated in rallies. Helen and Alfons were two totally different people, leading completely different lives. Forty some years late Alfons and Helen met and had one purpose, help people understand that peace and compassion are very important. When I first started reading the book I was a little lost because I did not know that the chapters alternate. I liked that they included pictures of the characters, it gave a vivid image. And I must admit that the book grew dull when it went on in detail about events that I already studied. But in conclusion, I enjoyed the book and I recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Sherry's Review
Review: Parallel Journey's is about two young children, Alfons Heck and Helen Waterford. Although they were born only a few miles apart, their lives took totally different turns. Helen, is a young Jew struggling during the Holocaust. Alfons, on the other hand, is Catholic and a very persistant member of the Hitler Youth. While Alfons was throwing rocks through windows on the night of Kristallnacht,(The Night Of Broken Glass), Helen was in hiding with her family. This is a great book . It teaches you what really happened during the Holocaust from a child as turning into a grown-ups point of view. It kept me interested because I wanted to know what would happen next. I would recommend anyone to read this book. It keeps you very interested and it is very thrilling!

Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: Parallel Journeys is a most excellent book which captured my attention and interest the more I read. It really revealed some truths that I had not before known. It showed in ,contrast, two perspectives of the same event. It is always better to have both sides of a story in order to better understand it. So often a person's mind can be twisted to one side of an argument because they are not informed of the different views. It is a truly horrific thing that happened to Jews and other minorities during WW2, but I also understand the appeal of Hitler. He gave the German people a new hope for a better future. The book also shows what can happen when you allow hate to drive you. It is a powerful force of destruction and sadly one that has often been used. Parallel Journeys really touched my heart and revealed some things about our past that can help us in the future.

Rating:
Summary: Profound and Chilling
Review: Put simply, this is an excellent book. With two completely different sides of a story side by side, it dawns on you that both the Jewish woman and the former Nazi share the same pain today despite their past. It also is a good general history of WWII. I'd suggest Parallel Journeys to other junior high schoolers like me, so that we may never forget the horrors experienced by those before us.