Excellent historical nonfiction about a story less told - the women who supported efforts from their homes and not I. The typical “victory garden and weapons manufacturing” story. Really well researched.

This book is full of so many incredible stories that need to be told. Batalion did such amazing research in compiling this information, which included translating many many texts. It is so important for these stories to not be lost to history so that we do not repeat history. Many of the stories are horrific and graphic, but that's what happened and I'm glad Batalion didn't sugar coat it. I was constantly in awe of what these brave women did to resist Hitler and how they risked their lives. I'm so glad Batlion wrote this story. However, my one criticism was Batalion's writing style. She bogged this book down with quite a bit of information that rather than add to these women's stories, it detracted from them. I wish she had more organization into how she told these stories. But I would still recommend this book to anyone as I think it is so important that people hear the experiences these women and many others went through.

This harrowing non-fiction book tells the stories of the Jewish female resistance members during WW2. These women have not been given nearly enough attention for their bravery, fearlessness, and sacrifice.

As Batalion explores the different experience each female operative goes through during the war, I had tears streaming down my face. The sheer gall of these women was inspiring to me, especially in light of the danger they were in if caught out.

I picked this up during International Holocaust day and I couldn’t put it down. A must-read for those looking for courage in the face of hatred.

I really enjoyed this book and learning more about the Polish Resistance. This book was hard to read at times because of the subject matter but it was very well researched. I highly recommend this book.

Incredibly well-researched account of woman resistance fighters. These accounts of bravery are often overlooked in the overall WW2/Holocaust canon, and I am glad that Judy Batalion took on the challenge of telling these stories. With that being said, I wish that she had only highlighted two or three of the woman and not attempt to tell all the stories at once - it may have come together more easily. (Note: I had to start and stop this audiobook twice before I was able to finish but glad that I did as the last third of the book is much more engaging than the previous sections.)

Most descriptions I have seen for this book call it empowering and enlightening. It is for sure that and more.! I have actually listened to the audiobook and read the print version so review can be both.
Every time I read this type of book (definitely an obsession still), I marvel at the brave young woman who are left with really no choice but to fight to stay alive in impossible circumstances. Not even knowing what it would be like to be in their shoes, I can tell you that I would never fit into them.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this audiobook provided by NetGalley.

This non-fiction account of Jewish women in Poland during WWII is well-researched and horrifying. It's a hard read but worthwhile and recommended. I listened to the audio, which was well-narrated, but I had a hard time keeping track of who everyone was sometimes.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* what an amazing read! wow, this is something i want to own and will reread for sure.

World War II stories can be tough. But they are important. We must remember horrible moments in the history of our world to learn from them. I find it important to lift up and bring to light people who fought against evil during this time. The Light of Days tells the true story of Jewish women in Poland who worked in the resistance against the Nazis. These women often "passed" as Christians so that they could make their way through society at the time to deliver messages and materials.

This book is well researched and spotlights a handful of women who did their part in the war against the Nazis. Several of these women survived and published their own memoirs which were helpful to the author of this book. Tragically, not all of the women survived the war, but their efforts as part of the resistance are very much highlighted by this book.

I recommend this one for history buffs or those interested in true stories of women doing great things.

I love a novel with strong female characters, and this book more than delivered on that front! I am always captivated by novels that share stories of different points of view surrounding the Holocaust. This novel provides unique insight and was very compelling. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for a copy of this book for an honest review.

A transporting celebration of the Jewish women resistance fighters in Poland during WWII. Canadian author Judy Batalion does an amazing job highlighting the stories of real Jewish women and their acts of courage and bravery that have largely been lost to history. A must read!

Compelling historical fiction about resistance Jewish women resistance fighters! A side of the story that is often not told. I'm so appreciative to have listened to this book! Great book! The narrator was engaging!!

Holy history, Batman. This book is a lot. In a good way. It's already been optioned by Spielberg for a film from what I've heard, and I think if anyone can encompass everything in this book into a film (in so much as you can encapsulate such a massive undertaking into a film), he can.

The Light of Days highlights the Jewish women in Poland who helped turn Jewish youth groups into resistance cells against the Nazis in World War II. I had never heard of any of these women, but I know that now I'll never forget them. I'd like to revisit this book some time. As with a lot of history books, I think I miss a few things because there is just so much. I am so glad these stories are being told, and I hope their legacy lives on.

Light of Days:

An absolutely harrowing and descriptively brutal, but necessary, recounting. Quite possibly the most crushing of any WWII non-fic I’ve ever read. I had to take frequent breaks in the beginning until I felt like I could stabilize my mindset and not spiral into the darkness. But that just drove home, that much more, the unrelenting reality that these women (and all) experienced.

It’s brilliantly researched but one downside is the way the women’s individual stories are rolled out. It was really hard to keep them straight, distinguish between persons and where they intersect. It was confusing. I lost sight of who was who a lot. But by the end, I also felt compelled to read/listen to it again, now that I had a firmer grip on names and places. And these women’s stories deserve to be read again and remembered.

It is bleak and heartbreaking but also, in my opinion, necessary reading. The author does an amazing job of balancing facts and emotions. And she never shied away from the hard truths, especially the ones that usually get buried or glossed over. These are the stories that should never be forgotten.

I definitely recommend it, reading or listening, because while it wasn’t perfectly laid out, I still think it’s an essential book for historical non fiction.

This is a hard book to talk about, not just because of the absolutely terrible subject matter, but because it's very difficult to encapsulate just how powerful these stories are without simply telling them over again. It feels like to leave out a single word would be to do a disservice to the amazing women whose stories are recounted here.

As an American Jew, there was so much I didn't know, was never taught, about the brave and powerful deeds of so many Jewish women all throughout Europe during the Nazi occupation, and I like to think I'm one of the people who dug behind the surface level of atrocities, trying to get down to the untold stories. This, though... This was eyeopening. It was beautifully and powerfully written, and the voices of each and every woman shone through, in the dark moments, and in the all-to-rare moments of light. There were things I'd never heard about, things I never thought about. It was not easy - that sounds trite, and to say I usually "handle these things well" either comes off as insensitive, arrogant, or just ignorant. Suffice is to say, this was a lot. A lot, yes, but necessary.

Again, anything I say here, either complementing the author or showing respect for the people who survived the horrors of the Nazi regime, will come up short, so I'm just going to say that this is an excellent time for a book like this. It will not be easy. But if not now, when?

Another testament of Nazi brutality, but also how far some will go to fight evil. The Light of Days" is the missing piece in the history of the holocaust that many have not heard, a story of bravery and tenacity during a dark time in recent history. Kudos to the author for the intense research and delivery of a story everyone needs to hear, even though it is a painful and uncomfortable account of suffering. Homage to the individuals who survived or succumbed to the egregious acts perpetrated by their fellowman.

My only mistake was choosing an audio version--it has taken a long time for me to write this review because I haven't seen the names of the resistors in print. Because these names are not familiar, I have no idea how to spell their names and give them the recognition they deserve.

I've read many holocaust books, which are always horrific. This one though was if possible even more so, but the bravery of these women left me without words. I had to keep.putting this book down, sometimes letting a day go by before picking it up again.

Hitler invades Poland and soon the News are forced into ghettoes. I never knew of these resistance movements by the news, how much many risked. Women were often sent on missions, as couriers, surveillance, retrieving weapons and forged papers. Men were suspect and it was easy to prove they were Jews by their circumcisions. Their are many names, though some of the women are paid more attention than others, so they became familiar as was their family stories.

The author spares the reader little. The murders in the ghettos, the cruelties of the camps, the sadistic guards, the killings of so many young children and infants, all graphically described. These women who did so much should be read about and remembered. Their bravery should be known.

ARC from Netgalley.

I listened to the audiobook and I feel like this was a missed opportunity to tell further develop the characters as a narrative nonfiction or historical fiction. I would have preferred a deeper dive on fewer women, but I'm assuming she didn't have a lot to go on, so a historical fiction with some creative liberties taken would've been great.

This audio book was well done. The narration was great and one could really feel the words with the voice. Such as powerful story to listen to and so worth it.

The Light of Days by Judy Batalion
Narrated by: Mozhan Marno
Publication Date: April 6, 2021
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Description from NetGalley...
“Witnesses to the brutal murder of their families and neighbors and the violent destruction of their communities, a cadre of Jewish women in Poland—some still in their teens—helped transform the Jewish youth groups into resistance cells to fight the Nazis. With courage, guile, and nerves of steel, these “ghetto girls” paid off Gestapo guards, hid revolvers in loaves of bread and jars of marmalade, and helped build systems of underground bunkers. They flirted with German soldiers, bribed them with wine, whiskey, and home cooking, used their Aryan looks to seduce them, and shot and killed them. They bombed German train lines and blew up a town’s water supply. They also nursed the sick and taught children.

Yet the exploits of these courageous resistance fighters have remained virtually unknown.”
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Thank you to @netgalley @harper_audio for the ALC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts...
True story. This book was about “The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler's Ghettos.” Starting in 1939 we met Renia Kukielka and then other women who joined her. These women became armed fighters, saboteurs, spy agents, messengers and weapon smugglers. Battalion did an amazing job following these women into the late 20th century. She did an incredible job with her research and book that this was already chosen by Steven Spielberg for a major motion picture. I would suggest to read the book, because I felt the narrator wasn’t a fit: it was a challenge to sit through but the actual story was what kept me interested.

I’m giving it 5 stars for the book and 3 stars for the narrator.