This is a gorgeous book, both physically and emotionally. Such a beautiful story told by such a strong female character. I loved it and it broke my heart.

One Hundred Saturdays by Michael Frank is a historical biography of Stella Levi's life. This is not a depiction of how Stella survived the Holocaust or her time during it; this is instead, Stella's life and how she happened to have lived through, and survived, the Holocaust. This book starts well before the war, and ends well after it.

I had looked ahead to find out how many chapters there were, and when I saw there were 100, it didn't dawn on me why. It wasn't until well into the book that I had that light-bulb moment - one chapter for each of the one hundred Saturdays that Stella shared her past with the author. As such, what may feel disjointed, felt like how memory works, but especially - I would think - how memory works for a 99-year-old; which is a very brilliant way of putting the book together on Frank's part. Yes, these are snippets into Stella's life, and memory is not linear, but they are arranged so the memories follow a logical time-line.

I learned a couple new definitions to words I already "thought" I knew. Ones related to WWII (Shoah and Holocaust) and one related to friendship (trust). Although we don't exactly see this friendship grow, we do see Stella trust the author with her story, her experience, her memories.

This is different than anything I have ever read related to WWII, and it is an amazing combination: first, as it is a memoir, that alone makes it obviously so much more real and powerful; second because it starts before the internment camps, it makes the years leading up to the Holocaust so much more horrific than I have previously encountered; thirdly Stella grew up and lived on the island of Rhodes, and this gave a segregated look at the war. The war that was (mostly) viewed as happening in another world, to a different selection of Jews. Of course, until they were part of that selection.

This is a book about the Holocaust without the fluff, although please don't go into this biography expecting explicit descriptions - you won't find that here. You will find subdued memories that only decades removed can give you, which are actually more horrific than vivid details. You will find moments of such normalcy in amongst the turmoil. You will find ghosts haunting the survivors. You will find: courage, fearlessness, selflessness, benevolence; which extends long before and long after the war.

And I hope you find a new role model, like I did.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the complimentary copy to read and review.

Aptly called One Hundred Saturdays is an achingly beautiful and honest true story about Stella Levi, a clever Judeo-Spanish-speaking Sepharic Italian Jew who lived on the island of Rhodes near Turkey in a Jewish community called Judeira in the 1930s and 40s. Writer Michael Frank met with her in Greenwich Village, New York, over the course of one hundred Saturdays beginning in 2015 to discuss her fascinating life. Though in her nineties, Stella showed ingenuity, brightness, unconquerable spirit and guarded thoughtfulness in her responses. She was also sprightly and feisty. At first she was reticent to discuss her Holocaust experiences but as time went on Michael earned her trust and she describes life before the war, during German occupation, deportation and the horrors of Auschwitz and other camps. Cultural and tradition details such as food, clothes, superstitions and language are described in rich multi-sensory detail. Though I knew about Rhodes I had not heard of enserradara and did not know which languages were spoken by whom. Talk about compelling!

At the age of fourteen Stella packed a suitcase to prepare for her future off the island. Her dream was to earn an education and a good future. But life changed and her choices were ripped away from her as WWII began. In 1944 her entire community of 1,650 people was deported to Auschwitz on a three-week journey, senselessly and pointlessly. There were opportunities for Allies to help them but they did not. Italians were unfortunately complicit in aiding the Germans. Stella lost everything, including most of her family. Her mental and physical suffering, humiliation and absurdities affected every aspect of life in concentration camps, every single moment was designed for optimal despair. She had to resort to stealing to live. Everyone did. She describes starvation sickness, exchanging one life for another, meagre "food" rations, punishments and sleeping arrangements. Death permeated every nook and cranny.

After liberation by American soldiers, Stella embarks on a new life in several locations and takes readers through the next stages of her journey and to where she settled. Her indomitable spirit is what captured me most. What she went through is unfathomable. Yet she not only survived but lived.

Those interested in learning more about the Holocaust with particular focus on life on the island of Rhodes before German occupation ought to read this gripping and intriguing book. The crushing story is told in a matter of fact tone as Stella had to separate that life for her survival. Illustrations by Maira Kalman are evocative and a lovely addition.

My sincere thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for the honour of reading this exceptional and unmissable book. I am extremely grateful to Stella and the author for telling her important story!