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I Have Lived a Thousand Years

Growing Up in the Holocaust

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I Have Lived a Thousand Years

By: Livia Bitton-Jackson
Narrated by: Christine Williams
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About this listen

Imagine being a 13-year-old girl in love with boys, school, family - life itself. Then suddenly, in a matter of hours, your life is shattered by the arrival of a foreign army. You can no longer attend school, have possessions, talk to your neighbors. One day your family has to leave your house behind and move into a crowded ghetto, where you lose all privacy and there isn’t enough food to eat. Still you manage, somehow, to adjust. But there is much, much worse to come...

This is the memoir of Elli Friedmann, who was 13 years old in March 1944, when the Nazis invaded Hungary. It describes her descent into the hell of Auschwitz, a concentration camp where, because of her golden braids, she was selected for work instead of extermination. In intimate, excruciating details she recounts what it was like to be one of the few teenage camp inmates, and the tiny but miraculous twists of fate that helped her survive against all odds. I Have Lived a Thousand Years is a searing story of cruelty and suffering, but at the same time it is a story of hope, faith, perseverance, and love. It will make you see the world in a new way - and it will make you want to change what you see.

©1997 Livia Jackson (P)2013 AudioGO Biographies History & Culture
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I found this fascinating and really enjoyed it. The poor girl went through unbelievably hell repeatedly and would never be the same person. I found the narration very annoying though; maybe it was the accent but more so the tone of the voice which added so much tragedy, which it didn't need as the story itself was tragic enough.

Great story but annoying narration

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I, like others, struggled with the narrators voice but was glad I kept listening.
Absolutely amazing story that will have you in tears with sadness, hope and happiness. Dedinitely one for the "must read" list.

Brilliant Story

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Such an amazing testimony, listening while at work. Each memoir just as important as the last ❤️

Incredible

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In honour of the Jewish communities and everyone else who died at the hands of the German Army, this book should be read.

A must read

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I didn't know a lot about the Holocaust before I read this book. Unbelievable what they went through. This book is a must read.

WOW

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I have read and listened to many books about survivors of the Holocaust, for some reason this book had a greater impact than a lot of the others, Livia style of writing and the depth to her account propels you along side her like you are actually there.
The world must NEVER forget the what happened during the Holocaust and tell the next generations so it never happens again.

Fantastic Book

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This story I know is not fiction. And that knowledge humbles me. My Country truly is a land of milk and honey. I feel for the Survivors of ANY War torn country, where Families have been displaced, homes and lands lost to those who have no right to such destruction.

Good listening.

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I’ve read this book many, many times before under its other title, ‘Ellie: Coming of Age in the Holocaust’.
What a book. A must read. We all know the story, but this perspective is incredible…and devastating and one we should all take in, understand and learn from. If you only read one book in all of your life, this is it.
Stunningly written and narrated too.

A must read

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A gut-wrenching, heart-breaking reminder of the atrocities of WWII. It's hard to imagine how anyone could survive what the Jewish people went through in concentration camps. It is remarkable how the human spirit endures, despite all the odds against it. Stories like these are difficult to read but I think it's important they are not lost to history. A triumphant tale of resilience and strength, and of never giving up on life...

Survival, Endurance, Resilience...

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I really couldn’t get in to this because of the narrator. I usually try the sample to make sure I can listed to the voice but didn’t this time. Big mistake. This book had so much that just didn’t seem real and I’ve read a lot about concentration camps. This one is awful

The narrator’s voice is awful. I’m pretty sure back then they didn’t say OMG

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