The Seamstress
by Sara Tuval Bernstein
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Book Summary Information
Author: Sara Tuval BernsteinEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1997-10-13
ISBN: 039914322X
Number of pages: 353
Publisher: Putnam Adult
Book Reviews of The Seamstress
Book Review: Captivating Memoir
Summary: 5 Stars
In the early 1030s, as Hitler grasped his power tightly; the Jews began to be treated very unfairly. For years they had been considered "dirty", but their lives were about to become miserable. During the 1930s many Jews and others who would have hurt the Nazi beliefs, like homosexuals, Jehovah's Witness believers, and other "criminals", were put into concentration camps and basically not allowed to live.The story of Seren Tuvel, a young, Jewish woman, is a story of courage and will to survive. Seren was always different from her family, for she had no intention of staying in the home her whole life. She left her family behind in a village in Romania and moved to Budapest to study while she was still a young teenager. In school, Seren was teased for being a Jew, though she did not look like a Jew. Seren had long, blonde hair and blue eyes, just like anyone native to the land she was living. When she was in Budapest, she quit school and became a seamstress. Soon, as Germany gained power, the Nazis slowly crept into her life, taking away her rights and some of her dignity, just because she was Jewish. It was not difficult for her to find jobs, like it was for other Jews, because Seren looked like a Gentile. As the war in Europe went on, her family dispersed to different places, like Israel or to different cities in Romania and Hungary, but the Jews soon would not be able to travel. Before long, Jewish men were taken into the labor force to support Hungary. Only weeks after that, the women were also forced to help support their enemy. Seren, her sister, and two friends met up at this point and would stay together to survive. They went through the work camps, leaning on each other for survival.
Seren Tuvel must have known how important her story of courage was, because just years after moving to America, she began to write her story. Seren (Sara) Tuvel-Bernstein wrote her memoir magnificently. Her leadership, love, and devotion to her loved ones, were revealed in such a precious manner that the reader cannot help but love her. Seren wrote, "I felt completely responsible for these three young girls[Seren's sister and two friends]; to me we were all sisters. I had to do everything in my power to enable us to remain alive." She revealed the truth in her own perspective and still showed some of the perspectives of the others around her, for example what her family and friends though of the events that had been happening.
A great strength shone through the book as Seren told the readers exactly what she had been through, although all of what she said was her interpretation of the event. She confessed her feelings about people, even a man named Samuel, with whom she did not have the feelings that he had for her. After he had told her his feelings and she told him something that made him very happy she wrote, "What in the world have I let myself in for now?" Seren let Samuel think that she had the same feelings for him, while, really, she had no intention of settling down with anyone. There were other instances where Seren told the reader her thoughts during all the horrible events in her life that she had not told many other people. Writing those confessions gave her memoir a strong truth and power.
Although Seren expressed how she felt easily, the people around her, especially the family members, were not well depicted. Two very important family members, her sisters Esther and Zipporah were some of the members that were somewhat confusing. Those two people were not easily recognizable in the beginning. Once the sisters got their share of being alone with Seren, they got their own distinct voice. They each should have gotten that closer to the beginning of the story.
The memoir of such a great survivor during the Holocaust is a fantastic book to read. A reader will see what Seren Tuvel and the other Jews went through and get close to really getting to know the author. Seren does not get gory and give too many horrifying details of anything that happened, but the readers see enough to really feel what the prisoners of the Nazis went through. The story is absolutely amazing! It is not fast-paced, but Seren keeps the reader hooked and shows what her life was like.
Summary of The Seamstress
Told with the same old-fashioned narrative power as the novels of Herman Wouk, The Seamstress is the true story of Seren (Sara) Tuvel Bernstein and her survival during wartime. A story of tragedy told in raw, powerful language, it is also a dramatic tale of courage, intimate friendship, romance, and startling good fortune that will have readers cheering.Jewish Books
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