Touching story of survival and loss. Excellent addition to any WWII/ Holocaust library. ( )

I think this book would be of more interest/value to someone who was either from Izaak Sturm’s hometown of Debiça/Dembitz, Poland or had ancestors from there, than to the average Holocaust reader.

There are detailed footnotes explaining the lives and fates of neighbors and friends and relatives Sturm mentions, as well as lots of photos and documents included, but the actual writing is not terrific. Everything is told rather than shown, in a flat matter of fact way, “and this happened, then this, then this” like going down a checklist.

Even with things that must have been particularly devastating, like the murder of Sturm’s mother or the time he thought his dad and sister had been killed, you don’t actually get a feel for it. In fact I found the book hard to finish for this reason. I think this is not indifference or stoicism on Sturm’s part but just an indication that he’s not that talented a writer. The story might have worked better written as one of those “as told to” books.

If you have a special interest in Debiça/Dembitz’s history in particular this is a valuable resource, but for general Holocaust reading there are better memoirs.

(I got this book for free in exchange for an honest review.) ( )

I really don't know WHAT to write about this book, but I'll try ;)

A story of a Jewish boy (Izaak Sturm) who lives through the atrocities of the Holocaust, as he is moved from concentration camp to concentration camp.

First Izaak tells us about the peaceful life he lives in the town of Debica, then he follows with his recollection of the cruelty of the Nazi's. A guard, named Grün, whipped or shot people whenever he felt like it. Later Izaak testifies against him in court.

He also tells us about the commandant of Plaszów, who 'took a great deal of pleasure in walking around with his gun and shooting people left and right'.

Before being 'evacuated' Izaak lives in the ghetto, and something that caught my eye was the following line he wrote:

“Jewish life was cheap in the ghetto. --- It was not unusual to see people shot to death. It was common. It was nothing.”

Izaak gives detailed information about the people he tells about in detailed footnotes. The book feeled like a transcript of his presentations.

Sometimes he gives too much information about persons, but I guess that is okay in this kind of books.
The book had many undefined Jewish-terms, that made it sometimes difficult to understand for non-Jewish people. A explanation in the end of the book would have been welcomed.

This book was enlightening and concise, but as said by others, filled with details not really needed. This also made the book not an easy read. Various documents have been added in appendices, to five as much details as possible.

A well written book, that should be a recommended read for history lessons, but with some clarifications for some names.

I find it hard to give stars to these kind of books. Would I rate it 5 stars because of the story, or the what the author has gone through or..., so the 5 stars I give are based on the story it self

The person in charge of layout and format of the book has done a good job. The book itself looks great, the paper is of a top-quality ( )

By the time I had read the first three pages of Filling in the Pieces, by Izaak Strum, I realized I was experiencing the story of a life as if I were hearing him speaking to me.
with photos and footnotes illustrating, diagraming, more fully describing, etc. points of the narrative, Mr. Strum gives his personal experience of life as a young Jew in an already anti-Jewish nation (Poland) just prior to,
during and after World War II.
He is not uber-dramatic, nor is he horrifically graphic in his descriptions. He seems to know that as a populace we already have been drenched in the horror and his simple description of his experience is enough.
The story is powerful, unprejudiced and warm.
I cannot recommend this book strongly enough. As the title implies, it does fill in the pieces of who went through what and how they got through it. ( )

The expectations put forth to the reader in Rabbi Hier's introductions are many. There is the promise we won't be immune to heartbreak and triumph. We will be powerfully reminded of the atrocities of World War II. We will be provided with a clear-eyed view of human behavior throughout this disturbing time. We will have insight into both the world of the perpetrator and survivor alike. We will be reminded that the Holocaust must be remembered and not denied, forgotten, or repeated. We will learn from the author's persistence to survive. Above all else, we will be touched. All of that is true. Expectations such as these and then-some are met in Sturm's courageous words.
Introduction by Rabbi Marvin Hier.
Preface by Moish (Mark) Sturm, Izaak's son.
Favorite element of the book: There is an attention to detail as if history depends on Sturm getting it exact (like the precise year of his birth). Footnotes are plentiful.
Book trivia: the photographs are generous, both in color and black and white. ( )