We Were the Lucky Ones: A Novel

While only the second month into the year, I can say with certainty that Georgia Hunter’s debut novel WE WERE THE LUCKY ONES is my favorite book of the year. Definitely one of the books that I will cherish. It is not only a poignant story, written so eloquently and with such heart, but the fact that it is based on the true story of her family makes it that much more special. The book is about a family of Polish Jews who were separated during World War II and what became of them. At many times, this is a difficult book to read, as it should be, given the subject. But because it is so hard to read, all the more reason to do so.I don’t remember the last time that I was so moved by words on a page, characters with such determination, and the evil that lay before them. To read page after page about the destruction of the war, the harsh reality of their living conditions, the brutality of the Nazi regime, and what the Jews were literally stripped of. It is a lesson in humanity, in history, and in how Poland was desecrated. As a third-generation immigrant, like Hunter, my grandparents came from Poland, and while they were in America before the war, nothing has impacted my heart more than reading this book. Surely my grandparents left behind friends and family and felt similar heartache as the Kurcs did with their beloved country.There are many lessons to be learned from reading this book other than how people cope with great sadness. It is about resilience, the strength of the human spirit, family, and love. Hunter is a writer to watch. Hunter's ancestors would be so proud of what she has done with this book. She has not only written a remarkable piece of literature but the effort that she put forth to gather her family’s history seems to have been no small feat, as you will learn. As a Jew and a human, I feel it was an honor to read WE WERE THE LUCKY ONES, to learn about every member of her family. I feel like I know each of them. They were the lucky ones and so are we to be given this book.

This book really spoke to me as my mother was Jewish, and from Random, Poland. She was the only member of her immediate family to survive. The story follows a Jewish family of six, and their struggles to survive the Nazi occupation. It is very well written, and gives a clear understanding of survivors who used their wit, and intelligence to outwit the Germans. If you are a fan of true WWII stories you will not be disappointed.

Maybe I wasn’t paying enough attention up front, but when I embarked upon this book I was expecting to read a story that would have fallen into the genre of “historical fiction,” i.e. a fictional account of a fictional family told against the backdrop of the all-too-real canvas of World War II. What I got instead was the astounding, near unbelievable, TRUE account of a Polish-Jewish family’s miraculous survival during this darkest time in human history. It is not until the epilogue/“Author’s Note” that we learn that the author’s Grandfather was in fact one of the main characters in her remarkable story.The author acknowledges that her family elders, quite understandably so, were not eager to discuss the horrors of their past. Given the sparsity of details that were handed down to her, I imagine that a good amount of this epic tale can be chalked up to poetic license, so to speak, and that the writing of this tome entailed a good deal of “fleshing out” of a very skeletal handed-down (and oftentimes not first-hand) account. Nevertheless, the essence of this tale is true, and nothing short of miraculous, awe-inspiring and, indeed, life-affirming.The protagonists here are Sol and Nechuma Kurc, their five young-adult children and their respective spouses. The story unfolds all over the far-flung corners of the globe during and after the Second World War: Poland, France, Siberia, Palestine, Argentina and, lastly, the United States. (Keeping track of the many main characters may have been a bit unwieldy, but the author handily provides a family tree at the book’s beginning, which I found myself consulting time after time.)The aspects of this story that moved me most deeply were:First, one cannot read this book without being struck by the perseverance and determination of the family members to provide for one another and simply to survive at the most elemental level during times of starvation, extreme weather, persecution and all the other privations of war-torn Europe. To say that We Were the Lucky Ones is a testament to the human spirit is to state the obvious.Second, the love this family held for one another and the cohesiveness of the family unit – especially when all else was lost – was something that really touched me. There is a not-so-very subtle message here about what matters most in life. The instances of self-sacrifice (Halina for her parents and Mila for her daughter, to name just a couple) are particularly noteworthy.Third, the family, having immigrated to the Unites States immediately post-war, made the utmost of their lives here, all going on to become successful in their chosen spheres. It strikes me that, as clichéd as it may sound, America is truly the land of opportunity for those who are willing to make it happen. As an American whose own Grandparents came here from Europe, I have to say that the author’s choice to bring this out brought a lump to my throat.I don’t know if it’s even possible to describe a Holocaust story as having a happy ending, but if it is at all possible – considering the devastating losses to the world and to humanity at large - this family’s story had one. In fact, the book lightly touches upon the concept of survivor’s guilt: Toward the end of the book one of the characters muses about how none of them should have survived, and yet (against the odds) all of them did. They were the lucky ones….A word about the unspeakably brave souls who harbored the hunted: people like Halina’s boss who was willing to vouch for her (on more than one occasion), or like the peasant family who hid Sol and Nachuma behind a false wall in their home, or the Mother Superior who ran an orphanage and who was willing to accept the falsehood that little Felicia was “Aryan” in order to spare her life. To paraphrase a sentiment of Anne Frank’s: despite everything, there truly are good people in this world. In a world gone mad, these courageous individuals are true heroes.The sanctity of life and the belief that life is something worth fighting for are not new concepts to Holocaust literature. This book ranks right up there with the best in the lessons it has to impart.All in all, edge-of-your-seat story-telling, with an extremely poignant ending. Definitely recommended.

🎧 It’s not often that a book sweeps in & quietly claims you—but 𝙒𝙚 𝙒𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙮 𝙊𝙣𝙚𝙨 by Georgia Hunter does exactly that. It 𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚋𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚛𝚎𝚏𝚞𝚜𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚕𝚎𝚝 𝚐𝚘—not in a flashy, dramatized way, but with raw, human truth. Based on the author’s own family history, this novel traces the Kurc family across continents, through loss, hope, & the terrifying unpredictability of WWII. And somehow? It’s still a 𝕡𝕒𝕘𝕖-𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕟𝕖𝕣.Yes, it’s historical fiction based on true events, but it reads like a suspense novel—with your emotions holding their breath in every chapter.And the characters? 𝘚𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭, you’ll find yourself praying for them like you’re reading a journal, not a novel.𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗜 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗗:✡️ A Jewish family’s resilience that will gut-punch you in the best way🌍 A sweeping journey across Poland, France, Siberia, Brazil, & more🧵 Multiple POVs that actually work (and make you care about everyone)🕊️ Hope threaded through tragedy—you will cry & still be glad you read it📚 Based on true events that give it a depth no fiction can fake𝗧𝗢𝗣 𝗠𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦 𝗧𝗢 𝗪𝗔𝗧𝗖𝗛 𝗙𝗢𝗥 (Spoiler free) 👀• A hidden identity that makes your palms sweat• The most bittersweet letter you will never forget• That one train station reunion (you’ll know it when you get there—have tissues)• A birth scene that is tense, terrifying, & so full of grit you’ll forget to breathe• A stolen moment of joy in the most unlikely place𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦:💭 This book doesn’t just tell you what happened. It 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 what it cost. And still—somehow—it leaves you with hope. Georgia Hunter writes with clarity, compassion, & a quiet force that lingers long after the last page. I’m not the same reader I was before I started this book.𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦🤬 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲: Moderate—about 4-5 f-bombs, occasional d*, h*, b**, and religious exclamations used in distress.🛁 𝗦𝗲𝘅𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁: No explicit content; fade-to-black intimacy between married couples.🥊 𝗩𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: Includes graphic wartime violence, executions, starvation, forced labor, and disturbing Holocaust imagery (handled with care but emotionally intense).⚠️ 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀: Antisemitism, genocide, grief, death of children and parents, family separation, trauma of war & displacement.𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 ⭐️📖 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆: 5/5 - Deeply moving, brilliantly paced, emotionally immersive.🎧 𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿: 4/5 - The narration is solid and emotional, though multiple accents and rapid POV shifts can occasionally make it harder to follow without the print version nearby.

Loved this book! A fascinating look into the lives of a Jewish family during WW II. It is based on the author's actual family. She didn't know the history of her grandfather and his family until she was assigned a project for a high school class. She then interviewed her grandmother and began to learn what her family had gone through. After reading this account, and learning of the unbelievable things they endured, I couldn't help thinking how lucky we are to be living in this country and enjoying all its freedoms. People who feel their lives here are so horrible should take the time to read this and see what real hardships the Jewish people endured. And be thankful for your life and your country.

We Were the Lucky Ones is a powerful and deeply moving read. The story beautifully weaves together the struggles and resilience of a family during World War II, capturing both heartbreak and hope with vivid, emotional detail. The characters feel real and richly developed, and the historical context is portrayed with sensitivity and authenticity. I was completely absorbed from start to finish, and it left a lasting impression about courage, survival, and the bonds of family. A truly unforgettable novel that earns five stars.

If you enjoy stories set during WWII, read WE WERE THE LUCKY ONES by Georgia Hunter. It is the true story of the author’s Polish family’s lives during the Holocaust. It is beautifully written, hopeful but also absolutely heart-wrenching in places, and a page-turner. Since each chapter is about one of the family members, and they are in different places, it takes a bit of work in the beginning to keep track of who is who and who is where. The family tree in the beginning of the book helped me until I got it. At times, I worried about a family member when I didn’t hear from him or her for a few chapters! I’ve read a lot of WWII literature, always looking to learn more and to bear witness to the atrocities committed by the Nazis. This book didn’t disappoint—I learned so much! Interspersed between chapters were short passages of less-known facts that described what was going on in the war at the time. I was most impressed to learn that the author gathered family stories and did exhaustive research while traveling all over the world to get it right. One of the best novels I’ve read set during this time period, but keep a box of tissues nearby.

Amazing story of a family who survived the devastating events of WWII. It is a different point of view from an individual family and all they each had to go through to survive. Heart wrenching but uplifting to read of their courage and the luck they met along the way.

Interesante contenido basado en historia real escrito en un lenguaje sencillo. Muy recomendable para los que están tratando de afianzar el aprendizaje de la lengua inglesa.

Loved it and appreciate the write-up and thankyouu!!

This book was a very good read. Terrible things happened in World War II and some of the chapters were quite moving. Well written (in my opinion) and certainly held the reader. I would definitely recommend.

This was an absolutely amazing read about a Polish, Jewish family's survival of World War II. Both full of heart break and hope. It was based on a true story and is a MUST read. So well written and researched. Highly recommended.

Increíble libro. Súper recomendado.