You Saved Me, Too

“You Saved Me, Too is a soulful story about two unlikely companions—a young mother and an elderly Holocaust survivor—and their complicated, hilarious, and extraordinary friendship. With razor sharp wit and a compassionate eye, Resnick deftly weaves together the personal and the historical in this heartbreaking, yet uplifting memoir. This book reminded me of why we are here—to help ease the suffering of others and to fearlessly love one another to the end of time.” –Mira Bartok, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for The Memory Palace

“Resnick expertly ... intersperses bits and pieces of Aron's life in the camps with her feelings about Judaism, her family life and her steadfast belief that the world should do right by her friend, a man who had suffered more than enough. . . . Resnick's compassionate prose captures the voice and soul of Aron, ensuring that his memories will continue long after the number ‘141324’ has disappeared. A poignant, memorable story of friendship and of a period in time that should never be forgotten.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

 

“In well-executed, second-person prose, Resnick speaks directly to the elderly Aron Lieb—a virtually family-less Holocaust survivor whom she befriends—as he lies on his deathbed in a nursing home. Short vignettes skip back and forth through time, covering the history of their relationship: Resnick’s struggle with Jewish identity (“I figured as long as I stayed ambivalent about being Jewish, I might not get killed by the Nazis the next time they came”) and Aron’s own history before, during, and after the war. The writing is sentimental and emotional (culminating in “Who saved whom?”) as much as it is honest and informative; in telling Aron’s story, Resnick unapologetically criticizes both the incompetence of elder-care facilities as well as the failure of Jewish communal organizations to help a person who, after a life of hardship, deserves a break. This painful memoir is not easy to read: Resnick displays her artistic skill as she attempts to make sense of Aron’s life in light of her own (“I own the book of your life, but I can’t read it”). The telling of Aron’s story, a true labor of love, is a reminder of both the individuality of each survivor and the reality that their generation is dying and must be remembered.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review