The Light of Days

Non-Fiction Book

The Light of Days: The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler's Ghettos is a 2021 non-fiction book by Canadian writer Judy Batalion.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Reception

Kirkus Reviews called the book a "resounding history of Jewish women who fought the German invaders in World War II" and a "welcome addition to the literature of the Shoah and of anti-Nazi resistance."^[4] Diane Cole of the Wall Street Journal wrote that the book "does not flinch from describing the wanton acts of Nazi-inflicted cruelty and torture these women witnessed and endured," calling the book a "well-researched and riveting chronicle."^[5]

Julia M. Klein of the Boston Globe wrote that the book "takes readers deep into the psyches of these women" and that Batalion's "research is prodigious, and her dedication to her story obvious and moving. But the book’s very scope — its huge cast of characters, geographical sweep, and mix of chronological and thematic organization — may deter less committed readers."^[6] Writing for The New York Times, Sonia Purnell said the book "pulses with both rage and pride," but that Batalion's "desire to pay tribute to as many as possible is understandable, but a simpler narrative with fewer subjects might have been even more powerful."^[7]

References

^ "How Jewish women fought back against the Nazis during a 1943 uprising in Poland". CBC Radio. April 20, 2021.
^ "New book explores the heroic women-run resistance inside Nazi death camps". PBS NewsHour. April 8, 2021.
^ "The Light of Days (REVIEW)". blogs.timesofisrael.com.
^ "THE LIGHT OF DAYS | Kirkus Reviews" – via www.kirkusreviews.com.
^ Cole, Diane (March 30, 2021). "'The Light of Days' Review: To Resist and Connect". WSJ – via www.wsj.com.
^ "Brave women fighting Nazis in 'The Light of Days' - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com.
^ Purnell, Sonia (6 April 2021). "The 'Ghetto Girls' Who Fought the Nazis With Weapons and Wiles". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 March 2022.