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Out of Hiding: A Holocaust Survivor’s Journey to America
Ruth Gruener was a hidden child during the Holocaust. At the end of the war, she and her parents were overjoyed to be free. But their struggles as displaced people had just begun.
In war-ravaged Europe, they waited for paperwork for a chance to come to America. Once they arrived in Brooklyn, they began to build a new life, but spoke little English. Ruth started at a new school and tried to make friends -- but continued to fight nightmares and flashbacks of her time during World War II.
The family's perseverance is a classic story of the American dream, but also illustrates the difficulties that millions of immigrants face in the aftermath of trauma.
In war-ravaged Europe, they waited for paperwork for a chance to come to America. Once they arrived in Brooklyn, they began to build a new life, but spoke little English. Ruth started at a new school and tried to make friends -- but continued to fight nightmares and flashbacks of her time during World War II.
The family's perseverance is a classic story of the American dream, but also illustrates the difficulties that millions of immigrants face in the aftermath of trauma.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2020
About the author
Ruth Gruener
3 books42 followersRuth Gruener is a Holocaust survivor. She married Holocaust survivor Jack Gruener and they both currently live in New York, America.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 231 reviews
November 7, 2022
Read this book in one day. A heartbreaking and hopeful story of a holocaust survivor and she travels to the US
April 19, 2022
“...it is important to...remind people what hate and intolerance can do, and also what bravery and compassion can do as well.” Ruth Gruener
Ruth Gruener, née Aurelia Czeslava Gamzer, but called Luncia for most of her childhood, recounts the horrors of hiding from the Nazis who invaded her home city in Poland. Her telling is simple, straight-forward and important for readers grades 5-8. While the author was able to avoid the concentration camps of so many who lived under the thumb of the Nazi regime, she most definitely did not live free. “Home” ranged from being hidden behind a cabinet, in a trunk, and silently sitting on a couch in a dark corner of an empty apartment. Food was scarce, knocks on the door caused terror, and every day brought news of another arrest, disappearance or death. Despite the horrors of her childhood and early teen years, Ruth concludes her book with her family’ emigration to America and a new life in New York. Readers of Alan Gratz’s work will be pleased to learn more about the wife of his Prisoner B-3087. Recommended reading for all who reach for both fiction and non-fiction from the WWII era. (Thanks for the dARC, Edelweiss.
“There is more that unites us than divides us.” Ruth Gruener
Ruth Gruener, née Aurelia Czeslava Gamzer, but called Luncia for most of her childhood, recounts the horrors of hiding from the Nazis who invaded her home city in Poland. Her telling is simple, straight-forward and important for readers grades 5-8. While the author was able to avoid the concentration camps of so many who lived under the thumb of the Nazi regime, she most definitely did not live free. “Home” ranged from being hidden behind a cabinet, in a trunk, and silently sitting on a couch in a dark corner of an empty apartment. Food was scarce, knocks on the door caused terror, and every day brought news of another arrest, disappearance or death. Despite the horrors of her childhood and early teen years, Ruth concludes her book with her family’ emigration to America and a new life in New York. Readers of Alan Gratz’s work will be pleased to learn more about the wife of his Prisoner B-3087. Recommended reading for all who reach for both fiction and non-fiction from the WWII era. (Thanks for the dARC, Edelweiss.
“There is more that unites us than divides us.” Ruth Gruener
July 25, 2021
I know this will be a popular pick for our students because of its connection to Alan Gratz (they LOVE Alan Gratz), though this is a different type of story and will likely appeal to a slightly different group of readers. This memoir doesn't focus a ton on the gritty details of Ms. Gruener's time hiding in people's homes during the war, though she does share some very sobering experiences with frankness and no drama. She has written a memoir for adults that explores that time a little more, which I haven't read but would be interested in.
This story is more of an overview of the hiding years, then a continuation into what it was like waiting for a visa and moving to a new country to start over. It is written in simple text, but may still be difficult for younger readers as it incorporates some words and names in other languages. It seeks to connect to larger themes of overcoming hardship and trying to fit in and find friends in new situations.
I thought it was a very good introduction to the Holocaust and immigration, hopefully spurring interest to learn more about both of these topics. There are some photographs of the author at the end.
FYI for parents/teachers of younger readers, there is a brief mention of Ruth starting her period and being worried/confused because she did not know what was happening. I felt it was retold very gracefully. Just a heads up that there may be a question or two for children unfamiliar with that process.
This story is more of an overview of the hiding years, then a continuation into what it was like waiting for a visa and moving to a new country to start over. It is written in simple text, but may still be difficult for younger readers as it incorporates some words and names in other languages. It seeks to connect to larger themes of overcoming hardship and trying to fit in and find friends in new situations.
I thought it was a very good introduction to the Holocaust and immigration, hopefully spurring interest to learn more about both of these topics. There are some photographs of the author at the end.
FYI for parents/teachers of younger readers, there is a brief mention of Ruth starting her period and being worried/confused because she did not know what was happening. I felt it was retold very gracefully. Just a heads up that there may be a question or two for children unfamiliar with that process.
April 16, 2021
Het boek 'overleven na de Holocaust' is eerder een novelle waarin Ruth Gruener haar verhaal kort schetst. De vrouw in kwestie dook als kind onder omdat ze Joods was. Ze vertelt hoe die ervaring voor haar was en de aanloop naar het onderduiken. Wat vooral zo interessant is aan dit boek, is het feit dat Ruth vertelt over het leven na de oorlog en het gevoel te hebben ergens opnieuw te willen beginnen.
In eerste instantie sta je als lezer wat sceptische tegenover dit boek. Het is kort en thema's zoals dit, daar komt vaak een beladen emotionele sfeer bij kijken. In dit geval is dat zeker ook zo. Het is absoluut een boek dat je naar de keel grijpt en overvalt. Overigens is het niet zo zeer negatief. Binnen het uur heb je dit boek uit wat maakt dat je na het uitlezen ervan, ook gelijk op adem kan komen.
Het is mooi om te zien hoe eerlijk mevrouw Gruener is: ze mag dan wel in Amerika aankomen na zovele jaren, toch lijkt het niet vanzelfsprekend om plots gelukkig te zijn. Veel mensen vergeten die strijd na de oorlog die vele door moesten. Een novelle zoals dit kan bijbrengen waarom het van belang is om ook de jaren na de oorlog als een zwaar proces te aanschouwen.
De schrijfstijl is aangenaam, maar op zich ook niets bijzonders. Het blijft hier en daar eentonig qua woordkeuze maar is niet storend voor het lezen van het verhaal.
De plot beschrijft uiteraard haar leven en er worden meerdere tijdssprongen gemaakt. Dit wordt goed toegelicht en zorgt ook niet voor enige verwarring.
Naar mijn mening een absolute aanrader als je van historische romans houdt en soms wat korts tussendoor wil lezen. Het is eens een andere kijk op de Holocaust dan enkel de kampen. Haar man is trouwens het jongetje uit het boek 'de jongen die tien concentratiekampen overleefde'.
In eerste instantie sta je als lezer wat sceptische tegenover dit boek. Het is kort en thema's zoals dit, daar komt vaak een beladen emotionele sfeer bij kijken. In dit geval is dat zeker ook zo. Het is absoluut een boek dat je naar de keel grijpt en overvalt. Overigens is het niet zo zeer negatief. Binnen het uur heb je dit boek uit wat maakt dat je na het uitlezen ervan, ook gelijk op adem kan komen.
Het is mooi om te zien hoe eerlijk mevrouw Gruener is: ze mag dan wel in Amerika aankomen na zovele jaren, toch lijkt het niet vanzelfsprekend om plots gelukkig te zijn. Veel mensen vergeten die strijd na de oorlog die vele door moesten. Een novelle zoals dit kan bijbrengen waarom het van belang is om ook de jaren na de oorlog als een zwaar proces te aanschouwen.
De schrijfstijl is aangenaam, maar op zich ook niets bijzonders. Het blijft hier en daar eentonig qua woordkeuze maar is niet storend voor het lezen van het verhaal.
De plot beschrijft uiteraard haar leven en er worden meerdere tijdssprongen gemaakt. Dit wordt goed toegelicht en zorgt ook niet voor enige verwarring.
Naar mijn mening een absolute aanrader als je van historische romans houdt en soms wat korts tussendoor wil lezen. Het is eens een andere kijk op de Holocaust dan enkel de kampen. Haar man is trouwens het jongetje uit het boek 'de jongen die tien concentratiekampen overleefde'.
November 10, 2020
In the book Out of Hiding, it talks about all of the different ways Luncia and her parents hide and her ways of escaping certain death. From hiding behind a couch to a trunk with a small air hole, Luncia survived. After the war, she still has the holocaust memories haunt her. When they finally get to America, She changes her name to Ruth. As a friend from after the holocaust, Jack Gruener joins fighting for America. Ruth sends him letters and is surprised that she saves her heart for him. When Jack comes back to see Ruth, he proposes and they get married and end up having 2 sons and 4 grandchildren. This true story is hard to realize that it actually happened one day.
June 7, 2021
My 11 year old grandson recommended this autobiography describing a young girl's experience as a Holocaust survivor and her subsequent immigration to the United Staes in 1949. Her profound story includes some horrific examples of the mistreatment of Jews as well as the courageous stands taken by non-Jewish families who risked everything to hide and protect them from those who bought into the aims of the German socialist regime which subtly asks "What would you do if confronted by similar circumstances?" Ruth Gruener makes two important conclusions in her book: 1) "Being American meant assimilating" and 2) "There is more that unites us than divides us". Both are appropriate conclusions for Americans in the 2020's.
November 13, 2020
My daughter brought this book home from school and has been reading it. This is her first real introduction to the Holocaust, so I wanted to read it as well to discuss with her. I thought this was a great book for young readers - written simply but full of truths of the hardships and horrors this survivor and her family faced, while also pointing towards forgiveness, compassion, and belonging. It has prompted some great discussions!
July 13, 2021
This is definitely a sad book. I didn't think I would enjoy it because I usually don't like biographies, memoirs, or autobiographies but I had to read to read one of those for my reading challenge and I already had this book in my room so I read it. It was a quick read and I couldn't put it down. It got a bit slow at times but still a great book. Definitely look at the pictures in the back of the book because it makes it feel so much more real
August 8, 2022
Interesting and unique story that focuses on what happens after surviving the Holocaust. This book discusses a perspective I had not previously considered and find very interesting. It is well suited for a middle school audience and explores the ideas of war, family and belonging very well. I look forward to using it in my classroom.
March 29, 2024
Wow! What a journey and still very relevant today. Must read middle grade nonfiction.
June 4, 2023
3.5 stars
September 28, 2024
this book is amazing!
May 29, 2024
Because I have been interested in Holocaust stories, I picked up this book at a Goodwill store. I read it in three days and would recommend this book to all readers, but especially young people who are learning about this period of time.
It’s the story of a polish family with a young daughter who goes from a simple, happy childhood to having to go into hiding to escape the brutal takeover of the Nazis In Poland. The story is explained in her words and of their survival.
It’s the story of a polish family with a young daughter who goes from a simple, happy childhood to having to go into hiding to escape the brutal takeover of the Nazis In Poland. The story is explained in her words and of their survival.
February 1, 2022
A memoir about a lady who survived the Holocaust. Good quick read. Her husband is the character in the Alan Gratz book Prisoner B-3087.
February 25, 2024
Thank you Ruth for sharing your story. I am humbled by your words and encouraged to share your story and other stories like yours with my students.
December 14, 2020
4.5
Lovely memoir from Ruth Gruener. A long time ago, I read Ruth's story in "Survivors." Later, I read Alan Gratz's Prisoner B-3087, which still remains one of my favorite Holocaust books. I loved reading more about Ruth's life, life after the war/as an immigrant in America, and of course pictures of her and Jack.
Lovely memoir from Ruth Gruener. A long time ago, I read Ruth's story in "Survivors." Later, I read Alan Gratz's Prisoner B-3087, which still remains one of my favorite Holocaust books. I loved reading more about Ruth's life, life after the war/as an immigrant in America, and of course pictures of her and Jack.
August 10, 2022
Ruth Gruener was born in Poland in the 1930s to a Jewish family. She had a happy childhood with her parents who ran a sweets shop until the Nazis took over. Her family managed to avoid deportation thanks to some very kind neighbors who let them go into hiding in their house. Ruth shares about her years in hiding, then the years at a displaced persons camp in Europe waiting for visas to America to join family there, and then her years as a teenage refugee and Holocaust survivor adjusting to life in America.
I've read autobiographies of WWII experiences before, but few spend so much time on what it was like after the war. Gruener talks about feeling like no one understood her and how flashbacks to experiences in the war plagued her and how people didn't want to hear about her experiences at first and how that affected her and her family psychologically. It's an aspect of survival that few have shared so deeply about and that is so important to remember, especially for those who may live near, meet, or work with displaced persons. Gruener keeps what she shares appropriate for the middle grade target audience, but it is still a very interesting read for anyone middle grade on up. As this generation starts to die out, it is so important to have these stories recorded for the future.
Notes on content: No language issues. Gruener shares about a male piano teacher who was a bit too friendly and made her uncomfortable, but only hand holding and compliments where involved, she told an adult about it and nothing happened. Deaths during the war are mentioned but not described for the most part, though the grief of losing a lot of family is conveyed. There is a flashback to a Nazi dropping a baby to its death. The discomfort of prolonged hiding in small spaces or cold spaces and emotional turmoil of it is described. Gruener shares about antisemitism she experienced in the States as a young adult that caused her to lose jobs. An aunt withheld food from her after the war.
I've read autobiographies of WWII experiences before, but few spend so much time on what it was like after the war. Gruener talks about feeling like no one understood her and how flashbacks to experiences in the war plagued her and how people didn't want to hear about her experiences at first and how that affected her and her family psychologically. It's an aspect of survival that few have shared so deeply about and that is so important to remember, especially for those who may live near, meet, or work with displaced persons. Gruener keeps what she shares appropriate for the middle grade target audience, but it is still a very interesting read for anyone middle grade on up. As this generation starts to die out, it is so important to have these stories recorded for the future.
Notes on content: No language issues. Gruener shares about a male piano teacher who was a bit too friendly and made her uncomfortable, but only hand holding and compliments where involved, she told an adult about it and nothing happened. Deaths during the war are mentioned but not described for the most part, though the grief of losing a lot of family is conveyed. There is a flashback to a Nazi dropping a baby to its death. The discomfort of prolonged hiding in small spaces or cold spaces and emotional turmoil of it is described. Gruener shares about antisemitism she experienced in the States as a young adult that caused her to lose jobs. An aunt withheld food from her after the war.
February 10, 2024
'Er is meer wat ons verenigt dan wat ons scheidt.' Dat is de boodschap die Ruth Gruener (geboren Aurelia Czeslava Gamzer) wil doorgeven. Als jong kind overleefde ze de Shoa. Ze groeide op in het Poolse Lvov, waar ze al gauw te maken kreeg met de jodenvervolging. Door onder te duiken op verschillende adressen heeft ze de Shoa en heeft ze, samen met haar vader en moeder, een nieuw leven kunnen opbouwen in Amerika.
Het boek is makkelijk leesbaar en geschreven voor jonge lezers. Het brengt het verhaal van de Shoa dichterbij, maar er wordt niet te veel in details ingegaan waardoor het boek niet te heftig is. Gruener beschrijft in haar boek haar levensloop - niet alleen haar leven voor en tijdens de Shoa, maar óók de periode daarna. Hoe zij samen met haar ouders de reis waagden naar Amerika en na lang wachten de reis maakten, en hoe zij ondanks haar verschrikkelijke herinneringen een nieuw leven op heeft weten te bouwen. Kernwoorden zijn dan hoop en moed.
Gruener heeft niet voor niets dit boek geschreven. Er zijn steeds minder nog levende overlevenden van de Shoa. Steeds minder van hen die het verhaal kunnen doorgeven en de boodschap: 'Dit nooit meer!' Met dit boek heeft Ruth haar verhaal verteld. Het verhaal van een overlevende.
'Er is meer wat ons verenigt dan wat ons scheidt. Als er al een boodschap is die ik door wil geven, dan is dit het wel.' (Gruener, 2020, p. 187)
Het boek is makkelijk leesbaar en geschreven voor jonge lezers. Het brengt het verhaal van de Shoa dichterbij, maar er wordt niet te veel in details ingegaan waardoor het boek niet te heftig is. Gruener beschrijft in haar boek haar levensloop - niet alleen haar leven voor en tijdens de Shoa, maar óók de periode daarna. Hoe zij samen met haar ouders de reis waagden naar Amerika en na lang wachten de reis maakten, en hoe zij ondanks haar verschrikkelijke herinneringen een nieuw leven op heeft weten te bouwen. Kernwoorden zijn dan hoop en moed.
Gruener heeft niet voor niets dit boek geschreven. Er zijn steeds minder nog levende overlevenden van de Shoa. Steeds minder van hen die het verhaal kunnen doorgeven en de boodschap: 'Dit nooit meer!' Met dit boek heeft Ruth haar verhaal verteld. Het verhaal van een overlevende.
'Er is meer wat ons verenigt dan wat ons scheidt. Als er al een boodschap is die ik door wil geven, dan is dit het wel.' (Gruener, 2020, p. 187)
June 12, 2021
A quick read, written simply for older children-teen sure to spark important conversations. Ruth Gruener reminds us that hope remains and important lessons are so often born out of trauma and the fact that trauma leaves a lasting impact as an unwelcome interrupter of a life moving forward. While Gruener does recount the time in hiding, I appreciate her unique angle of what transpired in her life after the Nazi occupation and then her immigration to America. I appreciated that she was able to recall her perspective as a child and could convey that to the reader. What a story, what a life, and what a desire to put a very personal face and voice to the atrocities of the Holocaust with the hope we won’t repeat such a history. Makes me want to read the book she wrote about her husband’s time in concentration camps as well.
June 21, 2021
You can’t really beat the biography of a Holocaust survivor if you’re looking for an honest account of that time. This is especially wonderful because it is the same Ruth Gruener that married Jack of Alan Gratz’s Prisoner B-3087. Her story is different, she and her parents were hidden by a brave family until the liberation of their town by the Russians, but her journey was still harmed by the Holocaust - the photo in the back of the book of Ruth with her 25 kindergarten friends, none of which survived, is evidence of that. Poignant and touching, it moves quickly and continues to tell these much needed accounts. The blessing for the reader by the author at the end is very moving.
October 3, 2022
After reading The Teacher of Warsaw, I went on a bit of a binge of reading other books about the Holocaust written for the middle-grade/young-reader crowd. This was another important memoir, not only about she survived the holocaust by being hidden, but also about her assimilation into America and the challenges that in itself provided. Thoughtfully written and a great conversation starter for older kids/younger teens starting to read stories about the Holocaust. My big takeaway was when she spoke about how she (and other survivors) were discouraged from talking about their experiences, and the danger in doing so. It may be uncomfortable for some to hear, but it's so important that people are able to tell their story, both for themselves and for history.
January 8, 2022
What a beautifully written autobiography. It is thoughtful and poignant, yet has an underlying tone of hope and resilience throughout. For this reason, I think this story is a great option for students (upper elementary) just starting to learn and understand the horrors of the Holocaust. Most of her family was never seen again and she shares of the terrible things happening during this time period in Poland. Yet, miraculously she was able to remain hidden.
May 13, 2024
This book was one of the best!!! It went into fine detail. Although it was very “scary” at some points it was very interesting. I read this in 4th grade and loved it! It was a very very up beat book! Sooooooooooooo goooooodddd!!!!!!!!
October 28, 2020
A powerful story simply written. Gruener puts the reader into her world and her experiences both during and after the war.
January 3, 2022
Quick read for older elementary kiddos.
February 17, 2022
Another incredible story about an only child and her parents who were saved during the holocaust. One thing I don’t understand is how the family who hid her could be so cruel to her. I know they were scared. But, they were so mean. I love this story and a lot of people need to read this.
April 13, 2022
My students really enjoyed this book and so did I.
November 10, 2022
such a good, easy, short read. Recommend for young readers or if you’re in a reading slump and just need a book that requires no effort to read. An incredible true story
“The world is so beautiful. I want so much to live”
“The world is so beautiful. I want so much to live”
Displaying 1 - 30 of 231 reviews