Irena's War

This is a True story about Irena Sendler, who was responsible for saving the lives of thousands of Jewish Children from the ghetto of Warsaw.She was a true Herione, often putting her life at risk every single day. When the Nazi's first came, she was working in food distribution, and had forged hundreds of documents for Jewish famlies to receive food and other social welfare. Once the Nazi's had pushed all the Jewish population into the ghetto and sealed it from anyone leaving or entering...Irena obtained a permanent pass so she could get into the Jewish Quarter, as someone who inspected for communicable diseases. Irena would smuggle as much food as she could under the papers in her bag, hoping and praying at every guard inspection she wouldn't be caught and sent to jail or possibly shot on the spot! Irena worked with the Polish Resistance and the Jewish community inside the ghetto to start smuggling children out, and take them to safe houses. At one point she was arrested by the Gastpo and kept in jail for months ...with intense torture, but never broke, and gave away anyone or anything pertaining to the Resistance Zegota. She was eventually able to escape death ...the Resistance party had bribed a guard, who released her the night before her slated execution by a firing squad. Although Irena did SO much on her own every single day...there were also her dear friends inside the Jewish Ghetto along with Dr. Korczak who was a pediatrician and was an advacate for the orphans and child welfare. He also helped so many children, and in the end when the Nazi's were rounding up thousands of Jewish people each day to ship to the camps, and certain death. .he chose to stay with all the children to the very end to make them feel reassured and loved. There were so many heroes among Irena and the Resistance Fighters, who put their lives in danger to help and many who did not make it, and were shot on the spot. This was a beautifully written story, about Irena, her Mom, her friends she worked with, Adam the love of her life, who they also helped to escape, and they eventually married, and all the Resistance Fighters who gave their very lives to the cause, Poland, and the Jewish refugees. It is very heartful, full of bravery by sooo many people on so many levels, it is nail biting intense, and it is real, with flaws and different personalities...all the while being A True Story about True Heroes during a most Horrible time in History. Loved it from begining to end, very deserving of 5 stars ! Truly a must read...you won't be sorry.