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Rating:  - the book missed one big point
I just received this today and skimmed over the pages. There is close to nothing about why the British flew these Jews from Palestine into Europe. There is a vauge reference to intelligence work, but even the young girls' book on Hannah Senesh put out by Scholastic Books states on the back cover that she was sent by the British to set up an escape network for Allied airmen shot down in the region. The group was also sent to help repatriate Russian soldiers from the nearby (to Roumania) Soviet border. The VHS movie "Hannah's War" from the 1980s makes that also very clear and plain.
I felt I was reading a good general history of WW II, with Jewish partisan movement included and major battles, but not a book about why Hannah Senesh voluteered to go to Europe on a dangerous mission, other than to see her mother. As if this was "tourist season" in WW II.
The need for Hannah's mission (it included 30 men and another woman) stems originally from the Allies repeated air attacks on the Ploesti oilfields in Roumania which supplied the Germans 60% of their oil. The first attack in 1943 lead to 200 shot down Allied fliers captured. This lead to two other major attacks on the oilfields because the were put back in production quickly. Flack damaged airplanes can go hundreds of miles before a need for the crew to parachute out. The border distances between Roumania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia (the return route to an Allied airbase in Italy) are small, even for a World War II bomber. In fact, Hannah's group did rescue some Allied airmen. And there was a major secondary reason the British knew about but would not endorse: setting up escape networks for fleeing Jewish refugees AFTER WW II to get to Palestine (Israel) by outfoxing the British blockade, a blockade in effect even before WW II.
But reading this book, I got the impression that the author Linda Atkinson all but thought the British were running a travel agency or a "Make a Wish" Foundation to reunite Hannah with her mother. Despite the worthy inclusion of many biographical concerns of a Hannah as a young woman, including boyfriends, decisions about what she wanted to do with her life, her self-doubts and strengths, I found the extremely limited discussion of why Hannah was sent to Europe an insult to the military mission, the British and the Israelis who risked their lives to fly all 32 native European speakers in to set up escape networks. I thought, in the sections regarding Hannah, that I was reading "Hannah's (Not So) Excellent Adventure." I would recommend the Scholastic book over this for teenage girls.
Rating:  - In Kindling Flame, she sparked a fire
When I read this book, I had no idea what to expect. The assidnment was to read a book from the WWII/Holocaust period. There were shelves full, but this one caught my attention. I took it home and started to read, but was so sucked in I didn't want to stop! Hannah Senesh had such a wonderful story, and I could easily compare her to Anne Frank. She had such a wonderful personality; she was poetic, determined, and courageous. Unlike Anne, Hannah didn't go into hiding. She escaped to Palestine and trained for a parachuting mission back to her homeland of Hungary. She was captured and beaten, and eventually killed, but remained a beacon to her fellow women in jail, making dolls for children and teaching Hebrew to the adults. Hannah was such an inspiration, I think everyone should read her story.
Rating: - An excellent story of a girl fighing for her rights
When I first read this book, I had just finished touring the Holocaust Museum in Wash. D.C and I picked this out at the bookstore. I am amazed by this book. The reader immediatly falls in love with Hannah, for her strength and courage. The reader finds themselves reading on wanting to know if she succeeds the Nazis or not. If you enjoy reading about the Holocaust, you will love this book! Thank You for reading my review.
Rating: - The most inspiring book I have ever read.
I read this book in the 6th grade and it was very heavy, but it is my favorite book. I did a project on Hanna Senesh and I learned so much about the Holocaust. I would recomend this book to anyone who needs to be inspired. Hanna Senesh was a brave young lady.
Rating: - Excellent, inspirational reading!
This biography for young adults uses the diary, letters, poetry, interviews with her mother and brother, and official documents to tell the story of Hannah Senesh. Atkinson begins Hannah's story by describing her happy life before anti-Semitism took hold in Hungary. She uses Hannah's own words to describe her need to make something of her life. Hannah's decision to immigrate to Palestine shows that she clearly appreciated the potential for danger in remaining in Hungary too long. The reader quickly comes to admire Hannah, for she is described as a flesh-and-blood creature. She is forceful, determined, and youthful, but not without self-doubt. It is her self-doubt that makes her want to "do something" by returning to Hungary from the relative security of Palestine to help Jews escape to freedom. Although Hannah's mission was not successful, her willingness to act decisively makes her a symbol of her adopted homeland. By reading the story of Hannah Senesh, young readers will gain a clearer understanding into the national character of Israel.
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