The Seamstress

By: Sara Tuvel Bernstein, Louise Loots Thornton, Marlene Bernstein Samuels

Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon

Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Winner, Biography and Memoir, 2013

Told with the same old-fashioned narrative power as the novels of Herman Wouk, The Seamstress is the true story of Seren (Sara) Tuvel Bernstein and her survival during wartime. This powerful eyewitness account of survival, told with power and grace, will stay with listeners for years to come.

©1999 Sara Tuvel Bernstein (P)2011 Tantor

Critic reviews

"There are many recent accounts of Holocaust victims, but this work stands alone as a testimony to personal strength and an independent spirit." ( Library Journal)

Heroic, humbling, heartfelt

Where does The Seamstress rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Words can not describe how courageous Sara Tuvel was. This book is heroic, humbling, sad, inspiring and courageous. Wanda McCaddon is a good reader, but sometimes I was a little annoyed how she used a childlike voice when speaking as a character or as young Sara Tuvel. She used this childlike voice with Sara's sisters and other friends. Unfortunately this voice made those characters somewhat less empathetic. This is just a slight complaint, this book was still 5 stars!

What other book might you compare The Seamstress to and why?

Unbroken

Which character – as performed by Wanda McCaddon – was your favorite?

Sara

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

A 2 hour film would not do it justice.

Difficult, but so important

I have read many books about the Holocaust, seen many films, and have visited the camps in Poland but this book has made an indelible impression at a very deep emotional level. Sara's memoir is the most comprehensive and complete story that I've ever read and encourage its reading to whomever has the desire to understand how it really was.

Beautifully read, absorbing tale of the Holocaust

Would you consider the audio edition of The Seamstress to be better than the print version?

Have not read the print.

What did you like best about this story?

Beautifully told story about a woman who was one of the very few who lived through Ravensbrck concentration camp

What about Wanda McCaddon’s performance did you like?

Could not have been better.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Could hardly put it down

Any additional comments?

This is one of the most personal accounts of the Holocaust I've come across. I haven't read the book, but rather listened to it . I could hardly take the earbuds out of my ears and yet, at times, it was so gut wrenching I wanted to craw under a quilt and hide from the hideous evil that pervaded Europe during WWII. In it, too, I see parallels to what is happening today with antisemitism growing by leaps and bounds in Europe again and Christians being tortured and murdered in the middle east. It will never end, that is for sure, but we must not forget nor fail to fight it at every turn, with every breath.

Very Interesting! Great listen. Couldn't stop.

Would you listen to The Seamstress again? Why?

I would listen to this again. It was a wonderful listen but also so informative and encouraging. The strength and attitude this woman had during the things she endured is amazing. Somehow it gives you strength once you listen.

What did you like best about this story?

That Sara survived and through all her turmoil she kept amazingly strong and positive.

Which scene was your favorite?

I loved the part where she and her siblings confronted the other children on the bridge on the way home from school. Sort of her first challenge in life.

Any additional comments?

I have heard many stories of the horrible things that happened to the Jews during this time but never felt like it was coming from a survivor. Brings a whole new understanding.

This Should Be Required Reading

Absolutely loved this memoir. I couldn't stop listening and I will forever remember it. If everyone reads this, maybe hatred and wars will never occur again. Please read/listen. The reader was absolutely perfection.

Gripping

I was interested in this story as my maternal grandparents emigrated to the US from Romania in the late 1890’s. Reading this, I couldn’t help but wonder what happened to the family who stayed behind. Sara Tuval’s story gives me a glimpse of what could have been.

A Heroine's Journey

Sara Tuvel's inner strength and resilience
during the hell of the Holocaust is awesomely inspiring!

Amazing holocaust story

Ravensbruck Concentration camp is 1 that most people never heard of.The story conveys all of that horror Without using Hatred and bitterness That seems to Cover some of the other stories Hope is that the these things will never Revisit the world But I fear with all the revisionist History As has been said before when The past is forgotten Then it is possible to have it happen again.

One of the most moving books...............

An incredible story of a survivor both of the holocaust and post-war Germany. And one of the most moving depictions of how the events unfolded that convinced the Jewish people to pack their valuables peacefully and surrender. There is a point in the book when Sara and her sisters dig in the dirt for tiny grass roots to eat and another where they risk their lives to steal a radish. And, you feel a small glimpse of what it must be like to experience true hunger.... I cried. I was outraged and ultimately uplifted by this one woman's courage to want to live and to do her work.

captivating

When someone recounts something so horrific, I often find myself wanting to understand what it felt like to be in a situation I could not possibly comprehend. Even tough this was an emotional topic, this book was not about the author's emotion. It was a narrative that focused on the facts. Rather than taking away from the story, it allowed the facts to stand by themselves. IMO, most readers would be hard-pressed to listen to the matter-of-fact experiences and not feel complete shock. The juxtaposition between the lack of the emotion and extreme circumstances was unbelievably powerful. I have read many books and watched so many movies about Holocaust survivors. They have all been shocking. They have all left me with a feeling of confusion and awe at the depth to which some people will go to attain utter control and domination.

This book stood out- mainly for its lack of emotion. Viktor Frankl's Man's Search For Meaning stood out because it was a portrait of remarkable human resilience in the face of circumstances so horrific, those who have not experienced them can barely imagine being able to remain alive, let alone resilient. Frankl showed his reader a curious phenomenon; trauma can compel a person to actually reach beyond what they would have likely achieved in their lifetime otherwise. Instead of breaking, they not only recovered, but thrived.

In a similar way, this narrative stood out. It made me ask the question, "What does it take to survive something like a Holocaust?" This would be a good time to mention that I had a bit of an issue with the forward. Sara's cowriter said something along the lines of, Sara survived because she was stronger than other women who allowed themselves (in some way) to die. I certainly agree that it is one kind of strength to be able to shut off parts of yourself, feel distance, and endure. There is no question Sara was so very strong. But, I don't think it is weak to be aware of how horrific a situation is and die from a combination of torture and despair. I don't think it is weak to maybe have already been starving prior to capture and then die sooner because your body had less nutrition from the start (recall Sara ate very well right before capture because she was working for a woman who fed her workers well). It is not weak to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and get shot or hit by a bomb. It is not weak to drink the water and get sick from the water. It's not weak to take the bottom bunk because the top was full and get crushed to death at night. So much of it was luck. So, it seems unfair to characterize any woman or man who died in the camps as weak in some way. That said, it is interesting to try to figure out what factors contribute to extremely resilient individuals.

This book takes the reader from Sara's childhood, in which she begins to understand people's view of Jewish persons, through her capture and time in the camps, and beyond. A must read for anyone interested in the Holocaust.