The Secret Holocaust Diaries

The Untold Story of Nonna Bannister

De: Nonna Bannister, Denise George, Carolyn Tomlin

Narrado por: Rebecca Gallagher

For half a century, a terrible secret lay hidden, locked in a trunk in an attic... photos, official documents, and scraps of a diary written by a young girl. "The time has come when I must share my life story... some facts from the past that could make a contribution, however small it may be, to the history of mankind."

The Secret Holocaust Diaries is a haunting eyewitness account of Nonna Lisowskaja Bannister, a remarkable Russian-American woman who saw and survived unspeakable evils as a young girl.

For half a century, she kept her story secret while living a normal American life. She locked all her photos, documents, diaries, and dark memories from World War II in a trunk. Late in life, she unlocked the trunk, first for herself, then for her husband, and now for the rest of the world. Nonna's story is one of suffering, torture, and death - but also of incredible acts of kindness that show the ultimate triumph of faith and love over despair and evil.

The Secret Holocaust Diaries is in part a tragedy, yet it's also an unforgettable true story about forgiveness, courage, and hope.

©2009 Nonna Bannister (P)2009 Oasis

Fascinating Story

Highly recommended, and I really appreciated hearing Nona's true voice at the end of the book.

My only critique is that I found the narrator's slight midwestern accent distracting and unauthentic to Nona's story.

UNSPEAKABLE

It is the unspeakable things of Nonna Bannister's eyewitness account that speak the loudest to those with perception.

Rare perspective of a Ukrainian/Russia Christian

It's actually quite difficult to find survival stories from Ukrainians because the Einsatzgruppen decimated the Jewish population & the Ukrainian people tended to be pro-Nazi due to the repression by the Soviet policies. 60,000 Ukrainians joined the Trawnikis - the Ukrainian division of the SS.

This is a rare find - a Christian child in Ukraine that was exposed to absolute horrors & became slave labor in Nazi Germany.

BUT I WAS THOROUGHLY ANNOYED BY THE CONSTANT "EDITOR'S NOTES". 90% of them were completely unnecessary!

a good book to be read!

she starts off a little slow but very very good. I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

Story line

I really enjoyed reading this book and especially hearing the person behind the book. This made me tear up knowing she couldn’t find her momma and to see what she had to endure.

Incredible story, beautiful narration

The first thing that grabbed me was the narrator's voice. So very pleasant that I just wanted to pull up a chair and listen. But she wasn't limited to "sweetness and light." When tragic things had to be communicated, she did so with real feeling. I would happily listen to her again.
True, she stumbled over a few of the foreign words and names, but I couldn't bring myself to take a star away from such an excellent performance.

As for the story: It is absolutely vital that it be told and retold. And don't fear that it will be a depressing book even though much of it is hard. Much of the story highlights the beauty of good and loving hearts which refused to give in to hate. This is an excellent narrative which should be widely heard.

Excellent book

The book itself is fascinating and gives an unusual account of the horrors of World War II by also including the terror of the Stalin regime and not only the Holocaust. The audiobook was enjoyable and the narrator was great though I would have preferred a young girl's voice. Additionally it was a petty that the reading was not checked for proper pronunciation. It was clear that the narrator had the potential to pronounce correctly but especially when she constantly said Schweister instead of Schwester when referring to the nuns it was annoying. I would though like to listen to more books from this narrator.

Sad , true story

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. The book has a realism that is riveting. It is unfortunate the author kept it secret for so long. There is so much to be learned by her story and I am sure it's length would have filled volumes. Since I listed to the audio version, I wonder if a sample of the journals the author kept are included in the book.

What other book might you compare The Secret Holocaust Diaries to and why?

It is comparable to Anne Frank, but of two nationalities one more persecuted that the other. Both from the childs point of view.

Which character – as performed by Rebecca Gallagher – was your favorite?

Nona the child

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I was saddened that intelligent people can treat one another in such a dispicable manner for perceived or real slights.

Must be heard by all

Nina’s life story should. E shared in history Books. People must be taught the truths. She was a living Super Woman. No words can describe the type of woman she is nor to describe her life during the War and Holocaust.

THANK YOU NONNA

It was an honor to listen to her story. Very inspiring, sad and a life lesson. Powerful story that will forever remain with me. Thank you to the Bannister family for getting her story published. She sounds like a remarkable woman. Thank you Nonna for sharing your story. May you be at rest and reunited with your beloved family…together again.