We Were the Lucky Ones

By: Georgia Hunter

Narrated by: Kathleen Gati, Robert Fass

The New York Times bestseller with more than 1 million copies sold worldwide | Now a Hulu limited series starring Joey King and Logan Lerman

Inspired by the incredible true story of one Jewish family separated at the start of World War II, determined to survive—and to reunite—We Were the Lucky Ones is a tribute to the triumph of hope and love against all odds.

“Love in the face of global adversity? It couldn't be more timely.” —Glamour

It is the spring of 1939 and three generations of the Kurc family are doing their best to live normal lives, even as the shadow of war grows closer. The talk around the family Seder table is of new babies and budding romance, not of the increasing hardships threatening Jews in their hometown of Radom, Poland. But soon the horrors overtaking Europe will become inescapable and the Kurcs will be flung to the far corners of the world, each desperately trying to navigate his or her own path to safety.

As one sibling is forced into exile, another attempts to flee the continent, while others struggle to escape certain death, either by working grueling hours on empty stomachs in the factories of the ghetto or by hiding as gentiles in plain sight. Driven by an unwavering will to survive and by the fear that they may never see one another again, the Kurcs must rely on hope, ingenuity, and inner strength to persevere.

An extraordinary, propulsive novel, We Were the Lucky Ones demonstrates how in the face of the twentieth century’s darkest moment, the human spirit can endure and even thrive.

the good from the bad

The story isn't new but it's a refreshing version that celebrates survivors and the emotional and physical turmoil that coincides with this war. There are a lot of names, and more often than not I had to wait for the story to develop around the character before figuring out which family member we were hearing about. But this didn't really detract from the overall experience. The narration is sharply articulated but it isn't unpleasant and the accents were well done... even some of the southern American dialect.

Incredible story

This was a hard book for me to put down. I thought I was reading historical fiction and then realized that these were real events the author was speaking of. It is a miracle that so much of her family were able to make it out alive. This should be required high school reading at least to understand history and what happens when evil prevails.

I had to return this book - I didn't like the Narrators voice

I was looking forward to this book but I just didn't like the narrators voice. I'll try to find this book with a different narrator.

Very good!

This is my first book about World War II that focuses so much on Poland. I learned so much about this aspect of World War II. It was very interesting from this one particular family's point of view. It is still hard for me to believe all this death and destruction took place such a short time ago.

A must read.

An amazing story of one family's survival of the Holocaust. A story of love, courage, determination, and hope.