Irena

Reviews / Votes

ASSOCIATION OF JEWISH LIBRARIES -- This three-volume
graphic novel treatment of the life of the famed Irena Sendler is a remarkable
achievement. The first volume was published in French in 2017 and the last two
volumes were published in English in 2020. All four authors and artists involved
tell an age-appropriate, emotional story of Irena Sendlerowa, the righteous
gentile who saved over 2500 Jewish children in wartime Warsaw. Their careful
research goes further than most of the present biographies for young people by
separating her life experiences into three volumes. Book One: Wartime
Ghetto, describes how Irena, a young social worker, began her resistance
work in the German-occupied Warsaw Ghetto of the 1940s. The amazing Where's
Waldo style of artwork provides numerous ways a reader can immerse themselves in
ghetto life quite powerfully by simply staring at the opening two-page spread.
The dark color palette recalls the period and sets the right mood. Irena saves
children, gets arrested, refuses to reveal her contacts and is ultimately saved
from death with bribes to the guards. The artists use the contrivance of an
adorable little white dog named Shepsi that at first protects ghetto children
and later accompanies Irena and her resistance network. The antics of this
feisty little companion allows readers a respite from the many tragic scenes of
Nazi cruelty, poverty, and smuggled babies, and will especially appeal to
younger readers. The second volume, Book Two: Children of the Ghetto,
begins after the war in 1947, focusing on Irena's imprisonment by the Nazis and
her desperate search for the mostly-orphaned children, along with her attempts
to reunite them with the remnants of their families. The narrative jumps back
and forth in time to when Irena visits Yad Vashem and tells her story in 1983
upon receiving honors and acclaim in Israel. The third volume, Book Three: Life
After the Ghetto finds Irena still in Poland in her later years, looking back on
her life and her accomplishments. The color palette has been brightened, she has
a new little dog, and her name is now recognized around the world. The authors
repeatedly highlight Irena's regrets that she was not able to do enough and save
more children. She died in 2008 at the age of 98. The books should be read in
order and although there may be some confusion from the time-jumps, the artistic
style and colors are the clues to the time period in Irena's life. This book
will appeal to anyone who likes graphic novels, and although it is not a
light-hearted read, it is a wonderful testament to a truly righteous
person.