Looking Towards Tomorrow

A Promise To My Sister by S E Rutledge is a powerful, heart breaking historical novel that was all consuming.

The novel begins in Poland in 1961 before going backwards to 1939. Along with the leading characters we ‘experience’ Nazi occupied Poland from the ghetto to Auschwitz. We ‘hear’ of the horrendous evil and wonder how anyone could survive hell on earth.

The leading characters are two sisters who mascaraed as mother and daughter. They need luck to survive, as well as finding little pockets of kindness amongst the depravity as we see that not all Germans were evil Nazis.

Hope is needed – a hope for a brighter tomorrow. “If we survive today, we will be free tomorrow” was uttered on a daily basis. Without hope, the people will perish.

Strength of character is seen. Remaining alive to tell the world of the great evil is a goal of some.