Book: I'm Not From Around Here

I'm Not From Around Here
Ishai Klinowsky
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What could have led to an encounter between such an unsuitable couple as my parents?
This book is a fascinating life diary, in which reality surpasses all imagination. It takes place against the backdrop of the Holocaust, the fate of the refugees at the end of the war, and the rebirth of the new Israel.

The heroes of the plot are unusual, an antithesis of the weak and submissive Jew, sweeping the reader into a whirlwind of events and countless breathtaking adventures.

How does a weak and very naive girl survive for three years in a deadly forced labor camp where others could not survive for more than a few months?
Lola, the mother, whom we encounter as an innocent girl, sweeps the reader close to the hell of the monstrous and notorious labor camp, Ludwigsdorf.

How does an “antithesis Jew” look to the submissive Jew?
Staszek, the father, a street fighter and a tough and hard-working man from Warsaw, is hot-tempered, cunning, and daring. His gypsy appearance and colorful figure lead many women to fall easily into his arms.

What does a spoiled "mother's son" and "father's daughter" feel when they see their family collapsing?
From the eyes of an eight-year-old boy, the writer describes a stormy childhood with many heartrending vicissitudes: parents who disappear overnight, living with strangers, being trapped in a tough orphanage ... and more...

Written in flowing and sensitive language, the story presents an accurate balance between a personal and family story and the story of a people.


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I don't remember how or why I decided to get this book. This was interesting while it lasted. It wasn't too "uniform" in the way it was told though. I thought this was author trying to get the records of his family on paper, I was expecting for like, extended family. However, this was focused mainly on his father and mother.

I got a little annoyed at the father and sympathetic for the mother. Towards the end of the book, the author alternated the past and the present, which sort of made things a little confusing, but it wasn't too bad.

I also would have liked to know what happened beyond the end of the book - coz from where the book ended, to where the book started (timeline-wise) they were at very, very different places.

Overall an enjoyable read.