This is a fascinating account of the successful attempt of a Jewess to escape the clutches of the Nazis and thereby escape ending up as another victim of the Holocaust. Although survivors of this tragedy have written numerous accounts of their adventures, this one intrigued me because most of it is set in the Balkans.

Irene Eskenazi (later Grünbaum) was living in Belgrade when the Germans invaded in 1941. She and her husband, Bobby, tore off their yellow stars, and fled to Skopje in Macedonia, wh This is a fascinating account of the successful attempt of a Jewess to escape the clutches of the Nazis and thereby escape ending up as another victim of the Holocaust. Although survivors of this tragedy have written numerous accounts of their adventures, this one intrigued me because most of it is set in the Balkans.

Irene Eskenazi (later Grünbaum) was living in Belgrade when the Germans invaded in 1941. She and her husband, Bobby, tore off their yellow stars, and fled to Skopje in Macedonia, where life soon began to become dangerous for them and the many other Jews who had also fled there. News reaches Irene and her husband that the deportation of Jews to destinations unknown was imminent. Bobby persuades Irene to disguise herself as a Moslem Albanian peasant woman, and entrusts her to the care of an Albanian who has agreed to guide her across the border to Albania.

From the moment that Irene leaves Skopje, the story becomes more interesting, not only for her but especially for the reader. We are thrust into the intimate world of the poor Albanian peasants, a world not often described first hand by outsiders. In addition, Irene's descriptions of life in Axis occupied Albania provide a revealing insight into the infrequently described occupation of this obscure corner of the Balkans.

Through her canny ability to make use of numerous lucky breaks, and at times 'chutzpah', Irene survives the war in Albania, and eventually makes her way to Italy, and what she hopes will be freedom. Liberated Rome, with its active Black Market, is not only full of opportunities but also fraught with dangers for Irene. She describes these as vividly as she does her experiences in Albania.

I enjoyed reading this book not only because it increased my knowledge of the Balkans, an area that has always interested me, but also because it illustrates how grim determination can overcome seemingly unfavourable odds. ...more

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2854554-escape-through-the-balkans?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328819337l/2854554.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2854554-escape-through-the-balkans?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Escape through the Balkans: The Autobiography of Irene Grünbaum by Irene Grunbaum[/url]