Olga Watkins (1923–2016)
Auteur de A Greater Love
Œuvres de Olga Watkins
Étiqueté
Partage des connaissances
- Autres noms
- Czepf, Olga (maiden name)
- Date de naissance
- 1923-03-20
- Date de décès
- 2016-12-10
- Sexe
- female
- Nationalité
- Yugoslav (birth)
UK (naturalised) - Lieu de naissance
- Sisak, Croatia, Yugoslavia
- Lieux de résidence
- Zagreb, Croatia
Munich, Germany
London, England, UK - Professions
- Dressmaker
memoirist - Courte biographie
- Olga Watkins, née Czepf, was born in Sisak, Yugoslavia and raised in Zagreb. At age 20, during World War II, she was in love with Julius Koreny, a Hungarian diplomat 10 years her senior, and the couple were planning to marry. In 1943, she was devasted to learn he had been arrested by the pro-Nazi regime in Budapest. She set off on a 2,000-mile search for him across Occupied Europe. Her search eventually brought her to Munich, Germany, and the concentration camp at Dachau. Daring to get a job working in the camp, she discovered that Julius had been sent to another camp. Against all the odds, at the end of the war, she found him at Buchenwald, close to death. Within a week they were married and soon afterwards, they moved to Hungary.
A few years later, while Olga was visiting her ailing father in Yugoslavia, she was told by the authorities that she could not return to Hungary. The couple later divorced.
In 1954, Olga emigrated to the UK, where she met her second husband, Gerry Watkins. With his support, she was reunited with Julius, who died in 1994. She published her book about her experiences, A Greater Love, in 2011.
Membres
Critiques
El amor más grande par Olga Watkins
Cuando la Getapo se apodera del prometido de Olga Czepf, de 20 años, ella está decidida a encontrarlo y emprende una extraordinaria búsqueda de 2000 millas a través de la Europa ocupada por los nazis, arriesgándose a ser traicionada, arrestada y muerta. Mientras la Segunda Guerra Mundial se dirige hacia su climax sangriento, ella se niega a darse por vencida.
Marzo 1945. Una ragazza cammina verso gli imponenti cancelli del campo di concentramento di Dachau. Guardie armate stanno appoggiate al muro, tengono con arroganza i fucili di traverso sulle spalle. Torri di avvistamento circondate da metri e metri di filo spinato si stagliano contro il blu del cielo.(fonte: Google Books)
I first found out about this book through a WWII historical fiction list on GoodReads. Yet, after finishing, this book reads more as a moving memoir of survival and rescue than anything else. It’s not written nor formatted as a historical fiction to my eyes at all. So keep that in mind if you’re looking to dive into this one.
Now Olga’s journey across war-torn Eastern and Central Europe was engrossing. She experienced some horrifying events and conditions, all in the name of love for Julius or family. In places, she seems to have only survived due to luck or just by the skin of her teeth. Some of the places her journey took her to were just jaw-dropping, especially the camp of Dachau. It really brought it home some of the events she experienced, how topsy-turvy and chaotic Europe was at that timeframe.
Olga herself was resourceful in getting out of some of her experiences, and I found myself more and more drawn into her story as the book progressed. There were times where I question her thought processes or actions, but I’m not sure I’m really one to judge that since I wasn't there. Either way, reading about her struggle to find out the fate of the man she loved kept me spellbound. Even after finding him, life wasn't kittens and rainbows. The end of the memoir is just as astounding event-wise as the rest of Olga’s WWII experience.
If you’re looking for a unique and engaging WWII memoir, I’d recommend this one. It tells the story of an amazing and resourceful woman who wouldn't let a little thing like a world war get in the way of love. But if you’re looking for a historical fiction, try another selection as this isn't fictional. Still an amazing book all around.… (plus d'informations)
Now Olga’s journey across war-torn Eastern and Central Europe was engrossing. She experienced some horrifying events and conditions, all in the name of love for Julius or family. In places, she seems to have only survived due to luck or just by the skin of her teeth. Some of the places her journey took her to were just jaw-dropping, especially the camp of Dachau. It really brought it home some of the events she experienced, how topsy-turvy and chaotic Europe was at that timeframe.
Olga herself was resourceful in getting out of some of her experiences, and I found myself more and more drawn into her story as the book progressed. There were times where I question her thought processes or actions, but I’m not sure I’m really one to judge that since I wasn't there. Either way, reading about her struggle to find out the fate of the man she loved kept me spellbound. Even after finding him, life wasn't kittens and rainbows. The end of the memoir is just as astounding event-wise as the rest of Olga’s WWII experience.
If you’re looking for a unique and engaging WWII memoir, I’d recommend this one. It tells the story of an amazing and resourceful woman who wouldn't let a little thing like a world war get in the way of love. But if you’re looking for a historical fiction, try another selection as this isn't fictional. Still an amazing book all around.… (plus d'informations)
Come si dice a Roma: ho rosicato! Non può non aver più visto suo marito per colpa di un padre che neanche le voleva bene...Olga nonostante non dovesse nulla al padre è andata a trovarlo perchè era malato ed è rimasta fregata letteralmente e non ha più potuto vivere la sua storia con suo marito Julius dopo che aveva rischiato tutto per lui!!
Non ci sto!
Ma purtroppo non è una storia inventata e la povera Olga ha dovuto arrendersi alla realtà della vita ed accettare il suo destino che non ha sempre un lieto fine come succede in un libro...… (plus d'informations)
Non ci sto!
Ma purtroppo non è una storia inventata e la povera Olga ha dovuto arrendersi alla realtà della vita ed accettare il suo destino che non ha sempre un lieto fine come succede in un libro...… (plus d'informations)
Statistiques
- Œuvres
- 6
- Membres
- 22
- Popularité
- #553,378
- Évaluation
- 3.6
- Critiques
- 5
- ISBN
- 7
- Langues
- 3