Jack Mayer

I'm a little torn on how to rate this, because it feels like I'm rating two different stories; the portion of the book directly relating to Irena Sendler is engrossing and decently well-written, but the surrounding sections set in Kansas were pretty unfocused and rambling. If I were to rate these as two separate stories, I would give the historical narrative 4 stars and the present-day sections 2.5 stars. Therefore, I will split the difference and give the whole book 3 stars.

Life in a Jar is about Irene Sendler's (a Polish Catholic) and the Jews of the Warsaw ghetto and courage in the face of overwhelming odds and crushing oppression. It is about how that courage was almost lost to history but was rescued by an unlikely trio of Protestant kids from Kansas. If you are a fan of the Anne Franks book or Schlinder's List I would recommend this book highly to anyone 11 or older.

A Polish social worker rescued 2500 Jewish children in the Warsaw ghetto. She was captured by the Gestapo, tortured and slated for a firing squad. However, she was rescued at the last minute by the Zegota. Irena kept records of what children she placed where and that jar where she kept the list survived. As many as could be found were reunited with the families. Sendler is one of the "Righteous of the Nations." 396 pages

The inspirational story of Kansas Teens who are living examples of the power of one person to change the world