REVIEWS:

Marcia Breece was so moved by my stories about my parents, especially their escape from Europe on board of the rescue ship Parita, she asked if she could write a book about my mother’s journey to Eretz Israel. Needless to say, I agreed and eagerly shared and translated the mementos and letters I found in Mom’s apartment after she died in 2010. I also shared my own memories about my parents.

Yutka And the Voyage of the Parita went far beyond what I expected. Marcia captured my parents’ personalities and the love story that continued for the rest of their lives. She went the extra mile to include Jewish laws and traditions. I grew up in British Mandated Palestine during WWII. Marcia grew up in Ohio after the war but she describes the geography and demography of Eretz Israel as if she also grew up in Israel. Her writing brought my mother’s story to life, a fragment of Jewish history that should not be lost or forgotten.

On a very personal note: Unlike 99% of my American peers and friends, I was not fortunate to know and experience the love of grandparents, uncles, aunts and close family. The Nazis deprived me of those fond memories by murdering my mother’s family, execution-style. Marcia’s book and the way she wrote about my mother’s grandfather, parents, brother and sister helped me overcome not having them. Thank you, Marcia, for that.

—Sam Regev, author of My Call of Abraham, Kennewick, WA

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YUTKA, a teenager who trusted her gut feelings and through enormous dangers, difficulties and loneliness, saved her life from the horrors of the Holocaust. This beautifully written true story book is important with regard to ISRAEL, JUDAISM, HUMANITY and the LACK of IT.

Batia Guggenheim Regev, Kennewick, WA

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Not the typical World War II story. YUTKA And the Voyage of the Parita is a story of hope, survival, and triumph. Yutka’s own journals and photos informed the story of her anguished and ultimately successful flight from Poland, written with clarity and compassion. I couldn’t put it down.

—Tess Taft, MSW, LICSW, Family Therapist, Author, Port Townsend, WA

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I am at a loss for words. Marcia Breece did an amazing job writing and capturing the true horrors of this time in history. She did it while still showing the humanity of the characters.

—Rachel Schild, Cincinnati, Ohio

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Breece (Kala’s Choice) chronicles the gripping true story of Yutka Lipka’s daring escape from Poland during the rise of European Nazism in the 1930s and 1940s. Yutka’s harrowing journey to British Mandate Palestine on the SS Parita is riveting, and her family’s tragic demise at the hands of the Nazis heartbreaking, all set against Israel’s newly emerging independence in the background. The Parita voyage is fraught with danger, from encounters with forged documents to desperate struggles against British blockades, as Breece depicts displaced families and friends enduring horrific circumstances en route to the Tel Aviv port.

Breece’s meticulous attention to depicting Jewish culture distinguishes the novel. From Yutka’s reminiscences of Rosh Hashanah to the renditions of traditional songs like Siman Tov U’Mazel Tov to the adoption of the Hebrew language by immigrant children, Breece paints a breathtaking portrait of cultural continuity amidst adversity. The narrative skillfully navigates geographical landscapes as well, from the Parita’s voyage across the Black Sea to its arrival in the Mediterranean, where Tel Aviv’s iconic white Bauhaus buildings and fig trees symbolize the refugees’ newfound freedom. That framework breathes life into Yutka’s story, as do Breece’s inclusion of family photographs and mementos, giving the novel deep historical context alongside powerful imagery of the everyday experiences of Jewish refugees during the war.

While offering a poignant glimpse into the history of the Holocaust and the resilience of its survivors, Breece also delicately navigates the enduring trauma and challenges faced by Jewish communities, shedding light on the profound significance of migration to Israel as a beacon of hope amidst persecution. The Zionist movement is portrayed as deeply complex and intensely personal, with even Yutka’s own family members being divided as to its potential ramifications, but Yutka’s resolve and determination in the face of devastating circumstances is steadfast, as Breece expertly captures her desperation to save her family—and her people—at any cost.

—BookLife