‘Deeply moving and beautifully written . . . Irena’s Gift deserves to become a classic of the memoir genre.’
Lucy Adlington, author of The Dressmakers of Auschwitz: The true story of the women who sewed to survive

‘In Irena’s Gift, Karen Kirsten proves yet again that family stories and densities of human affection, when they ran up against that calamity we call the Holocaust, are as individual as fingerprints. News withheld, and what is passed on in doubt and affections, is always dramatic if it can be creatively depicted, and Karen Kirsten more than fulfils that task of narration and enchantment here.’
Tom Keneally

‘An extraordinary story of how secrets and lies can tear a family apart.’
Maya Lee, author of The Nazis Knew My Name

‘This is a story of extraordinary women, survival and sacrifice. A must read.’
Tara Moss, human rights and disability advocate, and author of The War Widow and The Ghosts of Paris

‘This is one of the best second-generation Holocaust books ever published. I loved it and couldn’t put it down.’
Ariana Neumann, author of When Time Stopped

‘Compulsive enough to read in a single sitting, this is ultimately a story of love, healing, hope and humanity that will tug at your heartstrings.’
Sue Smethurst, author of The Freedom Circus