A Soul Beneath the Earth by Freda Perelmuter Schipper, Sandy Schipper Wolberg
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A Holocaust Memoir of Faith and Resilience
Having broken her arm in a labor camp accident, 19-year-old Freda Perelmuter was convinced she would die at the hands of the Nazis unless she made a daring escape. The only people she could trust were Matewka and Katya Budniewski, a Ukrainian farmer and his wife, who were close family friends in her hometown of Horodlo, Poland. Miraculously, Matewka had dug a pit in his barn after Freda’s mother appeared to Katya in a dream, beseeching her to save the last surviving child in the Perelmuter family. When Freda arrived at their house during a stormy night following her escape from the labor camp, the Budniewskis ushered her into the pit. It was there that Freda would hide from the Nazis and their collaborators, unable to speak, stand, or see the sky for twenty-one months.
A Soul Beneath the Earth is a gripping story of resilience and faith, poignantly describing the quick thinking and sheer determination of a young woman to survive the Holocaust against all odds. Written with Freda’s daughter, Sandy Schipper Wolberg, the book meticulously documents Freda’s life and presents an inspiring account of the human spirit and the triumph of faith and hope over despair and evil.
Year first published: 2022
