Lily's Promise
Holding On to Hope Through Auschwitz and Beyond—A Story for All Generations
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $32.62
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Charles HRH The Prince of Wales
-
Lily Ebert
-
Dov Forman
-
Anna Cordell
-
Written by:
-
Lily Ebert
-
Dov Forman
About this listen
Performed by Anna Cordell and Dov Forman featuring a foreword written and read by Charles HRH The Prince of Wales and dedication written and read by Lily Ebert.
“Utterly compelling, heartbreaking, truthful and yet redemptive . . . a testimony of irrepressible spirit and an unforgettable family chronicle. I couldn't stop reading it.”—Simon Sebag Montefiore
In this life-affirming intergenerational memoir, Lily Ebert, a Holocaust survivor, and her great-grandson, Dov Forman, come together to share her story—an unforgettable tale of resilience and resistance.
On Yom Kippur, 1944, fighting to stay alive as a prisoner in Auschwitz, Lily Ebert made a promise to herself. She would survive the hell she was in and tell the world her story, for everyone who couldn’t. Now, at ninety-eight, this remarkable woman—and TikTok sensation, thanks to the help of her eighteen-year-old great-grandson—fulfills that vow, relaying the details of her harrowing experiences with candor, charm, and an overflowing heart.
In these pages, she writes movingly about her happy childhood in Hungary, the death of her mother and two youngest siblings on their arrival at Auschwitz, and her determination to keep her two other sisters safe. She describes the inhumanity of the camp and the small acts of defiance that gave her strength. Lily lost so much, but she built a new life for herself and her family, first in Israel and then in London.
Dov knows that it is up to younger people like him to keep Lily’s promise. He and Lily bridge the generation gap to share her experience, reminding us of the joy that accompanies the solemn responsibility of keeping the past—and our stories—alive.
©2022 Lily Ebert and Dov Forman (P)2022 HarperCollins PublishersYou may also enjoy...
-
The Daughter of Auschwitz
- My Story of Resilience, Survival and Hope
- Written by: Tova Friedman, Malcolm Brabant
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 7 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A powerful memoir by one of the youngest survivors of Auschwitz, Tova Friedman, following her childhood growing up during the Holocaust and surviving a string of near-death experiences in a Jewish ghetto, a Nazi labor camp, and Auschwitz.
-
-
Soul Penetrating
- By Animosque on 2024-04-27
Written by: Tova Friedman, and others
-
The Girl Who Escaped From Auschwitz:
- A totally gripping and absolutely heartbreaking World War 2 novel
- Written by: Ellie Midwood
- Narrated by: Alison Campbell
- Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nobody leaves Auschwitz alive. Mala, inmate 19880, understood that the moment she stepped off the cattle train into the depths of hell. Edward, inmate 531, is a camp veteran and a political prisoner. They are locked up for no other sin than simply existing. But when they meet, the dark shadow of Auschwitz is lit by a glimmer of hope. Edward makes Mala believe in the impossible. That despite being surrounded by electric wire, machine guns topping endless watchtowers and searchlights roaming the ground, they will leave this death camp.
-
-
Rewriting History
- By Judy Lyoness on 2022-07-28
Written by: Ellie Midwood
-
Into the Forest
- A Holocaust Story of Survival, Triumph, and Love
- Written by: Rebecca Frankel
- Narrated by: Natalie Pela
- Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the summer of 1942, the Rabinowitz family narrowly escaped the Nazi ghetto in their Polish town by fleeing to the forbidding Bialowieza Forest. They miraculously survived two years in the woods—through brutal winters, Typhus outbreaks, and merciless Nazi raids—until they were liberated by the Red Army in 1944. After the war, they trekked across the Alps into Italy, where they settled as refugees before eventually immigrating to the United States.
Written by: Rebecca Frankel
-
The London Bookshop Affair
- A Novel of the Cold War
- Written by: Louise Fein
- Narrated by: Marisa Calin
- Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
London, 1962: The world is teetering on the brink of nuclear war but life must go on. Celia Duchesne longs for a career, but with no means or qualifications, passes her time working at a dusty bookshop. The day a handsome American enters the shop, she thinks she might have found her way out of the monotony. Just as the excitement of a budding relationship engulfs her, a devastating secret draws her into the murky world of espionage.
-
-
Connected Story Across Two Timelines
- By liveformemories on 2024-01-30
Written by: Louise Fein
-
Five Chimneys
- A Woman Survivor's True Story of Auschwitz
- Written by: Olga Lengyel
- Narrated by: Jennifer Wydra
- Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Olga Lengyel tells, frankly and without compromise, one of the most horrifying stories of all time. This true, documented chronicle is the intimate, day-to-day record of a beautiful woman who survived the nightmare of Auschwitz and Birchenau. This book is a necessary reminder of one of the ugliest chapters in the history of human civilization.
-
-
Horrific and gripping
- By Sam on 2025-01-06
Written by: Olga Lengyel
-
Auschwitz Lullaby
- Written by: Mario Escobar
- Narrated by: Hayley Cresswell
- Length: 6 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On an otherwise ordinary morning in 1943, Helene Hannemann is preparing her five children for the day when the German police arrive at her home. Helene's worst fears come true when the police, under strict orders from the SS, demand that her children and husband, all of Romani heritage, be taken into custody. Though Helene is German and safe from the forces invading her home, she refuses to leave her family - sealing her fate in a way she never could have imagined.
-
-
A Story About Bravery
- By Jessica on 2022-06-26
Written by: Mario Escobar
-
The Daughter of Auschwitz
- My Story of Resilience, Survival and Hope
- Written by: Tova Friedman, Malcolm Brabant
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 7 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A powerful memoir by one of the youngest survivors of Auschwitz, Tova Friedman, following her childhood growing up during the Holocaust and surviving a string of near-death experiences in a Jewish ghetto, a Nazi labor camp, and Auschwitz.
-
-
Soul Penetrating
- By Animosque on 2024-04-27
Written by: Tova Friedman, and others
-
The Girl Who Escaped From Auschwitz:
- A totally gripping and absolutely heartbreaking World War 2 novel
- Written by: Ellie Midwood
- Narrated by: Alison Campbell
- Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nobody leaves Auschwitz alive. Mala, inmate 19880, understood that the moment she stepped off the cattle train into the depths of hell. Edward, inmate 531, is a camp veteran and a political prisoner. They are locked up for no other sin than simply existing. But when they meet, the dark shadow of Auschwitz is lit by a glimmer of hope. Edward makes Mala believe in the impossible. That despite being surrounded by electric wire, machine guns topping endless watchtowers and searchlights roaming the ground, they will leave this death camp.
-
-
Rewriting History
- By Judy Lyoness on 2022-07-28
Written by: Ellie Midwood
-
Into the Forest
- A Holocaust Story of Survival, Triumph, and Love
- Written by: Rebecca Frankel
- Narrated by: Natalie Pela
- Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the summer of 1942, the Rabinowitz family narrowly escaped the Nazi ghetto in their Polish town by fleeing to the forbidding Bialowieza Forest. They miraculously survived two years in the woods—through brutal winters, Typhus outbreaks, and merciless Nazi raids—until they were liberated by the Red Army in 1944. After the war, they trekked across the Alps into Italy, where they settled as refugees before eventually immigrating to the United States.
Written by: Rebecca Frankel
-
The London Bookshop Affair
- A Novel of the Cold War
- Written by: Louise Fein
- Narrated by: Marisa Calin
- Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
London, 1962: The world is teetering on the brink of nuclear war but life must go on. Celia Duchesne longs for a career, but with no means or qualifications, passes her time working at a dusty bookshop. The day a handsome American enters the shop, she thinks she might have found her way out of the monotony. Just as the excitement of a budding relationship engulfs her, a devastating secret draws her into the murky world of espionage.
-
-
Connected Story Across Two Timelines
- By liveformemories on 2024-01-30
Written by: Louise Fein
-
Five Chimneys
- A Woman Survivor's True Story of Auschwitz
- Written by: Olga Lengyel
- Narrated by: Jennifer Wydra
- Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Olga Lengyel tells, frankly and without compromise, one of the most horrifying stories of all time. This true, documented chronicle is the intimate, day-to-day record of a beautiful woman who survived the nightmare of Auschwitz and Birchenau. This book is a necessary reminder of one of the ugliest chapters in the history of human civilization.
-
-
Horrific and gripping
- By Sam on 2025-01-06
Written by: Olga Lengyel
-
Auschwitz Lullaby
- Written by: Mario Escobar
- Narrated by: Hayley Cresswell
- Length: 6 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On an otherwise ordinary morning in 1943, Helene Hannemann is preparing her five children for the day when the German police arrive at her home. Helene's worst fears come true when the police, under strict orders from the SS, demand that her children and husband, all of Romani heritage, be taken into custody. Though Helene is German and safe from the forces invading her home, she refuses to leave her family - sealing her fate in a way she never could have imagined.
-
-
A Story About Bravery
- By Jessica on 2022-06-26
Written by: Mario Escobar
-
The Sisters of Auschwitz
- The True Story of Two Jewish Sisters’ Resistance in the Heart of Nazi Territory
- Written by: Roxane van Iperen
- Narrated by: Susan Hoffman
- Length: 12 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The unforgettable story of two unsung heroes of World War II: sisters Janny and Lien Brilleslijper who joined the Dutch Resistance, helped save dozen of lives, were captured by the Nazis, and ultimately survived the Holocaust.
Written by: Roxane van Iperen
-
A Woman of Endurance
- A Novel
- Written by: Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa
- Narrated by: Tracey Leigh
- Length: 12 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A Woman of Endurance, set in nineteenth-century Puerto Rican plantation society, follows Pola, a deeply spiritual African woman who is captured and later sold for the purpose of breeding future slaves. The resulting babies are taken from her as soon as they are born. Pola loses the faith that has guided her and becomes embittered and defensive. The dehumanizing violence of her life almost destroys her. But this is not a novel of defeat but rather one of survival, regeneration, and reclamation of common humanity.
-
-
RIVETING
- By Nano on 2023-03-16
Written by: Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa
-
The Exiles
- A Novel
- Written by: Christina Baker Kline
- Narrated by: Caroline Lee
- Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Seduced by her employer’s son, Evangeline, a naïve young governess in early 19th-century London, is discharged when her pregnancy is discovered and sent to the notorious Newgate Prison. After months in the fetid, overcrowded jail, she learns she is sentenced to "the land beyond the seas", Van Diemen’s Land, a penal colony in Australia. Though uncertain of what awaits, Evangeline knows one thing: The child she carries will be born on the months-long voyage to this distant land.
-
-
Loved the perspectives
- By B on 2024-07-21
Written by: Christina Baker Kline
-
The Flight Girls
- Written by: Noelle Salazar
- Narrated by: Xe Sands
- Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1941. Audrey Coltrane has always wanted to fly. It's why she implored her father to teach her at the little airfield back home in Texas. It’s why she signed up to train military pilots in Hawaii when the war in Europe began. And it’s why she insists she is not interested in any dream-derailing romantic involvements, even with the disarming Lieutenant James Hart, who fast becomes a friend as treasured as the women with whom she flies. Then one fateful day, she gets caught in the air over Pearl Harbor just as the bombs begin to fall, and suddenly, nowhere feels safe.
-
-
Narrator Sounds Like a Sheep
- By Kelsey on 2020-09-09
Written by: Noelle Salazar
-
The Nine
- The True Story of a Band of Women Who Survived the Worst of Nazi Germany
- Written by: Gwen Strauss
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 13 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Nine follows the true story of the author’s great aunt Hélène Podliasky, who led a band of nine female resistance fighters as they escaped a German forced labor camp and made a 10-day journey across the front lines of World War II from Germany back to Paris. Drawing on incredible research, this powerful, heart-stopping narrative is a moving tribute to the power of humanity and friendship in the darkest of times.
-
-
Remarkable story
- By mary pedersen on 2023-02-19
Written by: Gwen Strauss
-
The Teacher of Warsaw
- A WWII Novel
- Written by: Mario Escobar
- Narrated by: Zach Hoffman
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
September 1, 1939: Sixty-year-old Janusz Korczak and the students and teachers at his Dom Sierot Jewish orphanage are outside enjoying a beautiful day in Warsaw. Hours later, their lives are altered forever when the Nazis invade. Suddenly treated as an outcast in his own city, Janusz--a respected leader known for his heroism and teaching--is determined to do whatever it takes to protect the children from the horrors to come.
-
-
Moving
- By Charlene Kasinec on 2023-04-11
Written by: Mario Escobar
-
Last Stop Auschwitz
- My Story of Survival from Within the Camp
- Written by: Eddy de Wind
- Narrated by: Robert Fass
- Length: 7 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Written in the camp itself in the weeks following the Red Army's liberation of the camp, Last Stop Auschwitz is the raw, true account of Eddy's experiences at Auschwitz. In stunningly poetic prose, he provides unparalleled access to the horrors he faced in the concentration camp. This poignant memoir is at once a moving love story, a detailed portrayal of the atrocities of Auschwitz, and an intelligent consideration of the kind of behavior - both good and evil - people are capable of.
Written by: Eddy de Wind
-
The Violinist of Auschwitz
- Written by: Ellie Midwood
- Narrated by: Alison Campbell
- Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Auschwitz, every day is a fight for survival. Alma is inmate 50381, the number tattooed on her skin in pale blue ink. She is cooped up with thousands of others, torn from loved ones, trapped in a maze of barbed wire. Every day people disappear, never to be seen again. This tragic reality couldn’t be further from Alma’s previous life. An esteemed violinist, her performances left her audiences spellbound. But when the Nazis descend on Europe, none of that can save her....
-
-
Not well written book
- By M.S. on 2023-07-25
Written by: Ellie Midwood
-
Emilia
- Written by: Ellie Midwood
- Narrated by: Sofia Willingham
- Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This story is dedicated to all the victims of sexual slavery in German concentration camps, who had to endure inhumane suffering under the Nazi regime. For many years after the atrocities had been committed, both sides - the abusers and the abused - still vehemently denied certain aspects of the Holocaust, and even the victims refused to admit the ugly truth about their incarceration, some out of fear, some out of shame, until several women decided to break an unofficial oath of silence, and brought their stories to life. This book is based on one of those stories. Emilia is a young Jewish woman, whose life slowly turns into a nightmare as she finds herself facing a dreadful choice: to secure her family's very existence by offering herself to one of the men who had put her behind the walls with barbed wire, or perish together with the least fortunate ones.
-
-
Good Listen
- By Jessica on 2023-05-27
Written by: Ellie Midwood
-
When the World Goes Quiet
- A Novel
- Written by: Gian Sardar
- Narrated by: Jesse Vilinsky
- Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s 1918 in German-occupied Bruges, Belgium. With luck, Evelien will make it to the end of the war and be given what she was promised: a prized painting in exchange for safeguarding her employer’s possessions. Until then, Evelien knows to keep her head down and stay out of trouble. But life never goes to plan, especially in war. A member of the Resistance approaches Evelien: steal a list of names hidden in her employer’s home.
-
-
Great story
- By Joanne on 2024-09-10
Written by: Gian Sardar
-
The Ambassador's Daughter
- Written by: Pam Jenoff
- Narrated by: Joanna Daniel
- Length: 11 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Brought to the peace conference by her father, a German diplomat, Margot Rosenthal initially resents being trapped in the congested French capital, where she is still looked upon as the enemy. But as she contemplates returning to Berlin and a life with Stefan, the wounded fiancé she hardly knows anymore, she decides that being in Paris is not so bad after all. Bored and torn between duty and the desire to be free, Margot strikes up unlikely alliances: with Krysia, an accomplished musician with radical acquaintances and a secret to protect; and with Georg, the handsome, damaged naval officer who gives Margot a job.
Written by: Pam Jenoff
-
The School for German Brides
- A Novel of World War II
- Written by: Aimie K. Runyan
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell, Kathleen Gati
- Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As the war begins, Hanna Rombauer, a young German woman, is sent to live with her aunt and uncle after her mother’s death. Thrown into a life of luxury she never expected, Hanna soon finds herself unwillingly matched with an SS officer twenty years her senior. The independence that her mother lovingly fostered in her is considered highly inappropriate as the future wife of an up-and-coming officer and she is sent to a “bride school.” There, in a posh villa on the outskirts of town, Hanna is taught how to be a “proper” German wife.
-
-
interesting book
- By Jessica on 2024-09-28
Written by: Aimie K. Runyan
What listeners say about Lily's Promise
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Linda F.
- 2022-06-28
amazing story
Amazing story, I couldn't stop listening to it. Another brave survivor who's story needed to be told and heard.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Bobbie J.
- 2022-12-27
You must purchase this book
Outstanding book. Lily Ebert’s account was so heartbreaking to listen to but a story that had to be told for other generations like myself to hear
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 2022-08-27
Gripping Story well told ...
A traumatic, dark, historical story beautifully told. To move forward, we all need to remember the past and the lessons to be gained so the future can unfold differently.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Iciclequeen91
- 2024-03-06
Braver and familt
I was so taken by this from the first sentence.
How Lilly at such a young age kept her promise and kept her sister safe from the horrible of the war.
You will cry and rejoice with every discion she makes to survive.
the narrator was a pleasure to listen to.
I'm glad that grandson and gramma had a chance to write this book.
God bless you both
Happy Listening
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Augusta R Stewart
- 2022-05-15
you and your grandson have written and incredible.
thank you for this gift. we need many more books of remembrance, of the horror people are capable of. and are willing to do. not letting such horror happen again is now our challenge.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Martha Moran
- 2022-06-02
Very well written!
Met my expectations! I stumbled Upton her on tiktok and was hooked instantly, and once I seen a book was in the works I had to read it!
Highly Recommend!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!