To Look a Nazi in the Eye by Kathy Kacer with Jordana Lebowitz

“We bravely said ‘never again’ in 1945, but the world is full of hate.

This is why I speak to children — so that they will make a better world for themselves.”

I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In 2015, 19 years old Jordana Lebowitz attended the trials of 94 years old ex-Nazi officer, Oskar Grӧning. The man accused of aiding and abetting in the murder of more than 300,000 Jews in the Auschwitz/Birkenau death camp. Jordana has some obsession about Holocaust. Her late grandfather was one of survivors of the death camp, so she definitely has her reasons for her enthusiasm. But it wasn’t the main reason that drives her passion over studying Holocaust, it was her visit to March of the Living back in 2012 to Poland where she met many Nazi’s death camp survivors. When she heard about this war criminal trial, she can’t help but feels like she has to attend this trial and witness with her own eyes how the judge will decide the fate of a member of Nazi that will affect the world’s view.

Perbudakan Seksual (Sexual Slavery) by Anna Mariana

“Because of the practice of sexual politics,

they became the target of state officials.

They were stripped naked, gang raped,

and tortured as a form of authorization.”

Perbudakan Seksual: Perbandingan Antara Masa Fasisme Jepang dan Neofasisme Orde Baru (Sexual Slavery: Comparing Japanese Facism and Neo-Facism of New Order) is a book written by Anna Mariana. In this book, Mariana reveal her research of many sexual assault, sexual slavery and sexual abuse that happens in Indonesia during Japanese Occupation in World War II and during New Order regime under Soeharto presidency.

Breaking Barriers by Aimee Dawis

“What does it mean to be a Chinese woman in Indonesia?”

Social issues is the one thing that always driven me to read non-fiction books. And with the heated prejudice and racism in Indonesia, especially towards Chinese-Indonesian people, I feel like I need to pick up more books about this issue. Because when we’re facing sensitive issues like race, we need to try to be more well-informed first, before we’re opinionated. Unfortunately for me, getting my hand on one of the books that talk about this issue—in this country—is quite hard. Mostly because they’re quite pricey and the one and only library in my city doesn’t have them. So when I saw that this book was sold at a bargain price on Periplus, I know I have to get it. Especially since one of my childhood hero—Susi Susanti—is also in this book.

And Still Peace Did Not Come

“Reopening old wounds will be painful, but in the end, the scar will be smaller.”

When I pick this book, it was meant to fulfill the ‘Political Memoir’ category on this year Pop Sugar Reading Challenge. But, after I read this book, I realize that this book isn’t only a political memoir  of a country, but also an autobiography of a woman.  This is a woman journey to help rebuild and bring peace to her country. This book tells stories about Liberia journey through their Civil War, or like they called it in this book, their own version of ‘World War I’ and ‘World War II’. War that last from 1989 to 2003, between the government, rebels, and warlords. Wars that make the lives of so many Liberian children turn into nightmares and terror, as they forced them to be child soldiers. It’s also a story of a woman named Agnes Fallah Kamara-Umunna, who largely escaped the worst effect of the war, but ended up as a journalist trying to bring peace to her country by talking about what really happened in these wars.