Tzili

By Aharon Appelfeld, Dalya Bilu (translator),

Book cover of Tzili: The Story of a Life

Book description

The youngest, least-favored member of an Eastern European Jewish family, Tzili is considered an embarrassment by her parents and older siblings. Her schooling has been a failure, she is simple and meek, and she seems more at home with the animals in the field than with people. And so when…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Tzili as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Appelfeld is considered one of Israel’s foremost writers. He writes fluidly in beautiful, spare, fable-like prose. Appelfeld himself was a child survivor who escaped a camp and hid in the countryside and woods, making his “faction” all the more authentic and powerful. The title character, Tzili, is a young Jewish girl who hides from the Germans in a country not specified (but is likely Ukraine). This novel brings to light the harsh conditions and horrors that “free” survivors faced, both during and after the war. 

Want books like Tzili?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Tzili.

Browse books like Tzili

Book cover of Survivor Café: The Legacy of Trauma and the Labyrinth of Memory
Book cover of Irena's Children: The Extraordinary Story of the Woman Who Saved 2,500 Children from the Warsaw Ghetto
Book cover of The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,187

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in the Holocaust, Jewish history, and Ukraine?

The Holocaust 414 books
Jewish History 481 books
Ukraine 94 books