
I am Ella': A remarkable story of survival from Auschwitz to AfricaFrom renowned author Joanne Jowell comes the incredible true story of Ella Blumenthal, a survivor of Auschwitz who rebuilt her life in South Africa.
by Carmen Coetsee
17-01-2024 15:17
in Books
I am Ella': a remarkable biography by acclaimed author Joanne Jowell. Image: Supplied.
Ella Blumenthal is woman you will not easily forget. In her biography I am Ella, acclaimed author Joanne Jowell, dives into the unbelievable story of Blumenthal's life. Surviving the Warsaw Ghetto, the gas chambers of Majdanek and the depravity of Auschwitz, Blumenthal's bravery and resilience led her to rebuild her life in South Africa.
--
With tenderness, sensitivity and accuracy, Jowell takes readers into one woman's survival of the Nazi regime. Blumenthal's feisty character is brought to life with Jowell's writing and together, they have made I am Ella a tour de force of non-fiction.
Blumenthal's extraordinary story has also been brought to life in a feature film, I am Here, which will open at Ster Kinekor Nouveau Rosebank on the 27th of January.
#WhatsOnJoburg Bookings for the highly acclaimed movie I Am Here' starring Holocaust survivor Ella Blumenthal, is NOW OPEN! Exclusive to Ster Kinekor Nouveau Rosebank, make sure to get your seats before they're gone.
Book here: https://t.co/kFOpKI429f pic.twitter.com/rQ52Y2UNGK
Johannesburg Holocaust & Genocide Centre (@JHGCentre) January 16, 2023
ALSO READ: Taxtopia': A no-nonsense, witty look at the murky world of tax crime
--
JOWELL MASTERFULLY COMBINES STORYTELLING AND HISTORY Some biographies read like history textbooks. The person the words are meant to bring to life is a one-dimensional character which seems unreal somehow. I was nervous that this biography would be the same. However, Joanne Jowell enchants with keen observation and respect for the remarkable person that is Ella Blumenthal.
Jowell is no stranger to non-fiction. Her non-fiction work includes bestsellers like Zephany, the story behind the kidnapping of Zephany Nurse. In I am Ella, however, Jowell truly shines. In her trademark way, Jowell perfectly captures complex humanity and the power of the human spirit in this heartbreaking yet inspiring story.
Joanne has masterfully ordered memory into a compelling book, with keen observation, reflection and attention to historical detail. We feel as if we have truly met Ella .
Richard Freedman I AM ELLA' SYNOPSIS I survived the Warsaw Ghetto, the gas chambers of Majdanek, the depravity of Auschwitz and the utter hopelessness of Bergen-Belsen. I lost my parents, my brothers, my sisters, their spouses and children. But for me, while abnormal, this is not extraordinary. That I went on to love, to talk, to write, to have toast and tea and to live my life that is what is extraordinary'.
--
New Week New Book. I just visited Poland, Germany, France, Palestine, and South Africa with I am Ella- A remarkable story of survival, from Auschwitz to Africa by Joanne Jowell.
Never forget. A good reminder to stop the hate before it is too late. #Reading #VerbatimJourney pic.twitter.com/tni1ts3CbJ
Doroth e Lefering (@DoroLef) July 17, 2023
Ella Blumenthal's story of surviving the Holocaust and building a new life in faraway South Africa is a lesson in resilience, bravery and perhaps unexpectedly joy. From the dying embers of the Warsaw Ghetto to the gas chambers of the Nazi concentration camps; from Poland to Paris, Palestine and eventually Cape Town, Ella's 100 years of life have been nothing short of extraordinary.
Under the shadows of shame and trauma with which so many survivors lived in the years immediately following the war, Ella made a happy home where few knew her suffering or shared her history. After decades, Ella is finally ready to tell her full story to bestselling author Joanne Jowell.
I am Ella is the staggering tale of a real-life superheroine.
Ella Blumenthal has a unique soul. Her inspirational tale of resilience and survival and her zest for life is a lesson for us all .
Mandy Wiener MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR SACAP PSYCHOLOGY TALK: JOANNE JOWELL http://t.co/DuuMxGt25E #event @JoanneJowell #S4L pic.twitter.com/B8aXhx90pi
Spice4life.co.za (@Spice4Life_) June 17, 2014
According to her website, Jowell has always written, even as a small girl. She grew up in Johannesburg, with her family's roots firmly set in the South African hinterland.
She studied English and Psychology at the University of Cape Town. She worked in management consulting in South Africa and London. She returned to South Africa to read, write, start a family and work for good causes. She obtained a Masters degree in Creative Writing and co-founded a literacy program called Word 4 Word.
These days, Jowell is happily combining her fascination with human issues and her background in psychology, with her love of the written word: she specialises in writing biography - of real people, with real issues. She lives in Cape Town, South Africa, with her husband, their three sons and two wire-haired dachshunds.
I am Ella is published by Kwela Books and is available for purchase from Exclusive Books stores for R330.
Support Women in Journalism in 2024 - Support us to fund independent women journalism
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
18/06/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
18/06/2026
PTZOptics has unveiled new Visual Reasoning demonstrations at InfoComm 2026 (Boo...
18/06/2026
IBC2026 will take place at the RAI Amsterdam from September 11-14, bringing toge...
18/06/2026
InfoComm 2026 held its first-ever Media Day on June 17, providing journalists an...
18/06/2026
FOR-A America has announced a Trade Agreements Act (TAA)-compliant LED display solution combining Alfalite's Litepix LED displays and Brompton Technology...
18/06/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level have one major thing in common: the intensity and attention to detail ramps up dur...
18/06/2026
The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) and TMRW Sports have an...
18/06/2026
AJA Video Systems has unveiled Io Xpand, a Thunderbolt 5-enabled PCIe expansion ...
18/06/2026
ESPN has announced its coverage plans for the 30th anniversary of the WNBA's...
18/06/2026
FOX Sports' Big Noon Kickoff will broadcast live from Wembley Stadium in Lon...
18/06/2026
InfoComm 2026 opened on Wednesday at the Las Vegas Convention Center, bringing t...
18/06/2026
As media companies look to deliver more live, VOD, and snackable sports content ...
18/06/2026
Top L-R: Take Me Home, The Lake
Bottom L-R: TheyDream, Union County
Free Summer Screening Series Announced
Screenings for the Local Utah Community at...
18/06/2026
Improvements & new IR content
iamReverb Audio have just launched a free update that kits their convolution reverb plug-in out with some new features and int...
18/06/2026
Modelling suite gains improved captures, iOS support & more
Two notes Audio Engineering have just announced the launch of Genome 2.0, a significant update t...
18/06/2026
New AI assistance feature, video overhaul & more
VSL have just announced the launch of Vienna Ensemble Pro 8.1 and 8.1V, a pair of major updates to their ev...
18/06/2026
The average daily TV screen time in May was 3 hours and 36 minutes, marking a clear decrease of 15 minutes compared to April. This trend proved to be much stron...
18/06/2026
Integration embeds Gracenote content intelligence, including contextual segments...
18/06/2026
AJA Video Systems unveiled Io Xpand, a high-performance Thunderbolt 5-enabled PCIe expansion chassis for AJA KONA and Corvid video and audio I/O cards. As dema...
18/06/2026
New NVRT-driven workflow enables on-demand traffic mirroring and guided troubleshooting for AV teams, integrators, and support organizations ahead of InfoComm 2...
18/06/2026
At InfoComm 2026, Mavis announced a major update to Mavis Studio, its live production app for the iPad, with new features designed to make professional AV produ...
18/06/2026
Transaction Positions Harmonic as a Pure-Play Broadband Company
Harmonic Inc. (NASDAQ: HLIT), the worldwide leader in virtualized broadband solutions, today a...
18/06/2026
ACT Entertainment and NETGEAR have announced a strategic partnership that establishes verified interoperability between NETGEAR Switches and key technologies fr...
18/06/2026
IBC2026 is set to bring the global media, entertainment and technology community together at the RAI Amsterdam from 11 14 September, enabling industry players f...
18/06/2026
Pliant Technologies is proud to introduce CrewCom Flex , the world's first frameless matrix intercom system and the only complete matrix IP-based intercom s...
18/06/2026
The XR Sports Alliance (XRSA) has announced that a new cohort of members has joined the strategic initiative: ActionStreamer, Antigravity, Creative Artists Agen...
18/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/06/2026
Linda May Han Oh Receives Guggenheim Fellowship The Berklee professor, bassist, and composer will use the fellowship to debut Dreams of Knowing, an interdisci...
18/06/2026
Techtel delivers Haivision live streaming system for TAFE NSW St Leonards, enabl...
18/06/2026
New study reveals 10 hidden data drainers costing Brits hundreds abroad - and the holiday hotspots where you could get rinsed the mostThursday 18 June 2026
The...
18/06/2026
Thursday 18 June 2026
How to watch the 2026/27 Scottish Premiership season on Sky Sports
Which matches are Sky Sports showing on the 2026/27 Scottish Premiers...
18/06/2026
Thursday 18 June 2026
Sky Sale: Latest deals now on, with discounts on iPhone Air & 2.5Gbps speeds
The latest deals have dropped from Sky Mobile, the award-wi...
18/06/2026
FOX Advertising and Toonstar Team to Create New Opportunities for Brands in Digi...
18/06/2026
Arqiva's Crawley Court and Chalfont Grove teleports re-certified at highest World Teleport Association standard
18 June 2026, Winchester, UK - Arqiva, the ...
18/06/2026
Apple today announced changes impacting iOS apps in Brazil that reflect a recent agreement with Brazil's competition regulator, the Conselho Administrativo ...
18/06/2026
Play favorite titles from popular game libraries, keep progress synced and jump ...
18/06/2026
The digital era gave the advertising and marketing industry speed; the AI era is giving it autonomous operations.
For companies building next-generation techn...
17/06/2026
EVS has announced it has received the EcoVadis Gold Medal for sustainability performance, ranking among the top 5% of companies globally in the Technology/Mid-S...
17/06/2026
Chyron has released Weather 2.4, an update to its weather suite for broadcasters and meteorologists. The release focuses on enhancements to the DataFlow module,...
17/06/2026
VSiN, The Sports Betting Network, has announced the launch of Best Bets TV, a free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel. The 24/7 channel is currently avail...
17/06/2026
DAZN's Team Whistle and Snap Inc. have announced a creator program centered ...
17/06/2026
LiveU is providing video transmission technology for broadcasters, production companies, and public safety agencies across North America's busy Summer of So...
17/06/2026
The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) has announced that Laurens Grant and Jacob Ullman have joined its Board of Directors. Chief of Staf...