Elida Friedman was never supposed to have been born. In the Kovno Ghetto in Lithuania, Nazi law forbade Jewish women from giving birth. Yet despite the danger they faced, Dr. Jonah Friedman and his wife Tzila, choose to bring a daughter into the world – a little girl they name Elida, meaning non-birth in Hebrew.

To ensure her survival, the couple must smuggle their precious baby out of the ghetto into the arms of strangers. So begins a life of constant upheaval, with Elida changing families, countries, continents and even names, countless times. Surviving the war and the Holocaust that stole her parents, the young woman never gives up hope of finding a sense of family, and the chance to belong.

A moving, powerful chronicle of overcoming impossible odds, The Forbidden Daughter is the true story of one unforgettable girl and her will to survive.

‘Both heart wrenching and eye opening. The fact it was so heavily researched and written by a family member really added extra depth. This had me reaching for the tissues.’ ***** (from NetGalley)

‘An extremely touching account – a very interesting book.’ **** (from NetGalley)

‘A soul-crushing, yet ultimately uplifting true story of unwavering hope and resilience in the face of unspeakable horrors … a book that will leave you changed’ ***** (from Goodreads)

Zipora Klein Jakob holds academic degrees in Literature and History. She was a high school history teacher, a pedagogical counselor for university history education, and the manager of the Educator’s Promotion Division at the Open University. Elida Friedman was her aunt.