Judy Batalion | The Light of Days

Virtual at home

Instant NY Times bestseller; on the USA Today, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Publishers Weekly and Indie bestseller lists. The Light of Days will be published across Europe, U.S., Brazil, Korea, and Israel, and was optioned by Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners, for whom Judy is co-writing the screenplay.

As propulsive and thrilling as Hidden Figures, In the Garden of Beasts, Band of Brothers, and A Train in Winter, The Light of Days at last tells the true story of these incredible women whose courageous yet little-known feats have been eclipsed by time. Judy Batalion—the granddaughter of Polish Holocaust survivors—takes us back to 1939 and introduces us to Renia Kukielka, a weapons smuggler and messenger who risked death traveling across occupied Poland on foot and by train. Joining Renia are other women who served as couriers, armed fighters, intelligence agents, and saboteurs, all who put their lives in mortal danger to carry out their missions. Batalion follows these women through the savage destruction of the ghettos, arrest and internment in Gestapo prisons and concentration camps, and for a lucky few—like Renia, who orchestrated her own audacious escape from a brutal Nazi jail—into the late 20th century and beyond.

Powerful and inspiring, featuring twenty black-and-white photographs, The Light of Days is an unforgettable true tale of war, the fight for freedom, exceptional bravery, female friendship, and survival in the face of staggering odds.  

Judy Batalion (White Walls: A Memoir About Motherhood, Daughterhood, and the Mess In-Between) was born and raised in Montreal, where she grew up speaking English, French, Yiddish and Hebrew. She studied the history of science at Harvard then moved to London to pursue a PhD in art history. She’s written essays and articles for the New York Times, the Washington Post, Vogue, Forward, Salon, the Jerusalem Post among many others. Judy lives with her husband and three children in New York City.

This event is presented in collaboration with the the Jewish Book Council. Judy will present her book and answer questions. To purchase books in advance, our bookstore partners online: Bookworks (4022 Rio Grande Blvd NW) and Page 1 Books (5850 Eubank Blvd NE). 

Tickets:  In-Person $10/advance; $12/door; Virtual $10

Questions? Call 332-0565 x 1007 or email mayas@jccabq.org