A MOTHER’S PROMISE by Renee Salt and Kate Thompson is an instant Sunday Times bestseller

The moving and poignant true story of Renee Salt’s survival of the Holocaust, A MOTHER’S PROMISE, is a Sunday Times bestseller again, flying into the top ten of the paperback bestseller list. A MOTHER’S PROMISE was written with award-winning author and journalist Kate Thompson and reached Number 6 in the hardback bestseller list on first publication.

A MOTHER’S PROMISE is published by Seven Dials (Orion) in the UK. Alcove Press publish in the US, Simon & Schuster publish in Canada, and translation rights have been sold in Portugal, Italy, Finland, Spain and Romania.

From invasion to liberation, September 1939 to April 1945, as Renee was marched from ghetto to camp, there was one constant. One hand that clutched hers – her mother’s. Every day for nearly six years, mother and daughter were bound together in hell. From Auschwitz-Birkenau to Bergen-Belsen, they were a powerful source of solace and hope for one another.

The strength of Sala’s love gave them both something fragile yet beautiful to cling to in an ugly, depraved world. It was her mother who hid Renee, lied to the SS, went right when she was directed left – whose small actions had life-saving consequences. Now, for Renee, the need to share has finally overcome the desire to forget.

Renee’s powerful story was featured in BBC documentary ‘What Happened at Auschwitz’ in January 2025 and Renee has appeared on Sky News, ITV’s Lorraine and in Prima magazine. She also met the Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Number 10 Downing Street at a reception for Holocaust survivors.

 

Praise for A MOTHER’S PROMISE

‘Deeply moving and essential reading… It’s essential to praise the powerful structure of this book, which adds so greatly to its cumulative effect. Throughout, Renia’s recollections are printed in italics, and between those passages the writer Kate Thompson provides an excellent, beautifully written historical narrative… The trust and affection between the two women gives every page extraordinary emotional depth… keeps you on the edge of your seat with pity, horror and excitement… beautiful, uplifting testimony.’ – Bel Mooney, The Daily Mail

‘Renee Salt and Kate Thompson come together in powerful unity in a way that is both deeply moving and unforgettable. This is a story the world needs to know.’ – Madeline Martin, author of THE BOOKLOVER’S LIBRARY

‘An unforgettable story about the power of love, a story that reminds us how important hope is, a story that proves to us that human beings are remarkable and endlessly inspiring.’ – Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of THE PARIS ORPHAN

‘A powerful testament to a mother’s love during unbelievable hardship… Renee’s story of resilience and survival is powerful, poignant, and deeply important. A must-read.’ – Elizabeth Bellak, co-author of RENIA’S DIARY

‘A privilege to read. It is a deeply moving memoir, beautifully written and researched. What a fascinating, heartbreaking story… How heartening to see the strength of family love and resilience threading through the narrative. I was engrossed from the opening… Renee’s own words are brilliantly supported by Kate’s in depth exploration of context and her well-crafted storytelling. In addition to the evocation of Renee’s past life, the narrative is fascinating from a textile history point of view, highlighting Nazi policies of plunder and exploitation… I valued the way in which she was able to share her memories, despite her deep reservoirs of pain and loss… As a dress historian I was also impressed by Renee’s sense of re-humanisation when given a wool skirt to replace the awful garments doled out at Auschwitz. I was elated when she described the profound joy of saving money from her post-war sewing work in order to treat herself to a shop-bought dress.’ – Lucy Adlington, author of THE DRESSMAKERS OF AUSCHWITZ

‘This is a most extraordinary memoir, distinctive for its detailed recollection and its fearlessness in recording the truth of what happened.  Such accounts stand against violence and tyranny for all time.’ – Rachel Hore, author of A BEAUTIFUL SPY

‘A moving portrayal of one young woman's heroic life story... Renee’s journey is one of hope through the ashes of the past.’ – Heather Dune Macadam, author of 999: THE EXTRAORDINARY YOUNG WOMEN OF THE FIRST TRANSPORT TO AUSCHWITZ

‘A powerful account of a young girl’s incredible resilience in the face of the unthinkable horror of the Holocaust, Renee Salt’s memoir is needed now more than ever. A riveting read.’ – Julia Kelly, bestselling author of THE LOST ENGLISH GIRL

‘This is a book that will stay with me for a long time... A beautiful account, so movingly told.’ – Anna Stuart, author of THE MIDWIFE OF AUSCHWITZ

‘Quite simply the most important book you will read this year. It will stay with me for a very long time.’ – Hazel Gaynor, bestselling author of THE LAST LIFEBOAT

 

About Renee Salt

Reene was born Rywka Ruchla Berkowitz in Zdunska-Vola, Poland, in 1929 and is a Holocaust survivor. Renee and her mother survived both Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. After the Holocaust, Renee returned to her hometown to try and find any surviving members of her family. She moved in with an aunt in Paris where Renee then met her husband, Charles, a British soldier who had helped liberate Bergen-Belsen. They married in 1949 and had two children. Renee lives in northwest London and has five grandchildren. She regularly speaks in schools about her experiences during the Holocaust.

 

About Kate Thompson

Kate is an award-winning journalist, ghostwriter and novelist. She spent five years’ working on national newspapers such as the Daily Express and Daily Mail, and also on all the major national woman’s magazine titles. Her debut novel, SECRETS OF THE SINGER GIRLS, was a Sunday Times bestseller in 2015, with first week sales of over 10,000. Kate’s first non-fiction book, THE STEPNEY DOORSTEP SOCIETY, was published by Penguin in February 2019 and reached number one in the history categories on Amazon. Hodder will publish her next novel, THE SECRET SOCIETY OF LIBRARIANS, in March 2026.

A MOTHER’S PROMISE, the true story of Renee Salt’s survival of the Holocaust, is a Sunday Times bestseller

A MOTHER’S PROMISE, the true story of Renee Salt’s survival of the Holocaust, written with Kate Thompson, is a Sunday Times bestseller, jumping straight to Number 6 in the hardback bestseller list.

A MOTHER’S PROMISE is published by Seven Dials (Orion) in the United Kingdom with US and Canadian editions set to be published on March 4th by Alcove Press and Simon & Schuster Canada.

Renee’s powerful story was featured in BBC documentary ‘What Happened at Auschwitz’ in January 2025 and Renee has appeared on Sky News, ITV’s Lorraine and in Prima magazine. She also met the Prime Minister Kier Starmer at Number 10 Downing Street at a reception for Holocaust survivors.

From invasion to liberation, September 1939 to April 1945, as Renee was marched from ghetto to camp, there was one constant. One hand that clutched hers – her mother’s. Every day for nearly six years, mother and daughter were bound together in hell. From Auschwitz-Birkenau to Bergen-Belsen, they were a powerful source of solace and hope for one another.

The strength of Sala’s love gave them both something fragile yet beautiful to cling to in an ugly, depraved world. It was her mother who hid Renee, lied to the SS, went right when she was directed left – whose small actions had life-saving consequences. Now, for Renee, the need to share has finally overcome the desire to forget.

Praise for A MOTHER’S PROMISE

‘A powerful testament to a mother’s love during unbelievable hardship… Renee’s story of resilience and survival is powerful, poignant, and deeply important. A must-read.’ – Elizabeth Bellak, co-author of RENIA’S DIARY

‘A privilege to read. It is a deeply moving memoir, beautifully written and researched. What a fascinating, heartbreaking story… How heartening to see the strength of family love and resilience threading through the narrative. I was engrossed from the opening… Renee’s own words are brilliantly supported by Kate’s in depth exploration of context and her well-crafted storytelling. In addition to the evocation of Renee’s past life, the narrative is fascinating from a textile history point of view, highlighting Nazi policies of plunder and exploitation… I valued the way in which she was able to share her memories, despite her deep reservoirs of pain and loss… As a dress historian I was also impressed by Renee’s sense of re-humanisation when given a wool skirt to replace the awful garments doled out at Auschwitz. I was elated when she described the profound joy of saving money from her post-war sewing work in order to treat herself to a shop-bought dress.’ – Lucy Adlington, author of THE DRESSMAKERS OF AUSCHWITZ

‘This is a most extraordinary memoir, distinctive for its detailed recollection and its fearlessness in recording the truth of what happened.  Such accounts stand against violence and tyranny for all time.’ – Rachel Hore

‘A moving portrayal of one young woman's heroic life story... Renee’s journey is one of hope through the ashes of the past.’ – Heather Dune Macadam, author of 999: THE EXTRAORDINARY YOUNG WOMEN OF THE FIRST TRANSPORT TO AUSCHWITZ

‘An unforgettable story about the power of love, a story that reminds us how important hope is, a story that proves to us that human beings are remarkable and endlessly inspiring.’ – Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of THE PARIS ORPHAN

‘A powerful account of a young girl’s incredible resilience in the face of the unthinkable horror of the Holocaust, Renee Salt’s memoir is needed now more than ever. A riveting read.’ – Julia Kelly, bestselling author of THE LOST ENGLISH GIRL

‘This is a book that will stay with me for a long time... A beautiful account, so movingly told.’ – Anna Stuart, author of THE MIDWIFE OF AUSCHWITZ

‘Renee Salt and Kate Thompson come together in powerful unity in a way that is both deeply moving and unforgettable. This is a story the world needs to know.’ – Madeline Martin, author of THE BOOKLOVER’S LIBRARY

‘Quite simply the most important book you will read this year. It will stay with me for a very long time.’ – Hazel Gaynor, bestselling author of THE LAST LIFEBOAT

 About Kate Thompson

Kate is an award-winning journalist, ghostwriter and novelist. She spent five years’ working on national newspapers such as the Daily Express and Daily Mail, and also on all the major national woman’s magazine titles. Her debut novel, SECRETS OF THE SINGER GIRLS, was a Sunday Times bestseller in 2015, with first week sales of over 10,000. Kate’s first non-fiction book, THE STEPNEY DOORSTEP SOCIETY, was published by Penguin in February 2019 and reached number one in the history categories on Amazon.

THE LITTLE WARTIME BOOK CLUB, a standalone historical novel, was published in Spring 2024.

About Renee Salt

Reene was born Rywka Ruchla Berkowitz in Zdunska-Vola, Poland, in 1929 and is a Holocaust survivor. Renee and her mother survived both Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. After the Holocaust, Renee returned to her hometown to try and find any surviving members of her family. She moved in with an aunt in Paris where Renee then met her husband, Charles, a British soldier who had helped liberate Bergen-Belsen. They married in 1949 and had two children. Renee lives in northwest London and has five grandchildren. She regularly speaks in schools about her experiences during the Holocaust.

Seven Dials to publish A MOTHER’S PROMISE, Renee Salt’s Holocaust survival story (written with Kate Thompson)

Orion imprint Seven Dials is set to publish the true-life story of Renee Salt, a ninety-five-year-old Holocaust survivor, on 13th February 2025 in Hardback, eBook and audio.

Beth Eynon, Editorial Director for Seven Dials, acquired UK & Commonwealth excluding Canadian rights from Kate Burke at Blake Friedmann in a pre-empt. US rights have also sold to Alcove Press and Canadian rights at auction to Simon & Schuster.

Born Rywka Ruchla Berkowicz in Poland in 1929, Renee was just ten years old when World War II brought horror to her doorstep. In A MOTHER’S PROMISE, Renee tells her story from invasion to liberation, as she was moved from ghetto to camp, with one constant – her mother by her side. Every day for six years, mother and daughter were tangled together in hell. From ghettos to slave labour, Auschwitz to Bergen-Belsen, Renee knows that she is only alive today because of her mother. Her memoir is a love letter to her mother, eighty years in the making, and the Research Center at Auschwitz–Birkenau State Museum has described it as ‘part of the legacy so graciously left for the next generation to come’.

Renee met journalist and bestselling author Kate Thompson on Kate’s podcast, From the Library With Love, and chose Kate to help her tell her story.

Renee Salt said: ‘Having a book published at ninety-five feels like a great achievement. Nearly eighty years since my liberation from Bergen-Belsen, a place that you can’t imagine even in your worst nightmares, I am finally telling my story in full. It has been a hard but rewarding experience. I had plenty of sleepless nights reliving it, but it was worth it to leave behind a permanent record of my experience of the Holocaust.’

Kate Thompson said: ‘Helping a Holocaust survivor to write their story comes with huge and heavy responsibility, but being with Renee is like looking into an abyss and finding a glimmer – a beautiful and vulnerable girl who survived against the odds and, eighty years on from her liberation, now needs to tell her story. Travelling to Poland and Germany to retrace Renee's footsteps only intensified my admiration for this remarkable woman.’

Agent Kate Burke said: ‘It’s such a privilege to be working on this project with Renee and Kate. I can’t wait for the fantastic Seven Dials team to bring Renee’s testimony to readers’.

Beth Eynon said: ‘I could not be more proud to be publishing Renee’s memoir here at Seven Dials. Working alongside Kate and Renee on sharing her story has been an honour, and I know readers will be captivated by her life story, and her mother’s courage.’

 About Renee Salt

Renee Salt is a ninety-five-year-old Holocaust survivor. Born Rywka Ruchla Berkowicz in Poland in 1929, she was just 10 years old when World War II brought horror to her doorstep. After surviving Auschwitz-Birkenau, Renee was liberated from Bergen-Belsen in 1945. After moving to Paris, Renee met her husband Charles, a member of the British Army, and part of the the liberating forces at Bergen-Belsen. They married in 1949 and lived in North London, having two children and five grandchildren.

 About Kate Thompson

Kate Thompson is a journalist and bestselling writer. As well as being passionate about capturing lost voices and untold social histories, Kate’s also a library campaigner. Her 100 libraries project celebrates the richness and complexity of librarians work and the vital role of libraries in our communities. Alongside her journalism and writing, Kate is also a podcaster and recently launched her own podcast, From the Library With Love.

 Visit Kate’s website.

Follow Kate on X (previously Twitter) and Instagram.