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.
