This eBook edition could never have been made possible without the support of all the people who helped the first edition into print in 1995, so we would still like to thank the following people for their belief in us and their support: John, for his calm assurance throughout this project, making sure we took lunch breaks, providing Dutch jokes, and for being the wonderful husband he was; Danka, for surviving and letting us share her part in her sister’s story; Corrine Johnson, for introducing us; Dr. Annette Allen, for the hours she spent discussing the initial drafts, her insight and help in refining the accepted manuscript, and the beautiful poem she wrote for this book; speed-reader extraordinaire Joanne Pankow, for proofing the manuscript twice in thirty-six hours before it went to our agent, Sarah Jane; Sarah Jane Freymann, for having the courage to believe in a first-time author, representing us, and bringing this story to our publisher; Beacon Press, for publishing this story; our editor, Deb Chasman, for accepting this book in the first place, for seeing its potential and bringing that potential to the surface-it is her talent, empathy, love, and patience that brought this book to fruition.
This new edition also deserves new acknowledgments including our editor, Peter Dimock, who understood, even better than myself, the role I played as “Mama” listening to Rena’s story. Without Sylvia, Rena’s daughter, reading through this new edition and helping edit it, and Sara, Danka’s daughter, we would never have accomplished this new edition. Someone anonymous once said, “There is nothing, nothing, nothing two women cannot accomplish before noon.” We had three women! (And Rena’s spirit overseeing us all.) Sylvia and Sara are also very grateful to their partners: Jim and David for helping with technical issues, especially scanning family photos. Finally, I would like to thank my partner, Simon Worrall, for his painstaking editing , his advice on eBooks and for urging us not to wait. Because of him the world has access to Rena’s Promise and that is a promise kept to our dearest Rena and John, who we miss with all our hearts.