Customer Reviews

The Aftermath: A Survivor's Odyssey Through War-Torn Europe

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I have read a great deal about the Holocaust, and I've read quite a few personal accounts, but this one is extraordinary. It has an immediacy that comes from having been written just after World War II, so that it is in essence a primary source document. But it's also a great piece of literature, a love story, and (despite the graphic horrors it describes) it ultimately is uplifting. Everyone interested in how humans can survive horrendous trauma with dignity intact should read this book.

I have read a great deal about the Holocaust, including personal accounts, but this one stands out for several reasons. Because it was written just after World War II, it has an immediacy and authenticity that others written later might lack. It's amazing that it was only published a few years ago, and it still isn't well known, though it deserves to be. It's really a kind of primary source document. But it's also great literature, really well-written and moving and ultimately (despite some of the horrors so graphically depicted) it is uplifting, a testament to the human spirit's capacity to retain its dignity despite everything. Highly recommended.