Because of Romek: A Holocaust Survivor's Memoir [Paperback]

David Faber (Author), James D. Kitchen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1997

This is a nonfiction, personal narrative that tells the true story of a young boy's courage in the face of Nazi attrocities during WWII. Born in Poland, David Faber as a teenager survived eight concentration camps, witnessed the murder of his family, and was liberated from Bergen-Belsen in 1945, at the age of 18, weighing only 72 pounds. Because of Romek fulfills David's promise to his mother to tell the world what happened to his family.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...boy's miraculous survival...the experience of his brother Romek in the underground...can leave one breathless." -- Dr. Aaron S. Gold, San Diego

"I believe such testimonies from those who survived should be a part of American public curriculum." -- Paul H. Dunn, General Authority, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

"It is an unnerving tale of ceaseless horror and quiet, unimaginable courage...." -- Arthur Salm, Book Editor, SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

David Faber lives in San Diego, California, with his wife. He lectures free of charge to schools, colleges/universities, as well as civic and religious organizations throughout the United States and internationally. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 214 pages
• Publisher: Granite Hills Pr (July 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0963888625
• ISBN-13: 978-0963888624
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,198,837 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A promise to survive, June 10, 2000

By 

Chapulina R (Tovarischi Imports, USA/RUS) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Because of Romek: A Holocaust Survivor's Memoir (Paperback)

Young David Faber survived the horrors of the Holocaust because of Romek and because of a vow he made. Romek was his older brother, a Resister whom David watched tortured and murdered by the Nazis. That was at the beginning of the persecution of the Jews. The vow David made to his mother was simply that he would live. The true experiences related in this memoir left this reader first breathless, then chilled, then nearly numb. To say more would lessen the impact for the next reader. Just order it and read it now! The story of David's survival in the Ghetto, in flight and in hiding, in the Partisan band, and in the concentration camp is simply-written but powerful. These days Mr. Faber is a sought-after speaker at San Diego middle-schools and high-schools. Students rarely fail to be moved by the courage and endurance of a 15-year-old child of the Holocaust. This book really should be required reading, alongside Anne Frank's "Diary of a Young Girl" and Inna Konstantinova's journal in "Defending Leningrad".

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars And you thought you had it tough..., February 18, 2001

By 

Heathbar "Heathbar" (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Because of Romek: A Holocaust Survivor's Memoir (Paperback)

My girlfriend and I had the good fortune of meeting Mr. Faber at a recent book signing. Seconds after introducing himself, he is ready to pull up his shirt sleeve to show you a grim reminder of his past. His arm still bears the numbers, forcibly tattooed on him by the Nazi regime. He then pulls open his book, lovingly pointing to his mother and sisters. With a soft break in his voice, he then describes the moment he found them lifeless, piled on top of one another.

We bought several copies... and have come back to purchase more.

The book does not disappoint, written in a narrative format that is easy to follow and gripping to read. His work leads you down the path of brutal history, following his family as they are forced into slave labor, rounded up into Ghettos, and then ritualistically hunted by the Nazis. He makes a pact with his mother to survive the horrors, and through it all, he somehow does. Reading the book, you realize that he had a higher purpose in life, educating future generations about the atrocities that no man or woman should have to endure.

After meeting the man and understanding his past, one can only thank God Mr. Faber lived to tell his story. It will change you forever.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book about the Holocuast that I have ever read!, February 21, 1999

By 

Debra Keais "Debbie Keais" (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Because of Romek: A Holocaust Survivor's Memoir (Paperback)

I couldn't put this book down, once I picked it up. This true story, is a well written account of a young boy's life in a German concnetration camp. This book was hard to read at times, because you can't believe that a human being would treat another human being this way. It made it especially hard for me to read this book, because David Faber is my next door neighbor, and the nicest man you could ever met. This book should be required reading in every school, so we all know what really went in the Geramn concentration camps, and to make sure this horror will never happen again.