Customer Reviews

Heroes of the Holocaust

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Before I read this book, the Holocaust suggested to me a time of darkness and suffering. These stories have showed me that the darkness was sometimes illuminated by works of mercy and the suffering occasionally alleviated by works of charity. It was uplifting to read these true accounts of human love and brotherhood.

This book kept me riveted to the page. I just couldn't put it down! There's been so much written about the horror of the Holocaust- it was great to see true, touching human-interest stories with happy endings, considering the historical circumstances. The writing is excellent and consistent, the book is very well-edited, and the stories are just plain moving. Some of them are amazing beyond what any Hollywood screenwriter could concoct- and these are all factual, having come from direct interviews with the survivors themselves. This book would be great for older kids, too, as it explores some valuable moral territory, without any particular religious or social agenda. These are simply stories that needed to be told, and they are well-told indeed! Great book.

An uplifting read that shows how humanity's darkest hour brought immeasurable good out of so many ordinary citizens. These courageous individuals risked everything to save the lives, in most cases, of complete strangers. Among the heroes profiled are a high-ranking nazi (at least in title if not in spirit), a guard dog, and several would-be-victims whose God-given ingenuity manifested itself at the right time and enabled them to outwit Hitler's storm troopers.

As remnants of nazism are staging a comeback--the tragic Elian Gonzales raid and kidnapping proves that it has usurped a bridgehead within the highest ranks of the U.S. federal government-- these inspirational souls will forever stand as exemplary beacons for us to assiduously strive to emulate.

I thought this was pretty good but found it oversimplified and eulogistic, even for young readers. I much prefer The Heart Has Reasons: Holocaust Rescuers and Their Stories of Courage which is also a somewhat easy read, at least the part of it that includes the narratives of the rescuers, but brings out the complexities and ambiguity that the moral decisions of the rescuers entailed. Likewise, In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer but in that one the rescuer winds up trading sex with a Nazi for the safety of the Jews she was hiding, so some teachers might consider it unsuitable for young adults.Also, of course, Anne Frank Remembered: The Story of the Woman Who Helped to Hide the Frank Family which YA's will naturally find interesting, having probably read The Diary of a Young Girl.