Synopses & Reviews
This compelling memoir takes readers through the eyes of a child surviving World War II in Nazi-occupied Poland. As a nine-year-old, the author witnessed his father being herded into a trucknever to be seen again. He, his mother, and sister fled to Warsaw to live in disguise as Catholics under the noses of the Nazi SS, constantly fearful of discovery and persecution. A sobering reminder of the personal toll of the Holocaust on Jews during World War II, this book is a harrowing portrait of one child's loss of innocence. This edition contains previously unpublished content from the original text.
Review
"For readers who have gone stale on the Holocaust, Nir's record of a child pursued will reawaken awareness, shock, understanding, and conscience." Cynthia Ozick, from the introduction
Review
"Quite marvelous. I don't remember reading anything that tells the story so matter-of-factly. Its very lack of hype makes it so frightening and compelling." Hal Prince, Tony Awardwinning producer
Synopsis
Yehuda Nir was eleven years old when his father was shot dead by Nazi soldiers in a mass execution of Jewish men in their Polish town. As other Jewish families were rounded up for transport to the death camps, Yehuda, along with his mother and teenage sister, escaped with the aid of false documents. Disguised as Catholics, the family plunged into what would be four long, harrowing years of hiding -- out in the open.
About the Author
Yehuda Nir is an associate professor of psychiatry at Cornell University Medical Center and a speaker and lecturer on the Holocaust, drawing largely from his own personal experiences. He and his wife, Bonnie Maslin, coauthored the book Patterns of Heartbreak. He lives in New York City. Cynthia Ozick is an award-winning novelist and essayist and a National Book Award Finalist in 2002 for her novel The Puttermesser Papers. She lives outside New York City.