'Haunting and beautiful. Excruciatingly vivid, The Teacher of Auschwitz is rigorously researched and true to the history, powerfully conveying what a smart, loving and energetic man Fredy was.' Dr Elizabeth Baer, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
'The closest possible narrative a person who did not experience those times herself, could have written... which will do justice to Fredy and all those victims.' Dita Kraus, the real-life inspiration for The Librarian of Auschwitz and one of the last known survivors of the children's block
Fredy built a wall against suffering in their hearts...
At the dark heart of the Holocaust, there was a wooden hut whose walls were painted with cartoons; a place where children sang, staged plays and wrote poetry. Safely inside, but still in the shadow of the chimneys, they were given better food, kept free of vermin, and were even taught meditation to imagine full stomachs and a day without fear. The man who became their guiding light was a young Jewish prisoner named Fredy Hirsch.
But being a teacher in such a brutal concentration camp was no mean feat. Whether it was begging the SS for better provisions, or hiding his homosexuality from his persecutors, he risked his life every day for one thing: to protect the children from the mortal danger they all faced.
Time is running out for Fredy and the hundreds of children in his care. Can he find a way to teach them the one lesson they really need to know: how to survive?
From the bestselling author of Born Survivors, comes an assiduously researched and powerful new novel. Drawn from archives and survivor testimonies, historian and biographer Wendy Holden tells the inspirational and uplifting true story of Fredy Hirsch: The Teacher of Auschwitz.
'The closest possible narrative a person who did not experience those times herself, could have written... which will do justice to Fredy and all those victims.' Dita Kraus, the real-life inspiration for The Librarian of Auschwitz and one of the last known survivors of the children's block
Fredy built a wall against suffering in their hearts...
At the dark heart of the Holocaust, there was a wooden hut whose walls were painted with cartoons; a place where children sang, staged plays and wrote poetry. Safely inside, but still in the shadow of the chimneys, they were given better food, kept free of vermin, and were even taught meditation to imagine full stomachs and a day without fear. The man who became their guiding light was a young Jewish prisoner named Fredy Hirsch.
But being a teacher in such a brutal concentration camp was no mean feat. Whether it was begging the SS for better provisions, or hiding his homosexuality from his persecutors, he risked his life every day for one thing: to protect the children from the mortal danger they all faced.
Time is running out for Fredy and the hundreds of children in his care. Can he find a way to teach them the one lesson they really need to know: how to survive?
From the bestselling author of Born Survivors, comes an assiduously researched and powerful new novel. Drawn from archives and survivor testimonies, historian and biographer Wendy Holden tells the inspirational and uplifting true story of Fredy Hirsch: The Teacher of Auschwitz.
This is the closest possible narrative a person who did not experience those times herself, could have written... This novel is a most important work, which will do justice to Fredy and all those victims. Dita Kraus, the real-life inspiration for The Librarian of Auschwitz
"This novel is the closest possible narrative a person who didn't experience those times could have written . . . . a most important work, which will do justice to Fredy and all those victims." - Dita Kraus, The Librarian of Auschwitz
"Haunting and beautiful. Excruciatingly vivid, The Teacher of Auschwitz is rigorously researched and true to the history, powerfully conveying what a smart, loving and energetic man Fredy was." - Dr. Elizabeth Baer, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
"Even though it occurred more than 70 years ago, the story's truth is so chillingly portrayed that it seems as if it could have happened recently. . . . An engrossing, intense, and highly descriptive narrative chronicling the ghastly conditions three pregnant women suffered through at the hands of the Nazis." - Kirkus Reviews on Born Survivors
"Holden deftly weaves together the stories of three women-Priska, Rachel, and Anka-whose children were born in Nazi concentration camps during the last chaotic weeks of World War II. The author's analysis of each woman's experiences. . . provide[s] valuable insight into the stark choices faced by Jews during the Holocaust. This book is recommended for a wide audience and all libraries." - Library Journal on Born Survivors
"An astonishing and deeply moving work. . . . With remarkable detail gleaned from a wealth of research." - Booklist (starred review) on Born Survivors
"Haunting and beautiful. Excruciatingly vivid, The Teacher of Auschwitz is rigorously researched and true to the history, powerfully conveying what a smart, loving and energetic man Fredy was." - Dr. Elizabeth Baer, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
"Even though it occurred more than 70 years ago, the story's truth is so chillingly portrayed that it seems as if it could have happened recently. . . . An engrossing, intense, and highly descriptive narrative chronicling the ghastly conditions three pregnant women suffered through at the hands of the Nazis." - Kirkus Reviews on Born Survivors
"Holden deftly weaves together the stories of three women-Priska, Rachel, and Anka-whose children were born in Nazi concentration camps during the last chaotic weeks of World War II. The author's analysis of each woman's experiences. . . provide[s] valuable insight into the stark choices faced by Jews during the Holocaust. This book is recommended for a wide audience and all libraries." - Library Journal on Born Survivors
"An astonishing and deeply moving work. . . . With remarkable detail gleaned from a wealth of research." - Booklist (starred review) on Born Survivors