I LOOOOOOOVE reading about the holocaust. It's a strange obsession that my sister and I share for whatever reason. We're sure that we had family living in Poland at the time, but have no idea who they were or what they went through at the time.
So far I have read the following and would love some more suggestions:
Night by Eli Weis (I forgot this one at first). Thanks for the suggestion though. :)
The hiding place
The devil's arithematic
My life: Alicia's story by Alicia Appleman Jurman
All but my life by Gerda Weisman Klein
Anne Frank: The diary of a young girl
Servants of Evil
I'd love to read the book Echoes from Auschitz, but it's so expensive for some reason. Any other suggestions??
Wow! Thanks ladies!! Looks like I've got a trip to make to the book store! Lots of good reading ahead of me! Thanks again!
Oh - you have not read the BEST book - it's called The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. It is in the Young Adult section, but does not read like a kid's book. It won the Printz award a few years back, and is so beautifully written. It is one of my favorites. You can get the scoop on it at http://storysnoops.com/detail.php?id=160.
Hope you enjoy it!
-Shannon
I read An Estate of Memory by Ilona Karmel in college and still remember it vividly and get chills thinking of it. Definitely read this!
Without a doubt, "Night" by Elie Wiesel.
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, John Boyne
A Lucky Child, Thomas Buergenthal
The Painted Bird, Jerzy Kosinski
As someone else suggested, go to your public library.
S.
from children's listings, but probably worth reading:
The Brooklyn Nine, Alan Gratz
Babe and Me, Dan Gutman
What I saw and How I Lied, Judy Blundell
The Boy Who Dared, Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Number the Stars is a good one. More of a youth book but worth the story
Don't know if you are looking for non-fiction only. But I am about to read Sarah's Key for book club, it is fiction but is based on the Holocaust.
Do you want fiction?
Three great fiction WWII books involving the holocaust:
Winds of War, and
War and Remembrance, by Herman Wouk -- you have to read both books, the story is broken up into two books.
Mila 18 by Leon Uris -- amazing.
A couple of really good books are
The Secret Holocaut Diaries: The untold story of Nonna Bannister (She lived through the holocaust and kept diaries throughout, inside a pillow, strapped to her body. She spoke about 7 languages and had different parts written in different languages so that if someone found them, they wouldn't be able to read the whole thing. She never talked about it, but towards the end of her life, she told her husband her story. She translated her diaries and asked him to publish it when she died. Very good book.)
Dancing under the Red Star, The extraordinary story of Margaret Werner, the only American woman to survive Stalin's Gulag. Not totally holocaust related,although her life went through this period. Incredible story worth reading. Again, she never told her story until late in her life. Her son wrote the book.
I was going to say "Night" that you've arleady read, and "Sarah's Key" as someone else suggested. I think those are the only two I've read.
Oh wait. "MILKWEED" by Jerry Spinelli. Says it's a "youth book." Set in Warsaw http://www.amazon.com/Milkweed-Jerry-Spinelli/dp/0440420059
When you get on Amazon, and search a book, it will suggest other books. So search "Night by Eli Wiesel," click on the book, then scroll down and see "Others that bought this book also bought ......" Often there are other suggestions with the same theme.
Dear Bethany,
I understand your obsession. I too get it for other reasons. My family apparently was friendly with the Dreyfus family in France etc. (Dreyfus trial)... In any event, you have received great recommendations, so I will just add:
Sara's Key -- Tatiana de Rosnay
Books translated from Hebrew by Aharon Appelfeld
Sophie's Choice
If you want intellectual books on Nazism etc...let me know and I will get back to you. my lo is crying.
Check at your local library. the librarians may have great suggestions and you can read expensive books for free!
the zookeeper's wife was very good, about the people who ran Warsaw's zoo. Last night I read Surviving the Angel of Death the story of a Mengele Twin in Auschwitz, it was short and I finished it in a couple of hours.
Also, the Gurnsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is very good, its about a small island occupied by nazi's during the war and is told through a series of letters. It's set after the war and isnt directly about the holocaust, although it's mentioned. It's fiction, but it's very good.
Ooooh, I totally agree with Number the Stars.
Another amazing book is Hiding Place by Cori Tennboom (sp?).
If you have only experienced Schindler's List as a movie then you're missing out. READ THE BOOK!
Hmmm, I have the same obsession. I just read The Dentist of Auschwitz by Benjamin Jacobs. It quickly became one of my favorites. I'm interested to see all the suggestions here as well.
The Book Thief! Very good.
Have you been to the Holocost Museum in Dallas? I bet they have a good selection and you would probably find the museum cool too. There are lots of geneology databases, some specific to that era, that would help you to research your family history. That would be a great project for you and your sister to do together and present to the rest of the family with your findings. What a great gift that would be to your future generations.
Briar Rose by Jane Yolen. It is fiction but the story is partly based in Poland and is very good. You can always try an inter-library loan for any book that your own library doesn't have. Ask your librarian. Happy reading!
