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'A profoundly moving tribute to courage, dignity, and the enduring power of humanity in the face of evil.
Elegantly written and deeply affecting, this is storytelling that honours the truth and ensures it is never forgotten.' Rob Rinder, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Trial
'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.
READERS LOVE THE TEACHER OF AUSCHWITZ
"Could not put this book down, wonderfully descriptive and well written... It's a book that will stay with you, reminding you of the profound strength of the human spirit."
"I read this in two days. A story full of heartbreak, terror, fear, hope. It brought out every emotion, even more so knowing that this was a true story."
"A story that should be read and never forgotten."
"Heartbreaking and heartwarming in equal measures."
"It was a privilege to read about what an inspiring person he was. Truly an amazingly well-researched book."
About the author
WENDY HOLDEN was a respected journalist and war correspondent for the Daily Telegraph. She is the author of more than thirty-five non-fiction titles and three novels featuring remarkable men and women, many of which are international bestsellers and several of which have been adapted for film, TV, and radio. Her books include Born Survivors, the bestselling story of three mothers who hid their pregnancies from the Nazis, now published in twenty-four countries, and the No.1 bestseller Tomorrow Will Be A Good Day, the memoir of Captain Sir Tom Moore.
Summary
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.
Foreword
This is a powerful and moving story about a gay teacher in Auschwitz, who saved hundreds of children from death by providing hope under the darkest conditions imaginable . . .
Report
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
