Last weekend I was down in Washington, DC and while there I was able to spend some time at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. If you’ve never been there, I highly recommend a visit. This museum is a memorial to the victims of the holocaust, but just as importantly is an institution devoted to the study and history of the holocaust. The museum’s mission is to encourage visitors to reflect on the questions raised by the events of the holocaust as well as their own responsibilities as citizens of a free society.
There have been many books written about the holocaust, and book clubs have often embraced these stories of courage and heroism. One of the most recent additions to our Speaking of Books collection is Mark it with a Stone by Joseph Horn. This is a first person account of one boy’s attempt to survive in a concentration camp. Mr. Horn was 12 when the Germans invaded Poland in 1939. He spent six years in seven different concentration camps, and endured the deaths of his parents, siblings and other relatives before his ordeal came to an end in 1945 when the allies liberated the Bergin-Belson concentration camp. He was determined to tell his story so the world would not forget. This is a powerful, compelling read.
For book clubs that prefer fiction, Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum is a literary page-turner you won’t soon forget. Prior to writing this, her first novel, Jenna Blum worked for the Shoah Foundation interviewing Holocaust survivors. The book is written from a different point of view, life during the war as seen through the eyes of a typical German citizen. Her story is about love, mothers and daughters, and the choices people make in life. There are lots of discussion points here.
The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman has quickly become a book club favorite. This is the true story of Jan and Antonina Zabinski, the director of the Warsaw Zoo and his wife, and the role they played in the survival of over 300 Polish Jews during the holocaust. Mary Doria Russell has written A Thread of Grace, a historical novel based on the true story of the Italian citizens who saved thousands of Jewish lives during World War II. Well researched and full of fascinating characters, this book is both engaging and inspiring. Your book club will not be disappointed in this choice.
If your club is interested in reading any of these books, please let me know, and I’ll be happy to reserve some copies for your group.
