Tomorrow is International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 77th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, a Nazi concentration camp where millions were murdered.
To commemorate this occasion, I want to give you a list of books that will further your understanding of the history of the Holocaust and the Nazi regime. It includes non-fiction books and memoirs which explore the horrific events that took place during, before and after the Holocaust, as well as some of the inspirational stories that arose from that time.
Before I begin, I want to point out that many died because of the Nazi regime and the Final Solution, not just those in concentration camps such as Auschwitz. These people were not only Jews, but also people of colour, disabled people, queer people, and many more, as the Nazis aimed to curate their ‘perfect race’.
Let’s start with perhaps the most famous example of Holocaust literature, The Diary of A Young Girl, also known as The Diary of Anne Frank. Anne’s account is perhaps the most famous diary in the world, documenting her experience of hiding out for two years with her family during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. Anne’s diary gives a horrifying first-hand account of the persecution faced by Jewish people living under the Nazi regime.
Night is a memoir by Elie Wiesel, an Orthodox Jew from northern Transylvania (now Romania). The book is based on his experience of being imprisoned in German concentration camps Auschwitz and Buchenwald towards the end of the Second World War. In this short book, Wiesel details how his experiences have given rise to his disgust in humanity, as well as his challenge of believing in God. Translated into over 30 languages, Night is considered one of the key non-fiction books of Holocaust Literature.
The Pianist is another memoir, made popular by the film of the same name. The author, Władysław Szpilman details his experience of life as a Jewish man in occupied Poland. After being forced to live in the Warsaw Ghetto, Szpilman managed to evade deportation to the Treblinka extermination camp, hiding in various places around the city. He was witness to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (1943) and the Warsaw Uprising (1944), and eventually survived in the ruined city with the help of old friends and strangers. It is a shocking account of being a Jew during the Nazi regime.
Survival is a compilation book which includes 46 accounts of Holocaust survivors telling their stories. Edited by Wendy Whitworth, the book contains testimonies which cover a huge range of experiences, such as death and concentration camps, death marches, ghettos, resistance, refugees and Kindertransportees. This book is a unique collection detailing the true evils that millions of innocents had to face.
A similar book, aimed at a younger audience, is Journeys. Once again edited by Wendy Whitworth, this book includes the testimonies of 30 child survivors of the Holocaust. This moving book is both inspiring and horrifying, recounting the atrocity of the Holocaust through the eyes of children.
There are numerous other books that are set under the shadow of the Holocaust. Many of these are good at giving an overview of the Holocaust and showing the horrendous conditions that millions of people had to live with and were ultimately killed under. However, you must be careful about what you read. Be aware that many fiction books contain factual inaccuracies and don’t always portray the Holocaust correctly. For example, the Bookstagram favourite The Tattooist of Auschwitz has been critiqued by the Auschwitz Memorial Research Center because of its inaccuracy. Further, investigative journalist Christine Kenneally even called it Holocaust denialism as the representation of Auschwitz is not at all realistic. By all means, still read these books, but make sure to do your research and be aware of what you’re reading. A quick Google before picking up a book is always a good idea.
As much as we love books, we don’t only read for fun. We also read to be educated, so reading books about the Holocaust are not only a valuable lesson on history, but can also teach us timely truths that can still be applied to humanity today.
For further resources and suggested reading visit: https://www.ushmm.org/remember/international-holocaust-remembrance-day
Blog Post by Amy @talkwordywithamy
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