World War II was incredibly significant in so many ways – for the tragedies and triumphs throughout the world, the destruction across Europe and the millions and millions of people who died. And then there are the six million Jews who were murdered through the Holocaust.
It’s important that we never forget about one of the worst times in history and now, more than ever, we need to be reminded of what happened.
The Keeper of Miracles, Phillip Maisel
Published as the author turns 99, Phillip has worked at Melbourne’s Jewish Holocaust Centre for over thirty years, recording over a thousand testimonies of other survivors, earning Phillip the nickname ‘The Keeper of Miracles’.
“… somehow, in my malnourished, desperate state, I was willing to believe the SS officer. It is very strange. Perhaps it is part of human nature, to gravitate towards hope to the point where we will believe a comfortable lie when the reality is so hopeless.”
A holocaust survivor himself, Phillip’s life changed dramatically when the Germans arrived in Vilna, Lithuania in 1941. Along with the other Jews of Vilna, Phillip was forced into the Vilna Ghetto where starvation, illness and cruelty were the order of the day. He was then sent to several labour and concentration camps before being liberated while on a Death March.
Reunited with his twin sister, Bella, he moved to Australia in 1949 to start a new life.
As readers, we can all benefit from the first-hand accounts of the Holocaust survivors and it’s important that we never, ever forget what happened. Future generations need to be reminded of the inhumane and incomprehensible horror that unfolded and, more importantly, how people stood by and let this happen because it didn’t affect them.
In spite of what Phillip endured, he never succumbed to hatred no matter how badly he was treated.
The Last Checkmate, Gabriella Saab
“… the train wailed and screeched in protest as it began hauling its monstrous form down the tracks, reminded me that I didn’t have a choice.”
Based on the true stories of the Polish resistance and the Auschwitz prisoner resistance movement, Gabriella Saab has written her debut novel about a Polish resistance fighter, Maria Florkowska, who, after the war, returns to Auschwitz to find justice for her family’s deaths.
It is Maria’s ability to play chess that intrigues the sadistic camp deputy, Karl Fritzsch who decides to use her prowess at the game to entertain the camp guards. For four grueling years her strategy is simple: Live. Fight. Survive.
Placed in the men’s labour section of the camp, Maria is befriended by a Catholic priest who comforts other prisoners and willingly gives up his meagre rations of food to help someone in need. Through his compassion and words, Maria puts one foot in front of the other to survive.
The novel crosses between different timelines: Maria’s time with the Polish resistance in Warsaw; her capture and time in Auschwitz where she endured unimaginable horrors, including the loss of her family; and three months after the war where she returns to challenge SS Officer Fritzsch to one final chess match.
Beautifully written, this book is The Queen’s Gambit meets The Tattooist of Auschwitz. It’s powerful and unputdownable.
The Postmistress of Paris, Meg Waite Clayton
In her latest novel, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Train to London revisits the early days of the German occupation in France.
Inspired by the real life Chicago heiress Mary Jayne Gold who worked with American journalist Varian Fry to smuggle artists and intellectuals out of France, The Postmistress of Paris is the haunting story of an indomitable woman whose strength, bravery, and love is a beacon of hope in a time of terror.
When German tanks roll into Paris, Nanée, a wealthy and beautiful woman, joins the resistance and becomes known as the Postmistress because she delivers information to those in hiding. She meets photographer Edouard Moss, who is escaping Germany with his young daughter and a sweeping tale of romance, courage and danger unfolds amongst the dangers of war.
The intriguing story reminds us of the past and resonates in so many ways with what is happening in the present – prejudice and intolerance can only be overcome when people are prepared to make a stand.