The Auslander family lives in the small town of Karcag, Hungary. The father has been sent away by the Germans but the rest of the family is allowed to remain in their home. In April 1944, the Germans take over the town and everything changes. The Jews are sent to ghettos and then shipped off in cattle cars headed toward concentration camps. In the process, six-year-old Paul is separated from his family. Terrified, he tries to find them but is met by an SS man with vicious dogs. He is pushed onto the train without finding his family but they are later reunited.
After their arrival at the camp they face endless roll calls, where prisoners are made to stand for hours. The mother becomes ill and her sons prop her up so she will not be singled out and sent to certain death. They witness a brutal scene when an SS officer asks a child in the lineup why he is smiling. When the child says it is his birthday, the SS man says that he will get a present and promptly shoots him to death.
The family is loaded back onto a train. They are shocked when the doors open and they are met by American soldiers who rescue them. Their German jailers have abandoned them. The Americans give them food, shelter, and medical care and they are eventually able to return to their homes in Hungary.
This is not a book for the fainthearted but it is a powerful story worth reading. It is based on the war experiences of the author’s husband and his family. Included are pictures of the camps, the family, and the man who liberated them. Recommended for grades 6 – 8.
