The Boy Who Went to Auschwitz After His Father. A True Story

BESTSELLER SUNDAY TIMES. Best Book of 2019 according to The Times. One of the most unusual biographical books about the Holocaust — a tragic yet hopeful story of the son and father Fritz and Gustav Kleinmann, who endured all the hardships of Nazi camps together. When Gustav is sent from Buchenwald to Auschwitz, effectively signing his death warrant, Fritz unhesitatingly follows him. Only their family concern for each other allowed them to withstand all trials — a rare occurrence at that time: stories of family members managing to survive together in death camps are virtually absent. Based on Gustav's secret diary, meticulous archival research, and oral history, this book tells for the first time the incredible story of courage and survival, unparalleled in the history of the Holocaust. 'The Boy Who Went to Auschwitz After His Father' is a reminder of the worst and best in humanity, of the power of familial love and the strength of the human spirit. ------------------------------ 'A deeply moving, human book.' — The Guardian 'Brilliantly written, vivid, powerful true story that deserves to be read and remembered. It beautifully conveys the strength of the bond between father and son.' — Heather Morris, author of 'The Tattooist of Auschwitz' 'The horrors of the Holocaust are masterfully conveyed on a human scale in this compelling book… accessible even to those unfamiliar with history.' — Publishers Weekly 'A meticulously crafted, bleak tale of the Kleinmann family, a Viennese family devastated by the Holocaust… One of the most poignant aspects of the book is the relationship between Fritz and his father; both desperately fought to stay together, and neither wanted to abandon the other. The resulting book clarifies the brutality in a way that a regular history book cannot.' — Kirkus Review