Child of the Holocaust

by Jack Kuper

Paperback, 1993

Status

Available

Call number

T 940.531 KUP

Publication

New York : Berkley Books, 1993.

Description

This unique childhood memoir of the Holocaust has been praised as "powerful" (Cincinnati Enquirer), "touching" (Jewish Digest), and "heartbreaking" (Library Journal). A true story of rare beauty and remarkable power, it has become an enduring classic.One day, when Jacob Kuperblum was eight, he came home to his town in Poland. His family and friends were gone, rounded up by the Germans only hours earlier. He would never see them again.Thus begins a journey of survival as a young boy travels from town to town in a desperate search for safety and shelter, growing up in fear, deprived of his home and his people -- and even his identity. All that survived was his spirit -- and his indomitable will to live. Child of the Holocaust is the acclaimed account of Jacob Kuperblum -- an unforgettable and moving tale of adversity and triumph.… (more)

Barcode

1458

Awards

Best Fiction for Young Adults (Selection — 1968)

Language

User reviews

LibraryThing member Stbalbach
The title suggests a gritty dark story, but it is surprisingly upbeat without much violence. Poland was the epicenter of the Holocaust, perhaps the worst place to be in WWII, but the book has no scenes from the Holocaust. Indeed the war itself barely exists directly except for one scene where he is
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caught in the cross-fire of a firefight. The tension mostly hangs on Kuper hiding his true identity as he takes up odd jobs in various homes. Kuper's inner struggles with being an outcast and desire to be Christian are well done, contrasted later as he re-enters Jewish community and once again readjusts his identity.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Kuper himself (as an older man) and his sweet nature and kindness enhance the text. It gives a good sense of rural Polish peasant life. Life was simple yet terribly complex. The antisemitism he encounters is to be expected but at the same time many people risked their lives to help, Poland was a tapestry of loyalties, kindness and cruelty.
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ISBN

0425135829 / 9780425135822
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