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Reviewed by: Kathy Jaccarino, High School Librarian Title: The Boy Who Followed His Father into Auschwitz Author: Jeremy Dronfield Publisher: Harper Collins
Year: 2023 Good for Grades: 7-10 Genre/Type of Book: Non-fiction/holocaust
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: Graphic description of treatment of Jews during the Holocaust Recommended for a school library: Yes Reason(s) for choosing the book: I was intrigued by the title and am trying to push myself to read books I typically do not- I usually am not a non-fiction reader. If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be: A gritty and honest story of survival, a true testament to the resiliency of the human spirit.
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Review:
This is the YA version of Dronfield’s book for adults. It is suggested for middle aged readers, but certainly is appropriate for high school as well. Dronfield tells the story of the Kleinmanns, a Jewish family in Vienna, and their struggles to survive during the holocaust. Dronfield’s book is based on diary entries the father, Gustav, secretly kept and firsthand interviews with one of the sons, Kurt, and others. The book is very well researched, with an afterword, timeline, footnotes, suggested additional readings, and glossary, and yet it still manages to convey the scope of their story in a human, readable and relatable format. Although the focus is on the eldest son, Fritz, and his father, who start their captivity, in Buchenwald, I appreciated that Dronfield tells the story of the entire family and the lengths the family goes through to try to keep everyone safe. The struggles Jews faced trying to get out of German territory was clearly apparent. The struggles paid off for two of the children- a sister, Edith, ends up in England with a work visa, and another, Kurt, is sent to the U.S. The rest of the family is unable to leave. The decisions Fritz and Gustav need to make to survive, and the lengths they go through to remain together are inspiring. One review states, “The beatings, forced labor, starvation, illness, death, and brutal deprivation they witnessed and endured are meticulously described, interwoven with necessary historical background and sparing readers nothing. Nazis, collaborators, and fellow prisoners alike are identified by name, and grateful credit is given to those few who showed kindness” (Kirkus). The fact that they do manage to make it through this horrific nightmare to survive is incredible, often thanks to these kindnesses and the resiliency of the human spirit…and faith. However, not everyone in the family does survive- sadly, the mother, Tini, and younger sister, Herta, do not survive. I also appreciated Dronfield’s commitment to telling Kurt’s story. Although Kurt lives with a loving family in Massachusetts, he struggles with the knowledge that he is safe and surviving while his family was left behind.
I think this would be an appealing book to young readers as the Holocaust is a topic that is intriguing to many students. I liked that Dronfield included many original photos from the family. It could easily be woven into the curriculum alongside books such as Wiesel’s Night or Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl.
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