“In the End, we will not remember the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends.” - Martin Luther King
It is early April in 1942 and a young Lale Sokolov (the main character of this story) is sitting on a train meant for cattle, towards an unknown destination. A feeling of sadness fills the room, Lale is no exception, he has just been forced to leave his family back in Slovakia.
The war had been so far away during its early years and no one could have thought that the Slovakian government would extradite its own citizens to a foreign government. Yet here he is, on his way to an undisclosed location not knowing what the future holds. He is perplexed at the fact that the Slovakians would turn against their own, in such a short time span. No one could have seen this coming. His childhood friends were against him, his colleagues against him. Slovakia, maybe even Europe against him simply because of the religion he was born into. Never, never has Lale seen himself as a religious man, yet now he is seemingly paying the price of being a jew, nothing that first came to mind when asked about his identity.
He is well-dressed compared to the rest of the people, so for some reason, unbeknownst to him, questions are directed his way, questions which he cannot answer. He puts on a brave face, secretly hiding his worries behind a calm demeanor. Calm, that is what the “room” needs, but nothing it will get. People from all parts of society: rich, poor and middle class all huddled together like animals. No one escapes the wrath of the German Reich, no one.
Screams fill the air as everyone is pushed out of the train. Chaos. SS are screaming violently, luckily, Lale knows German. Nothing he lets on to the SS. He helps others understand. Eventually everyone is assigned a block, his is block 7.
This is the unseen story of Auschwitz. The human side of the story. Everyone has heard about the treachery and inhuman acts of the German Reich, but not about the brave and daring stories of the people who defied them. In this case, by not dying. We see kindness and people going to the greatest of lengths to help others. Even putting their own life on the line to aid those in need. We see humans on both sides of the narrative, thus gaining an understanding of what happened to an extent larger than what any history book could ever tell us. This chapter of World War II is so much more than numbers and data, there is no front line that pushes back and forward, no soldiers or strategic moves. There are only people and their actions. So often we allow ourselves to forget the people of this story.
“This is the unseen story of Auschwitz”
We follow the path of a young man facing death in the eyes and not giving in. Keeping his will to live when so many give up. The book is packed with twists and turns nearly always unexpected and dangerous, often coming when we least anticipate them, when Lale least anticipates them. The fact that the main character is so oblivious to what is going to happen next adds to the suspense and anticipation of the book. As it is based on a real story, the author cannot make some witty or intellectual ending. Us as readers are invested in the narrative and genuinely care about what happens to its characters thus making us feel nervous or scared about forthcoming events. We try to predict what happens next, playing out different scenarios, surprised when we get more information.
All in all, the book broadened my understanding of life during the World War II era and I hope it will do the same for you. As it is a real story based on true historical events, us as readers sympathize with its characters on a different level as opposed to fictional stories. The book is eye-opening with a more casual style in regards to its language. It is exciting and terrifying at the same time, making it a great read for anyone interested in a more human approach to the retelling of history.
by Edward DP23