After the Holocaust

Children who survived the Holocaust had a difficult time adjusting to post-Nazi Europe. The author tells the stories in their own words of 8 orphaned, homeless young adults as they struggled to create new lives out of the ashes of their horrific experiences. Because of the format of the book (it is divided into 4 sections, with quotes from each survivor in every part), it is difficult to remember which youth is which. I found myself looking back into previous sections to track that youth's particular story. A solid addition to the bibliography of Holocaust and post-Holocaust remembrances. Appropriate for ages 12 and up.

This book promises to tell the rest of the story how those Jewish youths who survived the Holocaust preceded with their lives after the war. The survivors' narratives are divided into four segments. This, unfortunately, leads to some problems for the reader as it is rather easy to become confused about what happened to which individual survivor. I found it easier to read about each one of the Jews individually throughout the book first. Then I reflected on their experiences as a whole. Readers will be saddened to learn that the trials of these young people did not end with the defeat of the Nazi. Imagine learning that you are the only survivor of your family or that your home belongs to others. This book adds an often-unmentioned dimension to the plight of the Jewish survivors. Little has been written about the Displaced Person Camps, immigration restrictions and the continued hatred and mistreatment of Jews after the war. The black and white photographs add an intimacy often lost to Holocaust readers. The author's sidebars and comments do not intrude, but offer helpful insights into the victims' plight. The author's reference to hidden scars applies well to these survivors.