Inge: A Girl's Journey Through Nazi Europe

Much has been written about the millions who were murdered during the Nazis' Holocaust bestiality yet we know less about the effect on thousands of child survivors who suffered separation from family, deprivation and often multiple escapes during World War II. In "Inge" author Gumpert vividly portrays the anxieties and trauma of an innocent young girl under the duress of separation, escape and living on the margin. Inge discovers herself and turns from introvert to courageous escape artist, outwitting adult persecutioners. We also learn about selfless and heroic rescuers. It is fascinating to discover her interactions with peers and even the advent of teenage love during her turbulent youth.The book vividly presents the gripping dangers and escapades of Inge's teenage years. Even more important, the author reveals Inge's lifelong and unsuccessful struggle to cope with the memories. One feels the author has perhaps finally provided the peace and redemption which escaped Inge during her lifetime.As a fellow teenage refugee with Inge in 1940-41 (her first love was my best friend Walter), I knew the facts, but I am deeply moved by the compelling story told by this book.

This is a book you cannot put down, not the Ann Frank type ofstory but of a young girl dealing all on her own with the abandonment of her family, the uncertainty of her family's whereabouts during the war, a love affair with an uncertainoutcome, and the unhappy misery that should not befall a15- or 16-year old. Because of the tenacity of some kind-heartedSwiss Red Cross workers she is restored to freedom in Switzerlandand is able to start her training in her life's ambition. But how she gets there is a cliff-hanger and shows the miseryof the Holocaust in an entirely different light. A true story,a sad one, but also eventually uplifting.

I have read a number of books about the Holocaust, but this one is different. It gets inside the mind of a teenage girl who is separated from her parents and grouped with 100 boys and girls in the same situation. They are on the run from the Nazis, first in Belgium and then in France. On one level this is an adventure story of the highest order as Inge moves from one dangerous situation to another. On another level, it is a psychological study of a survivor, and of the burdens that it brings. There is little in the way of sentimentality. Rather, it is about real feelings and inner conflicts. I couldn't put it down, and find myself thinking about it long after finishing it. I purchased six copies to give to family members.

Inge Joseph lived in the ragged edge of the evolving Holocaust.Escaping murderous fascism, she and a hundred other children first escaped to Belgium, and then to Switzerland. Her final months in Europe, at a fifteenth-century chateau, in the eye of the storm, tell a story of youth, hope and grief. I could not put it down. David Gumpert, in the words of his aunt Inge, allows us to live in a harrowing time, where safety and food were matters of day to day survival. The blooming Inge finds love and friendship, and eventual freedom, while longing for family and home.

What a powerful and revealing insight this book lends to its readers! We learn so much, not simply of the details of a young girl's flight from death, but of her excrutiating struggles and mixed emotion as she is forced to abandon her family. The authors have courageously revealed themselves with great substance and depth in this part diary, part biography. As Inge matures, her ability to share her inner self grows consistently with her years. And nephew/co-author David Gumpert's extensive research is humbly stated, authenticating the tale even more.This is a must read for students of history and the holocaust. It is brilliantly written and impossible to put down. I look forward to seeing this story on the big screen.