“I pray you never stand at any crossroads in your own lives, but if you do, if the darkness seems so total, if you think there is no way out, remember, never ever give up. The darker the night, the brighter the dawn, and when it gets really, really dark, this is when one see the true brilliance of the stars.” –Gerda Weissman Klein
Gerda Weissman Klein had a happy childhood growing up in Poland until the Germans began their occupation. Initially she and her family were allowed to stay in the basement of their home but eventually they were all sent to different German labor camps. By the end of the war, she had lost everything but her life.
I read this book for the first time 24 years ago and it quickly became one of my favorite books. Gerda Weissman Klein’s story is amazing not only because of what she survived during the horrors of the holocaust, but how she survived it. I am amazed at the joy, humanity, and love she and her friends discovered despite suffering soul crushing loss. In addition to this book, Gerda shared her message of resilience and hope with survivors of the Columbine High shooting and with the world during the pandemic when she said, “Hope is the light to the future and we discover the extent of our strength in our most hopeless moments.” This remarkable woman passed away at age 97 in 2022 but thankfully her legacy lives on. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
Content Advisory: Holocaust, death, brutality