Tuesday , March 19 2024
One extraordinary couple put their lives at risk to rescue 50 children from Natzi Germany, during one of the most difficult times in Europe.

Book Review: ’50 Children’ by Steven Pressman

50 ChildrenThose who put their lives at risk during times of war are not always soldiers, trained in the art of warfare. Often ordinary people do the extraordinary with little expectation of thanks.

In 50 Children by Steven Pressman, we follow such a couple who put their own lives on hold to help rescue 50 children from harm in Nazi Germany during the time of holocaust. Gil and Eleanor Kraus find themselves in war time Germany in an effort to use the laws of U. S. immigration and the help of untold others to find and use visas that had never been used to get children to safety. The times were volatile, and as Jews they put themselves in harms ways to do what they could in their own efforts of rescue.

This is the story of an ordinary American couple who had the courage to face adversity to do what was necessary in a time of turmoil. Using notes, pictures and family accounts Pressman gives us a picture of the difficulties and challenges, as well as the final outcome.

To find such a compelling story and the antidotes that go with it is an important part of history. This was a time when so many things went wrong, yet there were those who did what they could to make things right. As history unfolds the atrocities of war become clear, yet the United States finds itself in turmoil as well. The news is not good, and many rumors abound.

The story is told from the beginning, and you find yourself in the shoes of the Krauses as they set on this dangerous task to go into Germany and rescue as many children as they can. There is heartbreak and tears as well as horror and terror. At any time the narrow path they walk can begin breaking up, thrusting them even deeper into the maelstrom of Hitler’s Germany.

The very laws of the land in the United States created its own dilemma. When immigration is already at a high level and visa are at their low, how can anyone proceed? And yet many do, for this is only one of the many stories of rescue and courage in a time where help was needed the most.

If you enjoy history along with stories of courage you will enjoy this work. If you are interested in the politics of the day and stories of courage, this work takes you into the stages of all. This couple and others remain unsung heroes in a time where ordinary people did extraordinary things.

This would be a great book for a book club or reading group. The history and the undertakings will fill the quest of finding dialogue to discuss for many reasons. History is what it is, and the discussion of what occurred or could have occurred is left to those who try to find the reason behind the actualities.

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About Leslie Wright

Leslie Wright is an author and blogger in the Northwest.

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