“People had no choice but to grow accustomed to the gradual loss of freedoms they had previously taken for granted.”
Priska, Anka and Rachel were all barely pregnant when they were sent to concentration camps in the summer and fall of 1944. Even though Dr. Mengle had a keen eye at rooting out the pregnant women for his experiments, they all managed to hide their condition. The timing of their pregnancies saved their babies lives as they each gave birth just days before liberation. However, the months they spent took a toll on their bodies and minds and they barely had strength to keep them and their babies alive. Their stories are told in Born Survivors.
A friend recommended Born Survivors and I’m so glad she did. It is another non-fiction WW2 book that is an important read. Everyone should read stories of Holocaust survivors so history is not forgotten or repeated. I have come across several of these books lately, including The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman, A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell and A Bookshop in Berlin by Francoise Frenkel.
Using interviews and historical documents, the author tells the story of these three mothers before, during and after the war. While the three were in the same train and camp at the very end, they did not know of each other. They all faced horrific ordeals but found the will to survive because of the children in their wombs and the hope of seeing their husbands again. The human spirit is amazing.
While parts of the story is heartbreaking and hard to read, I would recommend this book to anyone who is mature enough to handle horrors of the Holocaust. I think every time a first person story is shared, I learn something new and that is very true about Born Survivors.
What is the most profound first-person story you’re read? Share in the comments!
Buy Born Survivors here (affiliate link).
