Friday, April 03, 2009

A Lucky Child: Review and Giveaway!

 
Wow! Sometimes you get books that just hit you and Lucky Child is one of those for me. The author, Thomas Buergenthal, and his mother, survived Auschwitz. They were Germans who moved east as Hitler came into power. First they were confined to a ghetto, then sent to work camps, and finally to Auschwitz. Thomas would have been too young to survive the selection process that usually took place at the train station, but given that they were transported from a forced labor camp rather than from their homes, their train skipped that step. Once there, more luck kept him with his father and out of the gas chambers. Eventually they were separated and while Thomas survived the death march out of Auchwitz and live to see liberation, his father died a few weeks before the camp where he was sent was liberated.

Eventually after the war he was reunited with his mother and eventually came to the US where he became an attorney and later, a judge at the International Court of Justice in the Hague. He has spent his life pursuing human rights for all people.

His story is a testament to the power of love over hate. His parents' love for him, as well as the care they showed for others for whom they did not have to care, protected Thomas in those camps. After the war instead of being filled with hate for the Germans, he lived in Germany and made friends. He said that he thinks chosing not to hate is one thing that has allowed him to overcome this trauma in his life and live a normal life.

Though ethnically Jewish, Beurgenthal's family did not practice the faith. After his mother's second husband died, he said that he was sure there was no God, because if there was, He wouldn't allow so much sorrow in their family. Despite that remark, I loved the book.

Buergenthal was a lucky boy to survive Auschwitz and if you are lucky, you can win a copy of his book. Anna Balasi at Hatchette Books is allowing me to hold a giveawy of five copies of this wonderful book. To enter, leave me a comment, with your email address. For a second entry, Blog about this contest. For even more entries, have your friends come and leave comments saying you sent them (and I'll give them an entry too if they ask for it). I'll pick five winners randomly April 24.

38 comments:

  1. Please include me in your great giveaway. what a great review.
    Thanks
    Debbie
    debdesk9@verizon.net

    ReplyDelete
  2. Please include me in this giveaway! It sounds like a great book.

    gypsyrover21(at)yahoo(dot)ca

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  3. I would love to read this!

    countrystars95@yahoo.com

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  4. i have been so wanting to read this book it seems amazing thanks for the giveaway

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  5. Anonymous11:23 AM

    I am always looking for new books and this one sounds very interesting, sad but interesting.

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  6. I'd like to read this.

    bjhopper(at)me(dot)com

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  7. Anonymous12:47 PM

    What a truly inspiring story. I would love to win this!

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  8. What a touching and inspiring story.
    Please enter me

    madeleine444 AT gmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  9. Great review. Please include me in your giveaway. CCDitmore(at)cox(dot)net

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  10. Blogged here: http://tinyurl.com/cfj4r4

    thanks

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  11. The book looks very interesting-thanks!

    contests and giveaways at gmail dot com

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  12. I would love to win.

    I blogged about it here:

    http://teddyrose.blogspot.com/2009/04/giveaways-galore.html

    teddyr66@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. I would like to be included in this contest please. Thanks!

    Sarah Sheffield
    SJSheffield@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thanks for the giveaway!
    Kimspam66(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  15. "Lucky Child" is on my TBR list; thanks for the chance to win it. asthenight at gmail dot com

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  16. Would love to read this book - Please count me in!

    Thanks,
    Cheryl
    megalon22{at}yahoo[dot}com

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  17. Please enter me in this drawing.

    Thanks,
    kherbrand at comcast dot net

    ReplyDelete
  18. I would love to read this.

    Thanks so much

    ReplyDelete
  19. I enjoyed your review and would appreciate reading this exceptional story. I have been reading Holocaust novels and memoirs for years and they are memorable and special. thanks for this chance. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  20. There is a problem with the comments function. In order to comment, please push the add a comment link on this page.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I enjoy reading non-fiction books so please enter me.

    seknobloch (at) gmail (dot) com

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  22. Great review. I'd love to read this. Thanks!

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  23. What a great review! A book like this is what I become enthralled with. Thanks for this giveaway.
    saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  24. I would love to read this, then pass it on to my daughter. Thanks!
    rlgrady[at]yahoo[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  25. I would love to win this one!

    I blogged about your giveaway here:

    http://teddyrose.blogspot.com/2009/04/giveaways-galore_10.html

    ReplyDelete
  26. Sorry, I forgot my email:

    teddyr66@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  27. I've been wanting to read this book. Please enter me in this drawing. Thanks for the opportunity! Indigo

    ravensquietscreams(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  28. This sounds like an awesome book. I'd love to have a copy!

    ReplyDelete
  29. I'd like to enter.

    bjhopper(at)me(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  30. Enter me please.

    jwx4(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  31. Thank you for a great giveaway. I would love to win. THank you
    tatertot374@sbcglobal.net

    ReplyDelete
  32. Anonymous9:46 PM

    I'd love to win a copy of A Lucky Child

    ReplyDelete
  33. Lynne Schneider8:42 AM

    please enter me...thanks!!!

    Lynne Schneider

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  34. Impressive and memorable book that would be wonderful to read. Having read many Holocasut novels this would be an honor. Thanks.elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  35. Kat C.10:02 AM

    I really like books which leave an impression, so I'd really like to win this.

    katch05 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  36. Great review! I am definitely interested in reading this book! Please enter me in the giveaway contest. Thank you.

    Cindy (Socmom213@aol.com)

    ReplyDelete
  37. Contest is over. Winners were # 17, 6, 24, 32, and 8. Thanks to my husband for selecting the numbers.

    ReplyDelete


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