Impossible Escape

Starred review from June 26, 2023
In striking detail, Sheinkin (Fallout) chronicles how, in June 1944, 19-year-old Rudi Vrba, together with 24-year-old Alfred Wexler, both Slovakian Jewish, were the first to reveal to the world the then-hidden Nazi atrocities occurring in Auschwitz. Both prisoners who witnessed firsthand the “death on an industrial scale,” the two made a perilous escape from the camp, determined to alert the public. Sheinkin entwines Vrba’s story escaping Slovakia and enduring hardships in a labor camp with that of his slightly younger Jewish friend Gerta Sidonová, whose family fled to Hungary in spring 1942, where they lived in privilege, posing as Catholics for more than a year until they were caught and sent to a detention camp. Expertly threaded throughout in smooth and accessible prose is the history of Hitler, the Nazi party, and antisemitism. Sympathetic Vrba’s compassion, resourcefulness, and steadfast integrity, and Sidonová’s adaptability and quiet determination, fortify them through their arduous experiences. These noteworthy subjects, combined with Sheinkin’s extensive research, proffer an important, highly readable addition to the library of Holocaust literature for young people. Includes an author’s note, maps, source notes, and a bibliography. Ages 12–up.