Eva Mozes Kor was 10 years old when she arrived in Auschwitz. While her parents and two older sisters were taken to the gas chambers, she and her twin, Miriam, were herded into the care of the man known as the Angel of Death, Dr. Josef Mengele. Mengele’s twins were granted the privileges of keeping their own clothes and hair, but they were also subjected to sadistic medical experiments and forced to fight daily for their own survival, as most of the twins died as a result of the experiments or from the disease and hunger pervasive in the camp. In a narrative told with emotion and restraint, readers will learn of a child’s endurance and survival in the face of truly extraordinary evil. The book also includes an epilogue on Eva’s recovery from this experience and her remarkable decision to publicly forgive the Nazis. Through her museum and her lectures, she has dedicated her life to giving testimony on the Holocaust, providing a message of hope for people who have suffered, and working toward goals of forgiveness, peace, and the elimination of hatred and prejudice in the world.

Surviving the Angel of Death is an up close and personal glimpse into the horror that was Dr. Josef Mengele’s twin experiment program, told through the eyes of Eva. She and her sister Miriam landed at Auschwitz at the tender age of ten.

Before I begin my review, I want to say that I read books and watch shows about The Holocaust because I feel like it’s important for every generation to never forget what happened. When I stumbled on Surviving the Angel of Death, I wanted to read it because I’ve heard about the Mengele experiments but never from the perspective of one of his victims.

Eva and Miriam are two Hungarian Jews. They live a life that is set apart from a lot of the main horrors of the Nazi’s for awhile. Slowly but surely anti-Semitism creeps into their small village and soon going to school is a nightmare and word begins to spread of the atrocities other Jews around Europe are facing. Still, they cling to their home and try to maintain life amidst the hate that seems to be building a stronghold around them – culminating in attacks on their house. Finally, as their family is faced with a life getting worse or a life of the unknown across the border, they decide to make a run for it. Little did they know that their house was already under watch and under threat of death, they are forced to turn back.

Not long after, they find themselves in Auschwitz. The name of the camp gives me shivers up and down my spine. I can only imagine the fear people crossing those gates and seeing that nasty lie “work makes you free” slogan.

Surviving the Angel of Death is one of the most powerful books I’ve ever read. I couldn’t help but put myself in their position. What would I do? Would I have survived? Would I be strong or would I give up? I guess none of us knows until we’re in a position like that – and pray we never are. Eva and Miriam – and many other people mentioned in the book inspired me.

Eva is such a strong person, even among her and Miriam she is the leader. She survived by her wits and her resolve to live each day. So many things in Surviving the Angel of Death touched me. Eva’s relationship with Miriam that became even closer when they became all each other had.

This is a relatively short read. I was interested to learn that there’s another book written by Eva, and Surviving the Angel of Death is the product of that book modified for a YA audience [from what I gather the original book is just a lot more graphic than this version.] It’s well written and compelling; I had no problem finding the need to turn the page. It was fascinating for me to read this first hand description of the downfall of Auschwitz too. That’s something I hadn’t read before anywhere else.

I appreciated that Surviving the Angel of Death had details and yet didn’t go into the horrible graphic details that obviously COULD have been shared. It made the book bearable for me and allowed me to feel things and yet didn’t give me nightmares. I think what I loved the most was the love shown between the Eva and Miriam, the things they did to survive and to help each other.

This story is for anyone who wants an inside view on Auschwitz, or the Mengele experiments, or just a story of inspiring survival. I doubt any one could walk away from this book unmoved, or without a broader appreciation for the true scope of The Holocaust and the effects it had on the lives of even the ones who survived. When I closed the final page, I was filled with a sense of hope and even awe at the way Eva and her sister have been able to turn such a traumatic time in their life into something that has helped so many people.

I highly recommend Surviving the Angel of Death for readers looking for something to read after The Diary of Anne Frank.

Find Surviving the Angel of Death by Eva Kor Mozes & Lisa Rojany Buccieri:

AMAZON | GOODREADS

The charity organization and museum that Eva has founded: CANDLES

*I did not realize at the time of reviewing but on further research I watched a documentary featuring Eva called Forgiving Dr. Mengele, which I highly recommend as well.

*Review Copy provided free of charge by the publisher in exchange for a fair review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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