International Holocaust Remembrance Day

International Holocaust Remembrance Day takes place annually on January 27 to remember those lost in the Holocaust. We have gathered a curated Collection of works that honors the lives of those impacted by the Holocaust. These selections highlight narratives of suffering, perseverance and endurance, and philosophical attempts to create meaning from one of the most impactful and agonizing events in modern history.

Then

by Morris Gleitzman

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Revenge, Art, Safety & Danger, Good & Evil

Tags Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure, Survival Fiction, Holocaust, World War II, Military & War, Trauma & Abuse, Children`s Literature, World History

... Read Then Summary

The Orphan's Tale

by Pam Jenoff

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Family, War, Good & Evil

Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Holocaust

The Orphan’s Tale (2017) is a historical novel by American author Pam Jenoff. A New York Times bestseller, the novel is set in a traveling circus in Germany during World War II. It follows the lives of Noa, a Dutch teenager forced to leave her family after she becomes pregnant, and Astrid, a Jewish aerialist hiding her identity, and the powerful bond they form to survive. The novel explores themes of The Strength of Found... Read The Orphan's Tale Summary

The Postcard

by Anne Berest

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Memory, Regret, Mental Health, Race, Death, The Past, Mothers, Siblings, Community, Immigration, Good & Evil

Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Holocaust, Jewish Literature, French Literature, Military & War, World History

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The Reader

by Bernhard Schlink

Publication year 1995

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Guilt, Memory

Tags Historical Fiction, Holocaust, German Literature, World War II, Military & War, World History, Romance, Classic Fiction

Introduction Law professor Bernhard Schlink published The Reader (Der Vorleser) in Germany in 1995. Two years later, an English version arrived in the United States, and it became a bestseller and a selection for Oprah's Book Club. The German newspaper Abendzeitung named the book Stern des Jahres (Star of the Year), and it was also awarded the 1998 Hans Fallada Prize, given to works that address social or political issues. Translated editions of The Reader... Read The Reader Summary

The Storyteller

by Jodi Picoult

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Forgiveness, Good & Evil, Justice, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Holocaust, Military & War, Modern Classic Fiction, World History

The Storyteller is a best-selling novel by prolific author Jodi Picoult. Published in 2013, it is Picoult’s 20th novel. Picoult is a prolific author known for tackling complex social themes and is the recipient of many awards, including the 2019 Hale Award and a lifetime achievement award from the Romance Writers of America. In The Storyteller, she weaves together several different narratives, delving into complex power dynamics and exploring themes of forgiveness, morality, and freedom... Read The Storyteller Summary

The Sunflower

by Simon Wiesenthal

Publication year 1969

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Forgiveness

Tags World War II, Philosophy, Holocaust, Education, Education, Philosophy, World History, Biography, Religion & Spirituality

The Sunflower by Simon Wiesenthal is a book of non-fiction. The first section, also titled “The Sunflower,” is an account of Wiesenthal’s experience as a concentration camp prisoner under the Nazi regime. In the account, Wiesenthal describes his life in Poland prior to the German occupation, his experiences of anti-Semitism within the Polish culture, and his life as a concentration camp prisoner. He describes life in the concentration camp, the continuous humiliations, the hunger, the... Read The Sunflower Summary

The Tattooist of Auschwitz

by Heather Morris

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Holocaust, World War II, Military & War, World History, Historical Fiction, Romance

The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a historical novel by New Zealand author Heather Morris. Published in 2018, the narrative retells the true story of Lale Sokolov (born Ludwig Eisenberg), a Slovakian Jew and Holocaust survivor. The novel centers on the love between Lale and Gita, a young woman he meets while tattooing prisoners. Lale is the titular tattooist, forever marking his fellow Jews and other prisoners with the numbers that replace their identities in the... Read The Tattooist of Auschwitz Summary

The Upstairs Room

by Johanna Reiss

Publication year 1972

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Mental Health, Race, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, Family, Friendship, Siblings, Self Discovery, Community, Politics & Government, War, Beauty, Equality, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger

Tags Life-Inspired Fiction, Historical Fiction, Survival Fiction, World War II, Holocaust, Children`s Literature, Jewish Literature, Military & War, World History

The Upstairs Room (1972) is a novel based on the experiences of author Johanna Reiss as a Jewish girl during World War II. The novel follows protagonist Annie de Leeuw and her sister Sini as they hide from the Nazis during the German occupation of Holland. Annie’s story, which is told from her first-person perspective, celebrates human resilience and compassion while exploring themes concerning the loss of childhood innocence, the sacrifices people make during wartime... Read The Upstairs Room Summary

The Wind Knows My Name

by Isabel Allende

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Apathy, Shame & Pride, Family, Justice, Equality, Good & Evil, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Politics & Government, Immigration

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, World War II, Holocaust, Social Class, World History, History of the Americas, US History, Immigration & Refugeeism, Military & War, Politics & Government, Social Justice, Music, Trauma & Abuse, Race & Racism

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The Zookeeper's Wife

by Diane Ackerman

Publication year 2007

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Hope, War, Animals

Tags World War II, Holocaust, European History, Animals, Military & War, World History, Biography

The Zookeeper’s Wife, by Diane AckermanThe Zookeeper’s Wife is a non-fiction narrative recounting the heroic efforts of Antonina Żabińska and her husband, Jan Żabiński, during World War II. When soldiers of the Third Reich invade Poland on September 1, 1939, Jan is the ambitious director of the Warsaw Zoo. Antonina is an amazingly gifted woman who connects emotionally with all the animals in the zoo and the multitudes of human visitors and officials drawn to... Read The Zookeeper's Wife Summary

Under a Cruel Star

by Heda Margolius Kovály

Publication year 1973

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Truth & Lies

Tags Holocaust, European History, World War II, Education, Education, Military & War, World History, Biography

Content Warning: This study guide and the memoir contain references to antisemitism and violence, as well as descriptions of conditions in a concentration camp during the Nazi holocaust. Under a Cruel Star: A Life in Prague 1941-1968, a memoir by Heda Margolius Kovály, was first published under this title in 1986. The memoir was originally published in Czech as Na vlastní kůži (On your own skin) in 1973, by 68 Publishers, an independent press operated... Read Under a Cruel Star Summary