Impossible Escape
A True Story of Survival and Heroism in Nazi Europe
It is 1944. A teenager named Rudolf (Rudi) Vrba has made up his mind. After barely surviving nearly two years in the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland, he knows he must escape. Even if death is more likely.
Rudi has learned the terrible secret hidden behind the heavily guarded fences of concentration camps across Nazi-occupied Europe: the methodical mass killing of Jewish prisoners. As trains full of people arrive daily, Rudi knows that the murders won’t stop until he reveals the truth to the world―and that each day that passes means more lives are lost.
Lives like Rudi’s schoolmate Gerta Sidonová. Gerta’s family fled from Slovakia to Hungary, where they live under assumed names to hide their Jewish identity. But Hungary is beginning to cave under pressure from German Nazis. Her chances of survival become slimmer by the day.
The clock is ticking. As Gerta inches closer to capture, Rudi and his friend Alfred Wetzler begin their crucial steps towards an impossible escape.
This is the true story of one of the most famous whistleblowers in the world, and how his death-defying escape helped save over 100,000 lives.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Awards
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Release date
October 3, 2023 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780593863848
- File size: 165833 KB
- Duration: 05:45:29
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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Publisher's Weekly
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. -
AudioFile Magazine
Rob Shapiro balances a neutral tone and deep emotions as he recounts the horrific and sometimes miraculous experiences of Rudi and Gerta, two Jewish Slovakian teens who are trying to survive WWII. Shapiro captures the author's engaging writing style as he reveals Rudi's horrific experiences in Auschwitz and Gerta's secret activities as a member of the Slovakian underground. Shapiro creates edge-of-your-seat immediacy as Rudi escapes Auschwitz, determined to expose its realities, and when Greta makes the quick, gut-wrenching decision to leave her mother behind when the two are captured. As always, Sheinkin weaves powerful details into a compelling story, and Shapiro's narration transforms it into absorbing audio. Politics and history come alive with poignancy when viewed through the lens of these courageous, impassioned youths. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
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Formats
- OverDrive Listen audiobook
Languages
- English
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