Sofa Spotlight - The Boy who Followed his Father into Auschwitz, Jeremy Dronfield

 I think this one has to be one of the best books about the Holocaust I’ve read – up there with Schindler’s Ark. It took me a long time to read but it was not because it was hard work, I just had my heart in my mouth the entire time.

The story follows the fortunes of Gustav Kleinmann and his son Fritz, as they get caught up in the persecution of their people. I cannot tell you how well written this book is. I was engrossed from start to finish. There were some truly heartbreaking moments, but what I thought that it was interesting that there were insights into the thoughts and feelings of those who were carrying out the killings.

For me there was a bit of confusion early on as the title made me think that Fritz was a young child, rather than in his late teens. But the feats that both father and son reach, within camp life as well as just in terms of survival.

Towards the end the pace picks up very quickly and all the hard work of the two men to stay together seems to be coming undone. At this point I couldn’t put the book down until the end. Highly recommend.