Kindness of Strangers

By Lillian Herzberg

Erna, a widow, and her only child, 16-year-old Alice, know they must leave Czechoslovakia, the country of their ancestors, before the Nazis take over complete control if they are to survive. They are... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1588513572
• ISBN13: 9781588513571
• Release Date: June 2001
• Publisher: Publishamerica Inc
• Length: 314 Pages
• Weight: 1.12 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 0.8" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

A Different View of Italians

I have just finished reading your wonderful book. You should be very proud of what you have created. Congratulations! .The hardships those people went throught were terrible. I waspleasantly surprised to learn how well most of the Italians treatedthem, because all we ever hear about Italians is mostly mafia activities..

At Last, Italian Humaneness Revealed

Dear Lillian ,Brilliant Author and Knowledgable Historian. It is now Thursday 6th December and I have just finished reading 'Kindness of Strangers 'and I am in total AWE of your achievement. You have shown a part of our lives of which was completely unknown to our generation. When I reached page 39 I became aware that the year 1921 was mentioned, and as my husband, Jack, and I were both born in1922 that the Following information had happened in our lifetime and we knew absolutely nothing of the dreadful events going on in Europe, culminating in the rise of Nazism and Fascism.[I don't think I should dignify those words witha Capital Letter! Jack and I both did our Matriculation in 1939 just as war broke out and we knew nothing of what had been going on in Europe and yet we had a Jewish boy migrate with his family from Germany in 1938. We were both studying German and he joined our class. We didn't ask him why he left Germany, we only knew he spoke German better than we did. All through the war we never heard anything about the atrocities that were a part of everyday life in so many countries. When the war finished in 1945 we wereamazed to see the first news reports and photos of Belsen with skeletal bodies, some dead and some still alive. Then the truth came out and we wondered why we were so unaware. How could we be so naive? We thought Australia was NOT a third world country!! Then we began to get refugees who told us about the things that had occurred We heard stories that were sickening. Of course when I read your book I was so glad that you had chosen to tell the story of Erna and Alice and Belo who came from Czechoslovakia. This was wonderful for me as one of my best friends is from there .Her mother would not or would not speak of her experiences during the War and it was only after she died that my friend discovered that her mother and a younger brother were the only survivors.5 older brothers died in one of the death camps. Also our daughter's partner's mother, father and grandmother came out here just before the war as neither of his parents could get work as they were Jewish. So your wonderful Book is very personal to me. I have spoken to Marketa [surname Lebovic]and she is anxious to read it although I know it will be a sad time for her. I know it was for me but we ALL should know to hope it can't happen again. Congratulations on THE BOOK Jack and Dora FreemanSydney, Australia

Review by Eunice Shechet

Ms Herzberg has written a beautiful and fascinating book in "The Kindness of Strangers". She takes the reader intimately into the lives of a Czechoslovakian Jewish family during WWII, expertly developing the characters. The three main characters are Erna, the mother, Alice the young daughter, and Belo, Alice's husband. When the Nazis threaten the Jews in their homeland, the three of them arrange to flee to Palestine via Italy, but find that they have been cheated and must remain in Italy. By exercising their inate skills including Belo's interpersonal charm, they establish warm relationships among the Italian people they meet. Their unintentional hosts go to great lengths to see to it that they and the other Jews do not starve and that the Germans do not ship them off to concentration camps. The Italian people performed one wonderful deed after another with no motivation other than inherent kindness to people who needed food and help. The Italians' kindness to the Jews during World War II has not been recognized to any degree, and this wonderful book goes a long way towards making sure that they get some of the credit that is their due.

Review by Gerald Factor, Author of "Private Wars"

Kudos to Lillian Belinfante Herzberg for bringing us this little known part of World War II in such a compassionate and absorbing story. The strangers in "Kindness of Strangers" were the people of Italy and the kindness was the way they thwarted the attempts of the Nazis to round up the Jews and ship them to their extermination camps. The people and the low level officials of Italy accomplished wonders in keeping these Jews out of the hands of their 'ally' Germany often at substantial risk to themselves. Erna and her daughter, Alice, and her husband Belo Grott were refugees from Czechoslovakia and were on their way to Palestine when they were trapped in Italy together with a number of other Jewish refugees. They were trapped by an unscrupulous agent who sold their tickets out from under them. Ms Herzberg relates their experiences in such a skillfully written story that the reader is completely entranced and turning the pages one after the other to keep abreast of the happenings. The reader may even shed a tear or two for this family and for the kindnesses extended to them by their involuntary hosts, the Italian people.

It's a story that comes to life in your hands.

As a fellow writer, I am picky about the books I read, but The "Kindness of Strangers" does not disappoint, although it often surprises. I never knew how humane some Italians were to Jews during World War II until I read this book. Ms. Herzberg is a masterful story teller. In her poignant tale of hope and hopelessness she proves that everywhere there are caring people willing to help strangers, while fearing for their own lives. The story will warm your heart and perhaps change your mind about many things.Rosalie Kramer: published author and poet