‘Fried was 19 when she and her family were sent from Hungary to Auschwitz. Her parents were murdered, but she and her sister survived. They both made a home in Sweden and, ever since, Fried, now 94, has talked to students about her experiences. This slim but powerful volume, sensitively translated by Alice Olsson, comprises answers to the questions she is most frequently asked, such as: “Why did you not fight back?” and “What helped you to survive?”, “Are you able to forgive?” Fried answers with humanity, candour, and thoughtfulness in a book that should be required reading for all young people.’
Hannah Beckerman, The Guardian
‘While many authors have produced great works about the Holocaust, this sort of first-person narrative is the best source of true information. Every library should add this book to its collection. Social studies teachers would find this a highly valuable source for discussions on the Holocaust (Fried herself even provides a list of discussion questions in the text). I highly recommend the purchase of this book.’
School Library Connection
‘This is terrific in that I was utterly engrossed in not only what questions are asked of Hedi but the astute and depthful way she answers them. I began to read the other evening and went all the way to the end before putting this book down. It’s also potent in the ways our author touches on current issues with how we treat “others” as to how we become divided and in worst case hurtful to those unlike ourselves. a big thumbs up and NOT just for the younger generation!’
Sheryl Cotleur, Copperfield’s Books
‘Through questions she has been asked most, Questions I Am Asked About The Holocaust is a stoically raw and deeply human account of the author’s experiences throughout the Holocaust and surviving Auschwitz. An important, wise, and extremely powerful book.’
Amanda Zirn Hudson, Bethany Beach Books
‘While Questions I Am Asked About the Holocaust is very easy to read, the questions it raises are very hard to answer. Fried, in simple, straightforward prose, answers questions that children have asked her about her experiences. A must-have for parents, but be prepared to answer some hard questions yourself.’
Lee Virden Geurkink, Monkey and Dog Books
‘Reminds us all why we need to heed the lessons of the past.’
Big Issue (London)
‘[S]ince these questions come from children, they quickly reach a level of intimacy that most adults would be afraid to venture into … Questions I Am Asked About the Holocaust is a collection of Hédi's gentle, honest answers to these questions over the years. With sensitivity and complete candour, Fried answers these questions and more in this deeply human book that urges us never to forget and never to repeat.’
The Jewish Standard, Ontario
‘Now 94, Fried’s largeness of spirit emanates from every considered response to even the most confronting questions asked of her. One senses that her replies are not only educative but therapeutic, especially for young people grappling with their own questions about the meaning of life. While most of her experiences of this period are inescapably dark, there were moments of light that assumed enormous significance.’
Fiona Capp, The Saturday Age
‘Hédi Fried is a remarkable woman and her writing offers important insights into truly terrible events and the slow, insidious way in which hatred can be fostered. Questions I Am Asked About the Holocaust is an easy to read account of things that are almost too horrible to comprehend. The essays represent an individual’s reflections on matters that touch the whole of humanity and, as Fried hopes, the lessons she has to teach about the past should serve as a warning for the future.’
Erin Britton, New Books Magazine, five stars
‘It’s the straightforwardness of the book — and the fact that Fried is so candid in her answers — that makes this book so important.’
Shelly Gare, The Sydney Institute
‘Anyone who can remember that time, anyone who can remember someone who could remember, or anyone who feels the instinctive urge to be one with the humanity of memory, and the memory of humanity, cannot but be moved deeply and quite actively by Fried’s book.’
Bookanista
‘Candid and unflinching, deeply personal and sensitive, this is the perfect book for anyone, young or old, wanting to learn more about the Holocaust and why we must never forget — especially as the last surviving witnesses are lost to us.’
Leanne Edimistone, Courier Mail
‘Honest and insightful.’
Ellen Langmead, History Teachers’ Association of Victoria
‘Questions I Am Asked About the Holocaust defies genre … a deeply personal account of her past, told in simple, straightforward language that most preteens can understand … Since the book is intended for younger readers, Fried is free to be didactic. Everything is a lesson … Questions I Am Asked About the Holocaust is an invaluable means of introducing students to the complexities of the Holocaust. And it will do for Fried what she seeks to do for her parents: to keep her memory and name alive.’
Rabbi Marc Katz, Jewish Book Council
‘Fried's straightforward, candid answers are as informative as they are moving. This book should be required school reading.’
Kylie Northover, The Age
‘Sheds light on a devastating topic with empathy, sensitivity, and honesty.’
Kirkus Reviews
‘Questions I Am Asked About the Holocaust is nothing short of remarkable … Hedi’s answers to the questions posed are so personal, genuine, and heartfelt, you feel like you are sitting in the seat beside her … Even the most knowledgeable person on the topic of World War II and the Holocaust will learn something from this book … Librarians should purchase this so it is available to all students from middle school up. Teachers for all ages should also have a classroom copy … [T]his young readers edition ends with a huge amount of reading guides, teacher lessons, and even potential student activities. A one stop shop for learning. Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our ‘to read’ piles? Absolutely. It should be the first book that you purchase.’
Youth Services Book Review, starred review
‘While many authors have produced great works about the Holocaust, this sort of first-person narrative is the best source of true information. Every library should add this book to its collection. Social studies teachers would find this a highly valuable source for discussions on the Holocaust (Fried herself even provides a list of discussion questions in the text). I highly recommend the purchase of this book.’
School Library Connection, highly recommended
‘An essential addition for those learning about the Holocaust, refugees, and the complexities of WWII.’
Meg Barclay, The School Librarian
Praise for The Road to Auschwitz:
‘Fried’s tale is not solely one of suffering. She is a survivor, and this is a testimony to the ingenuity and luck that contributed to her survival and that of her sister and friends. As Fried reminds us: “We must tell of this inhuman thing that was done in the twentieth century. It must not be forgotten.”’
—Publishers Weekly
‘[Fried’s] grim struggle to survive death and labour camps and the start of her brave efforts to create a meaningful life in Sweden are recounted with vivid and deeply moving simplicity.’
—Jewish Chronicle
