Jennine, it was absolutely fascinating to be reminded that without the internet and limited communications, it took many months for the world to realize that it was Jews that were targeted. Germany had over 8 million forced laborers in the country- not Jews, people from other countries forced to work in the war effort. It wasn’t until they got to Auschwitz which was nothing but a killing a camp and found all the records and warehouses that the pieces came together. And yes, there was the suffering of so many other people cuaght in the wrong place at the wrong time. Difficult but important reading.

It is both! I had to read it in bits because the numbers and the actual accounts of soldiers and citizens made my heart hurt. Such devastation brought about by one evil lunatic.

It is a sobering book, Tara. It wasn’t even just the devastation but everything that came before. I know how hard you train so this will hit home- in most of the countries during the war rationing got to the point where most adults where subsisting on under 1,000 calories a day for years. Some even 400- and that’s not in the camps- it’s the citizens. There was NO food. And when the war was over there were no livestock or crops. Just so much that is beyond our comprehension.