The Biblio Blogazine

A Lucky Child by Thomas Buergenthal
Memoir, 256 pages
ISBN: 978–0-316-01790-9
Release date: April 20, 2009

Review copy courtesy of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

Synopsis:
Thomas Buergenthal, now a Judge in the International Court of Justice in The Hague, tells his astonishing experiences as a young boy in his memoir A LUCKY CHILD. He arrived at Auschwitz at age 10 after surviving two ghettos and a labor camp. Separated first from his mother and then his father, Buergenthal managed by his wits and some remarkable strokes of luck to survive on his own. Almost two years after his liberation, Buergenthal was miraculously reunited with his mother and in 1951 arrived in the U.S. to start a new life.

Now dedicated to helping those subjected to tyranny throughout the world, Buergenthal writes his story with a simple clarity that highlights the stark details of unimaginable hardship.

First of all, I will admit that I am not much of a non-fiction reader. However when offered the opportunity to read a compelling account of someone’s life, or memories of a particular episode in that life, I simply cannot pass. I have always been intrigued by the stories of World War II survivors. (My grandfather was a POW in the South Pacific, hence the interest.)

I was surprised at how quickly an impact this book made upon me; and this was before I’d begun reading chapter one.

I knew I was about to read the remembrances of a man who survived Auschwitz as a child. I knew there were going to be accounts of horrors that would affect my emotions strongly. I was not prepared to open the book and see this:

This is a photo of the author. This boy, this child, was about to suffer and survive one of the greatest horrors of the war. Not too many years after this was taken, his family was on the run, trying to stay one step ahead of the oncoming terror. Unfortunately, they didn’t make it, and by the age of ten, young Thomas found himself struggling to survive in one of the most infamous death camps in history.

How did he do this? According to the title of the book, it was because he was ‘a lucky child’, and after reading his stark account, one has to agree the number of coincidences and happenstance that occur are almost too much to believe. If one does not put stock into destiny or fate, they may feel differently after reading this book.

Even the author himself questions this luck, but not with any guilt. As he says, “I came to view survival and non-survival as a game of chance over which I had no control and was, therefore, not responsible for the outcome.”

It does no good to spend one’s life wondering, “Why me?” Not only does he survive, he rises above the hatred, the anger, the initial desire for revenge and, as an International Court judge, dedicates his life to the protection of human rights. “My past would inspire my future and give it meaning.” And that it has.

The only problem I had while reading this was its tone. I guess I was expecting more ‘drama’. Not until reading another comment, that I was able to put my finger on what was bothering me:

“The unsentimental tone of Buergenthal’s writing magnifies his deliberate decision not to make melodrama out of a story that is plenty dramatic enough. Like Primo Levi and Anne Frank, Buergenthal can only tell the story of one life, but through that life we are led to consider and honor all the lives of those who weren’t so lucky.”–(Kate Braestrup, author of Here If You Need Me)

This explains it so well. For the most part, his voice does come off unsentimental, however I can tell you that this does not detract from the story. The author clearly understands that he does not need be overly dramatic as the story itself provides the necessary tension and heartache.

Still, I found the formality of his speech, and the minimalistic approach to some of the recollections a little distracting at times – but not severely.

If you are at all interested in this subject matter, I recommend that you consider this book for your library. It is definitely remaining in mine.

I am giving this book 4 Stars as it was not a stellar read, but a very good one.

He is the author of more than a dozen books and numerous articles on international law, human rights and comparative law subjects. He currently serves as a member of the International Court of Justice which is located at the Peace Palace in The Hague.