Fireflies in the dark

Fireflies in the dark : the story of Friedl Dicker-Brandeis and the children of Terezin

From School Library Journal:

A profoundly moving testimonial to the resilience of the human spirit under intolerable conditions. Sent to the Terezin concentration camp (perhaps more widely known under its German name Theresienstadt), art teacher Dicker-Brandeis packed art supplies rather than personal items. Here, in poignant narrative, is a record of her wonderful influence over hundreds of doom youngsters, terrified by the separation from their families. Her teaching ability and artistic talents were instrumental in providing an island of sanity in a horrific situation, and in giving an outlet to the children's emotions. Lavishly illustrated with artworks by Terezin children (preserved in two suitcases in a barracks attic), the book is a chronicle of light in the blackest of hours and of a despicable period in human history. Elegant in appearance, devastating in content, almost overwhelming in its quiet intensity, this book is a shining augmentation to the literature of the Holocaust. (Patricia Manning.)

A beautiful reminder of personal strength, a giving spirit and the devastation of the Holocaust, as it took so many creative, beautiful souls.

Read On.