Sky Tinged Red: A Chronicle of Two and a Half Years in Auschwitz

by Isaia Eiger, Dora Eiger Zaidenweber (translator)

''Yes, even in the concentration camps one could distinguish between beasts and human beings, who, although they were physically abused and rundown, remained spiritually dignified.'' Auschwitz-Birkenau was a planet unto itself, with its own brutal hierarchy of enslavement. For prisoners there, days were marked by hunger, hard labor, beatings and fear. Yet even in the extermination hub of Europe's Jews, seeds of dignity and humanity took root. Sons ''organized'' food to sustain their ill fathers. Friends found each other work. Some plotted escape and others armed resistance. Sky Tinged Red is Isaia Eiger's chronicle of two and a half years as a prisoner in Birkenau. As a schreiber --intake scribe--and member of the resistance movement Eiger's knowledge of the camp was extensive. His incisive record of those he met documents the extremes of human behavior, highlighting the courage of those who maintained their humanity in a world dominated by brutality. Written shortly after the war, Sky Tinged Red , for both its compassionate narrative and the remarkable story of its publication, is a tribute to the power of survivor testimony and the transmission of memory through successive generations.

Genres: Nonfiction

423 pages, Paperback

First published April 23, 2013

Reviews

[Don Radlauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sky Tinged Red gives us a picture of life in hell: Birkenau was about as close as mankind has ever come to creating its actuality here on Earth. Isaia Eiger chronicled his time in the camp - and he survived there far longer than the vast majority of those "lucky" enough not to be gassed immediately upon arrival - soon after the war ended, while his memories were fresh; these memories begin before Birkenau commenced full operation as an extermination camp, and continue to the end of the war.

Eiger wrote his account (in Yiddish) without literary pretentions; he does not, as a rule, wax philosophical, although there are some snatches of poetry and the occasional outcry against the evil he experienced. The resulting book is thus mostly in the "this happened, then this happened" style; Eiger has an accountant's eye for detail, and because of his seniority and work as a schreiber, was in a position to observe more of what was going on in the various sections of Birkenau than most.

Sky Tinged Red is not intended as recreational reading; but the book has been well enough translated that is it does read well. I recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about one of the major chapters of the Holocaust.

[Laura Valenziano · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best holocaust survivor stories I have read! (And I've read MANY.) Very detailed and easy to read despite the horrors of the story. This book describes the attempts to bomb the crematoriums and other Auschwitz buildings to facilitate a mass prisoner escape (which I hadn't heard about before). Another story I didn't know was of a Jewish dancer named Franciszka Manovana, (also known as Franciszka Mann) who, on the way to the gas chamber, completely naked, grabbed a gun from SS Officer Schillinger and killed him. Another officer named Quackernack was wounded. She was ultimately murdered, of course. I was amazed by these, and other, stories of Jewish bravery in fighting back against the Nazi's, as for a long time after WWII Jewish people were criticized for not doing so. I'm sure there are many untold stories of Jewish people not being submissive in the Holocaust but not many of them are in the history books. If you are interested in the Holocaust this is a book you should read!

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The horrors this family endured. An absolute miracle the family, split up into 3 separate camps, survived the war and were reunited. Relocated in Minneapolis, daughter Dora translated her fathers manuscript which chronicles his experiences in Auschwitz.

[Susan Weinberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very powerful book. Isaiah Eiger was in Auschwitz for 2 1/2 years, from it's beginning to its end. Because he spoke six languages he became a scribe, the person who recorded information on each new person who came to the camp. In this role he was able to keep tabs on his family who remained in the Radom labor camp for two more years. Ultimately his wife and daughter arrived at Auschwitz as well where Eiger was able to help them survive. Eiger was aided at times by those who he had aided in his pre-war life and he continued to build relationships in the camp which helped both to preserve his humanity and keep him alive. His story is about how one man preserves his soul in the face of horrors designed to destroy it. Also compelling is the story of this book's translation from Yiddish by his daughter, despite the fact that she is now legally blind. Ultimately the book was published by his great-grandsons, who got to know him through this long buried manuscript.

[janean hughey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Understand awareness = empathy..

Again I have been made aware of how possible the holocaust could happen again. The human element in all the stories I read tells me that it is possible for all this to happened again if we the people walk around with our eyes closed in passive ignorance... Reading the stories told by survivors like this one will humble me and help me to always be on watch for hate crimes that were allowed to developers as was the foundation for the holocaust ..thank you Isaia Eiger for sharing your insightful story. I'm glad you love Veda to tell it.

[Mimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

First person account of life at auschwitz. Many, many amazing details of daily life and how the people who weren't killed managed to get by, and how tenuous and miserable life was.
Chilling and awful, in fact. Amazing story of how account was translated from Yiddish by the author's daughter, also a holocaust survivor.
Im amazed she had the strength to re-immerse her self into something so unspeakably horrible.
Amazed, but very appreciative she made this book accessible to english speakers.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible and truly unbelievable of account of Isaia Enger's life at Auschwitz-Burkenau. I had the opportunity to hear the translator, his daughter Dora, speak about the book and her own journey through concentration camps. What's most shocking is not just the cruelty but also the ingenuity, compassion and resilience of this family. I am privileged to have heard their story.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my husband's colleagues told us about this book. It is her great grandfather's account of Auschwitz. It has been a long time since I've read a firsthand account and so I had to adjust to the writing. The detail was incredible because he started writing within a few years of his liberation.
The way the book finally came about was miraculous. Don't skip the preface.

[Rita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stark, real, amazing story of survival. I cannot wait to hear Dora speak in Shakopee MN on May 22nd. There are some editing and repetitive issues but quite amazing the details Eiger could recall. Highly recommended.

[Leslie Levine Adler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not stop reading it. The author's voice is so compelling and I found it to be as if I were reading a journalist's account, I believe, because of his ability to see the big picture and to view people as individuals.