What do you think?
Rate this book
Miracle: The Boys Who Escaped the Gas Chamber at Auschwitz
The untold story of the only known Holocaust survivors to walk out of the gas chambers in Auschwitz and their remarkable second chance at life
Early on the morning of October 9, 1944, seven hundred boys between the ages of thirteen and seventeen, were taken out of Block 11 at Auschwitz. The night before, during a visit by Dr. Josef Mengele, their identification cards had been stamped with a solitary word—gestorben—German for “died.” They were then marched by twenty-five bayonet-wielding SS guards to Crematorium 5, stripped, and herded into a gas chamber.
This book is the story of a true-life miracle about the fifty-one boys who were pulled from that gas chamber—the only Holocaust survivors known to have escaped such a close brush with the Nazi killing machine—and given a second chance at life. A life, of course, that would be so horrifically snatched from those around them.
Based on first-hand testimonies from six of the boys, six survivors whose stories are shared in this book for the very first time, The Boys Who Escaped the Gas Chamber at Auschwitz is an unforgettable testament to hope and the bonds of brotherhood in the face of one of the worst crimes against humanity.
Early on the morning of October 9, 1944, seven hundred boys between the ages of thirteen and seventeen, were taken out of Block 11 at Auschwitz. The night before, during a visit by Dr. Josef Mengele, their identification cards had been stamped with a solitary word—gestorben—German for “died.” They were then marched by twenty-five bayonet-wielding SS guards to Crematorium 5, stripped, and herded into a gas chamber.
This book is the story of a true-life miracle about the fifty-one boys who were pulled from that gas chamber—the only Holocaust survivors known to have escaped such a close brush with the Nazi killing machine—and given a second chance at life. A life, of course, that would be so horrifically snatched from those around them.
Based on first-hand testimonies from six of the boys, six survivors whose stories are shared in this book for the very first time, The Boys Who Escaped the Gas Chamber at Auschwitz is an unforgettable testament to hope and the bonds of brotherhood in the face of one of the worst crimes against humanity.
272 pages, Hardcover
Published June 9, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
June 5, 2026
Wow. Just finished listening to this compelling true story of a group of Hungarian teen boys who were marked for death, stripped naked, brought to the had chambers, only to miraculously be the only group to make it out of there alive. I remain in awe of Holocaust survivors who despite losing their entire families, managed to pick themselves up from the ashes, and rebuild their lives after the war. The connections made at the end of the book to October 7th, which also happened on Simchat Torah, is a stark reminder of the brutality of the Nazis yemach shmo, and their modern day counterparts — antisemitic terrorists.
May 2, 2026
50 + 1 boys, who literally escaped death when they stepped out from behind the closed doors of a gas chamber – and everything that happened before and after that moment.
Although it is very difficult to imagine a more powerful story than this, the presentation fell behind my expectations. There are too many names, places and dates – and way to many jumping back and forth between them. Unfortunately, this makes the book a little bit difficult to understand at some points – hence the 3 stars.
Although it is very difficult to imagine a more powerful story than this, the presentation fell behind my expectations. There are too many names, places and dates – and way to many jumping back and forth between them. Unfortunately, this makes the book a little bit difficult to understand at some points – hence the 3 stars.
Read
August 1, 2026I thought the narration of this audiobook was done well. The subject matter is difficult, as one can expect, but of course it includes important parts of our world's history.
I don't rate audiobooks.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for my audio-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I don't rate audiobooks.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for my audio-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
March 14, 2026
Cuenta la historia real de 51 supervivientes de Auschwitz, en la que se puede aprender muchas cosas nuevas sobre el holocausto.
Sin embargo, considero que da muchos saltos temporales en el relato de la historia, introduce muchos personajes y palabras judías y alemanas, lo que hace difícil seguir el hilo en momentos puntuales.
Recomiendo su lectura por las cosas que se pueden aprender de él, pero no por su relato narrativo.
Sin embargo, considero que da muchos saltos temporales en el relato de la historia, introduce muchos personajes y palabras judías y alemanas, lo que hace difícil seguir el hilo en momentos puntuales.
Recomiendo su lectura por las cosas que se pueden aprender de él, pero no por su relato narrativo.
June 11, 2026
4.25
🇵🇱 ALC Review 🇵🇱
This Historical Non-Fiction recounts the stories of many of the 51 boys who were within seconds of being gassed at Auschwitz.
The book includes stories from their early lives and times at various camps, but also talks about them later in life - about their immigration, families, and their recollections about this time in their lives when they were much older.
I have read....a lot about the Holocaust. At university, I was able to take some classes about this topic and, at that time, and later in life, have visited some of the camps and have spent time reading both historical Non-Fiction and memoirs from those who lived through this time. This book is...pretty brutal even compared to the others - they were children.
The details in the book with the amount of stories gathered from all of the survivors in their minutiae and over a vast time period is amazing.
The story hopped around a lot and some of the names and stories seemed to run together. I'm not sure if this is a failing on my part at hearing similar first or last names or if it's a consequence of the audiobook - so take that reflection with a grain of salt.
What these boys went through was truly horrific. Most of the memoirs I've read were written by people who were adults at the time. So, hearing the stories of kids/teenagers about how their parents, grandparents & younger siblings were ripped away from them and who were alone in the world - doing horrific jobs to survive - was heart wrenching.
It's definitely a story that needed to be told. But, it's brutal. As with all books about this time period, it may need to be picked up and put down as it can be emotional.
With some books about this era, they're a bit more...not entertaining, but they make a more cinematic presentation with a more engaging setup. This book is a bit more dry in its presentation. It's understandable, but can be a bit slower to get through.
If you like The Hiding Place, Schindler's List, or The Dressmakers of Auschwitz you may like this book.
Triggers: The Holocaust (and everything you'd ever think to associate with it), Murder, Violence, Gore, Child Abuse, Torture
🇵🇱 ALC Review 🇵🇱
This Historical Non-Fiction recounts the stories of many of the 51 boys who were within seconds of being gassed at Auschwitz.
The book includes stories from their early lives and times at various camps, but also talks about them later in life - about their immigration, families, and their recollections about this time in their lives when they were much older.
I have read....a lot about the Holocaust. At university, I was able to take some classes about this topic and, at that time, and later in life, have visited some of the camps and have spent time reading both historical Non-Fiction and memoirs from those who lived through this time. This book is...pretty brutal even compared to the others - they were children.
The details in the book with the amount of stories gathered from all of the survivors in their minutiae and over a vast time period is amazing.
The story hopped around a lot and some of the names and stories seemed to run together. I'm not sure if this is a failing on my part at hearing similar first or last names or if it's a consequence of the audiobook - so take that reflection with a grain of salt.
What these boys went through was truly horrific. Most of the memoirs I've read were written by people who were adults at the time. So, hearing the stories of kids/teenagers about how their parents, grandparents & younger siblings were ripped away from them and who were alone in the world - doing horrific jobs to survive - was heart wrenching.
It's definitely a story that needed to be told. But, it's brutal. As with all books about this time period, it may need to be picked up and put down as it can be emotional.
With some books about this era, they're a bit more...not entertaining, but they make a more cinematic presentation with a more engaging setup. This book is a bit more dry in its presentation. It's understandable, but can be a bit slower to get through.
If you like The Hiding Place, Schindler's List, or The Dressmakers of Auschwitz you may like this book.
Triggers: The Holocaust (and everything you'd ever think to associate with it), Murder, Violence, Gore, Child Abuse, Torture
July 4, 2026
I agree with several of the reviews. This was an amazing story but told in such a way that it did not deliver it in a way that grasped your attention. I wanted to be moved by the stories of the boys and their lives following such a harrowing experience. Unfortunately, there were too many names and the depth of emotion was too shallow. I appreciate the research the author did and the boys’ resilience and determination.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Horizon for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Horizon for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!
June 25, 2026
Auschwitz is known for the depraved way people were imprisoned, tortured, starved and killed but on 10th October 1944 a group of young Jewish boys were taken into Crematorium 5. Just before the Zyklon B pellets were to be used to kill them three German officers stopped the process and the boys ordered to unload potatoes from Greece. This book is the story of these boys and what happened to them after this day.
Very well written and well narrated book (I listened to the audiobook). This book is the result of research, survivor testimonies and personal accounts. An enlightening account account of the struggle for survival at a time when those in power wanted to destroy all Jews. Very moving and necessary as we must never forget.
Very well written and well narrated book (I listened to the audiobook). This book is the result of research, survivor testimonies and personal accounts. An enlightening account account of the struggle for survival at a time when those in power wanted to destroy all Jews. Very moving and necessary as we must never forget.
January 27, 2026
#recensione per il blog opinioni librose
Buongiorno a tutti, nella #giornatadellamemoria vi parliamo di un'incredibile storia vera. Recensione di Monica.
"Buongiorno a tutti,
oggi vi parlo di un libro che mi ha toccato nel profondo, si tratta di: miracolo ad Auschwitz, di Michael Calvin e Naftali Schiff, edito da Newton compton edizioni che ringrazio per la copia digitale.
In occasione della giornata della memoria mi sembra doveroso portare alla vostra attenzione un libro che è una testimonianza. Un momento strano e inspiegabile che ha riconsegnato la vita a cinquantuno ragazzi sopravvissuti alla camera a gas. Mistero o miracolo non lo sapremo mai perché loro stessi ne hanno parlato solo dopo tanti anni, quasi temessero di affrontare con la memoria quell'episodio."
BLOG: https://www.opinionilibrose.it/2026/0...
#recensionilibri #opinionilibroseblog
Buongiorno a tutti, nella #giornatadellamemoria vi parliamo di un'incredibile storia vera. Recensione di Monica.
"Buongiorno a tutti,
oggi vi parlo di un libro che mi ha toccato nel profondo, si tratta di: miracolo ad Auschwitz, di Michael Calvin e Naftali Schiff, edito da Newton compton edizioni che ringrazio per la copia digitale.
In occasione della giornata della memoria mi sembra doveroso portare alla vostra attenzione un libro che è una testimonianza. Un momento strano e inspiegabile che ha riconsegnato la vita a cinquantuno ragazzi sopravvissuti alla camera a gas. Mistero o miracolo non lo sapremo mai perché loro stessi ne hanno parlato solo dopo tanti anni, quasi temessero di affrontare con la memoria quell'episodio."
BLOG: https://www.opinionilibrose.it/2026/0...
#recensionilibri #opinionilibroseblog
Read
May 15, 2026Unfortunately we have forgotten Never Forget.
April 8, 2026
I would highly recommend this book. This book moved me to tears many times—and yet, I wouldn’t describe it as simply “sad.” I’d say it’s compelling, well written (the stories as well as the fabulous vocabulary!), and inspiring.
This project came about when journalist teamed up with a Jewish rabbi whose life mission has been to collect stories from the Holocaust (from his many interviews with survivors). The book weaves together many stories, but it primarily focuses on the boys connected to one miraculous event: the only recorded instance in history where a group of boys had already been stripped of their clothes, their documents marked “dead,” and sent into the gas chambers at Auschwitz— only to be pulled out at the last second and sent to a different camp.
It is mind-boggling to me to think about the fact that some of those men are still alive today… The Holocaust happened less than 100 years ago. Yet it has largely been forgotten or is thought of as “old history”—May I not forget! I pray the stories stay with me and remind me of the brutality of evil, but also the beauty of life and freedom.
It was also crazy to me to consider that many of the boys’ stories shared were from Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, etc., all places I have visited relatively recently.
This project came about when journalist teamed up with a Jewish rabbi whose life mission has been to collect stories from the Holocaust (from his many interviews with survivors). The book weaves together many stories, but it primarily focuses on the boys connected to one miraculous event: the only recorded instance in history where a group of boys had already been stripped of their clothes, their documents marked “dead,” and sent into the gas chambers at Auschwitz— only to be pulled out at the last second and sent to a different camp.
It is mind-boggling to me to think about the fact that some of those men are still alive today… The Holocaust happened less than 100 years ago. Yet it has largely been forgotten or is thought of as “old history”—May I not forget! I pray the stories stay with me and remind me of the brutality of evil, but also the beauty of life and freedom.
It was also crazy to me to consider that many of the boys’ stories shared were from Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, etc., all places I have visited relatively recently.
March 31, 2026
Una historia espectacular pero contada de una manera cansina.
June 27, 2026
RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: WHERE WAS G-D DURING AUSCHWITZ?!?!
FIFTY-ONE YOUNG JEWISH BOYS SAVED FROM THE STOMACH OF THE GAS CHAMBER… BUT WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER SIX-MILLION?!?!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have read and reviewed numerous books on the Holocaust… and one thing among many others that never changes… is the fact that the words that make up the English language… that for all eternity… have had the magnificent power to fully describe any situation… become powerless and impotent… in a futile attempt… to portray… the desecration… of anything on this earth… that was proposed to have even an ounce of humanity.
The core of this book… that is the basis of differentiation… that the authors… are presenting…to add to… the never ending… (and hopefully…the eternal quest… and battle)… to not only… ***NEVER-FORGET***… but hopefully… to educate… and sear… into every molecule of heart… soul… and brain… of any even semi-human life- form (Nazi’s wouldn’t… and didn’t… and don’t… qualify for even the lowest rung of this classification!) that such a defilement (NOTE: here again… is where mere words don’t have the all-mighty strength and power that is truly needed!) of human life should never be allowed to happen again!..
In the midst of thousands and thousands and thousands… of Jews being murdered in herds in gas chambers…
And at Auschwitz after thousands of Jews who hadn’t ate in at least three days… and stuffed in cattle cars… as the trains arrived… the doors were slid open… and men,,, women… children… babies… families… were met by a menacing…abhorrent (another powerless word)… incorrectly wired… by G-d… in his assembly line… with shined boots… and clean gloves… simply flicking his inhuman hand one way or the other… one way sending babies… women… children… and invalids… IMMEDIATLEY INTO THE GAS CHAMBERS…
Thousands and thousands a day.. all the while calling them dogs… among other expectorations.
This reincarnation of the devil was… Josef Mengele… the Angel of Death. When he wasn’t directing Jews to the gas chamber… he was performing grotesque medical experiments on twins… or any other person he desired. And he quite often was the one who signaled the dropping of the ZYKLON B PELLETS INTO THE GAS CHAMBER,
“ZYKLON B PELLETS WERE USUALLY DROPPED THROUGH THE ROOF. ON CONTACT WITH THE AIR, HYDROGEN-CYANIDE GAS WAS RELEASED, SUFFOCATING THE OCCUPANTS.”
Mengele always aimed for a minimum FIVE-THOUSAND-JEWS-GASSED A DAY…
On October 10, 1944… there were eight hundred Jews stuffed into the gas chamber,,, 14-17-YEARS-OLD… THEY WERE ALREADY STRIPPED NAKED… THEIR CLOTHES IN A PILE… AND THEIR IDENTIFICATION CARDS… HAD ALREADY BEEN CHANGED TO ***DEAD!!!***… THE ZYKLON B HYDROGEN CYANIDE GAS PELLETS WERE ABOUT TO BE RELEASED…
“THREE GERMAN OFFICERS ARRIVED ON MOTORBIKES AND ORDERED THE BOYS’ EVACUATION ,SELECTING A LIMITED NUMBER OF THEM TO UNLOAD A CONSIGNMENT OF POTATOES FROM GREECE.”
The doors to the gas chamber were already closed…
“IT IS THE ONLY RECORDED INSTANCE OF A GROUP OF JEWISH PRISONERS BEING REMOVED FROM A GAS CHAMBER AND GIVEN THE CHANCE TO LIVE.”
The author(s) spent over twenty years finding the few survivors… interviewing and filming the verified testimonies and evidence. The story at times gets a little confusing… as they go back in time to establish the pre-holocaust life of many of the survivors… then their time at the death camps… and post war. Being that there are multiple individuals… and names of the cities… and individuals are not Smith… Jones… White… or Chicago… or Detroit… at times I found myself semi skipping the names in my mind… so as to be able to keep flowing with the story.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
**AT AUSCHWITZ ON JANUARY 27, 2020, TO MARK THE SEVENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH CAMPS’ LIBERATION excerpts from the hidden diaries of Zalmen Gradowski, a Polish Jew who died during the revolt of October 7, 1944:
“WHO WAS PREPARED TO BELIEVE THAT MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WERE BEING SIEZED FOR NO REASON WHATEVER AND LED TO SLAUGHTER BY MULTIPLE MEANS? WHO WAS PREPARED TO BELIEVE THAT A WHOLE PEOPLE WAS BEING LED TO DESTRUCTION AT THE DIABOLICAL WILL OF A GANG OF CONTEMPTIBLE CRIMINALS?
“WHO WAS PREPARED TO BELIEVE THAT A WHOLE PEOPLE WAS TO BE EXTERMINATED TO COMPENSATE FOR FAILURE IN A STRUGGLE FOR POWER AND SUPREMACY? WHO WAS PREPARED TO BELIEVE THAT A PEOPLE WOULD BLINDLY OBEY A LAW LEADING TO DEATH AND DESTRUCTION?
“IT MAY BE THAT THIS, THESE VERY LINES I AM WRITING, WILL BE THE ONLY WITNESSES TO WHAT WAS MY LIFE. BUT I WILL BE HAPPY IF MY WRITINGS REACH YOU, FREE CITIZEN OF THE WORLD. PERHAPS A SPARK OF MY INNER FIRE WILL IGNITE YOU, AND YOU WILL FULFILL AT LEAST A PART OF OUR LIFE’S DESIRE:
*****************YOU SHALL AVENGE, AVENGE OUR DEATHS****
***************************************************************************
FROM THE CROWD… DEFYING A MOMENT OF SILENCE…
*** A NINETY-YEAR-OLD-MAN… DUGO LEITNER… ONE OF THE LAST OF THE FIFTY-ONE-SURVIVORS… SCREAMED…
********************* AM YISREAL CHAI!!!!!!!!!!!!! *************************
FIFTY-ONE YOUNG JEWISH BOYS SAVED FROM THE STOMACH OF THE GAS CHAMBER… BUT WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER SIX-MILLION?!?!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have read and reviewed numerous books on the Holocaust… and one thing among many others that never changes… is the fact that the words that make up the English language… that for all eternity… have had the magnificent power to fully describe any situation… become powerless and impotent… in a futile attempt… to portray… the desecration… of anything on this earth… that was proposed to have even an ounce of humanity.
The core of this book… that is the basis of differentiation… that the authors… are presenting…to add to… the never ending… (and hopefully…the eternal quest… and battle)… to not only… ***NEVER-FORGET***… but hopefully… to educate… and sear… into every molecule of heart… soul… and brain… of any even semi-human life- form (Nazi’s wouldn’t… and didn’t… and don’t… qualify for even the lowest rung of this classification!) that such a defilement (NOTE: here again… is where mere words don’t have the all-mighty strength and power that is truly needed!) of human life should never be allowed to happen again!..
In the midst of thousands and thousands and thousands… of Jews being murdered in herds in gas chambers…
And at Auschwitz after thousands of Jews who hadn’t ate in at least three days… and stuffed in cattle cars… as the trains arrived… the doors were slid open… and men,,, women… children… babies… families… were met by a menacing…abhorrent (another powerless word)… incorrectly wired… by G-d… in his assembly line… with shined boots… and clean gloves… simply flicking his inhuman hand one way or the other… one way sending babies… women… children… and invalids… IMMEDIATLEY INTO THE GAS CHAMBERS…
Thousands and thousands a day.. all the while calling them dogs… among other expectorations.
This reincarnation of the devil was… Josef Mengele… the Angel of Death. When he wasn’t directing Jews to the gas chamber… he was performing grotesque medical experiments on twins… or any other person he desired. And he quite often was the one who signaled the dropping of the ZYKLON B PELLETS INTO THE GAS CHAMBER,
“ZYKLON B PELLETS WERE USUALLY DROPPED THROUGH THE ROOF. ON CONTACT WITH THE AIR, HYDROGEN-CYANIDE GAS WAS RELEASED, SUFFOCATING THE OCCUPANTS.”
Mengele always aimed for a minimum FIVE-THOUSAND-JEWS-GASSED A DAY…
On October 10, 1944… there were eight hundred Jews stuffed into the gas chamber,,, 14-17-YEARS-OLD… THEY WERE ALREADY STRIPPED NAKED… THEIR CLOTHES IN A PILE… AND THEIR IDENTIFICATION CARDS… HAD ALREADY BEEN CHANGED TO ***DEAD!!!***… THE ZYKLON B HYDROGEN CYANIDE GAS PELLETS WERE ABOUT TO BE RELEASED…
“THREE GERMAN OFFICERS ARRIVED ON MOTORBIKES AND ORDERED THE BOYS’ EVACUATION ,SELECTING A LIMITED NUMBER OF THEM TO UNLOAD A CONSIGNMENT OF POTATOES FROM GREECE.”
The doors to the gas chamber were already closed…
“IT IS THE ONLY RECORDED INSTANCE OF A GROUP OF JEWISH PRISONERS BEING REMOVED FROM A GAS CHAMBER AND GIVEN THE CHANCE TO LIVE.”
The author(s) spent over twenty years finding the few survivors… interviewing and filming the verified testimonies and evidence. The story at times gets a little confusing… as they go back in time to establish the pre-holocaust life of many of the survivors… then their time at the death camps… and post war. Being that there are multiple individuals… and names of the cities… and individuals are not Smith… Jones… White… or Chicago… or Detroit… at times I found myself semi skipping the names in my mind… so as to be able to keep flowing with the story.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
**AT AUSCHWITZ ON JANUARY 27, 2020, TO MARK THE SEVENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH CAMPS’ LIBERATION excerpts from the hidden diaries of Zalmen Gradowski, a Polish Jew who died during the revolt of October 7, 1944:
“WHO WAS PREPARED TO BELIEVE THAT MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WERE BEING SIEZED FOR NO REASON WHATEVER AND LED TO SLAUGHTER BY MULTIPLE MEANS? WHO WAS PREPARED TO BELIEVE THAT A WHOLE PEOPLE WAS BEING LED TO DESTRUCTION AT THE DIABOLICAL WILL OF A GANG OF CONTEMPTIBLE CRIMINALS?
“WHO WAS PREPARED TO BELIEVE THAT A WHOLE PEOPLE WAS TO BE EXTERMINATED TO COMPENSATE FOR FAILURE IN A STRUGGLE FOR POWER AND SUPREMACY? WHO WAS PREPARED TO BELIEVE THAT A PEOPLE WOULD BLINDLY OBEY A LAW LEADING TO DEATH AND DESTRUCTION?
“IT MAY BE THAT THIS, THESE VERY LINES I AM WRITING, WILL BE THE ONLY WITNESSES TO WHAT WAS MY LIFE. BUT I WILL BE HAPPY IF MY WRITINGS REACH YOU, FREE CITIZEN OF THE WORLD. PERHAPS A SPARK OF MY INNER FIRE WILL IGNITE YOU, AND YOU WILL FULFILL AT LEAST A PART OF OUR LIFE’S DESIRE:
*****************YOU SHALL AVENGE, AVENGE OUR DEATHS****
***************************************************************************
FROM THE CROWD… DEFYING A MOMENT OF SILENCE…
*** A NINETY-YEAR-OLD-MAN… DUGO LEITNER… ONE OF THE LAST OF THE FIFTY-ONE-SURVIVORS… SCREAMED…
********************* AM YISREAL CHAI!!!!!!!!!!!!! *************************
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿: readers interested in World War II history, survivor stories, personal accounts of the Holocaust, and books that remind us why remembering the past matters.
I have always found history fascinating, even the darkest chapters. Maybe especially those chapters. Not because they are easy to read about, but because I think we have a responsibility to remember what humans have been capable of.
Miracle tells a powerful story of survival, but what stayed with me the most were often the smallest moments. The little decisions and split-second choices that could change everything. Adding something to seem a little taller, finding somewhere impossible to hide, a moment of kindness in the middle of cruelty. Tiny things that under normal circumstances would mean almost nothing, but here could become the difference between life and death.
Those small human moments were the ones that followed me after closing the book.
What I appreciated was that the people in these pages never felt like characters in a story. They felt like people. People who had lives before these horrors happened, people who fought to survive them, and people who continued building lives afterwards.
They did not just survive, they lived.
I also appreciated that the emotion was allowed to be there without completely taking over. A story like this should hurt to read, but the book still lets the people and their experiences stand at the centre.
My main struggle was the structure. Because this book follows several people, there are many names and perspectives moving back and forth. While I understand why, since this is not one person's story alone, I did sometimes find myself losing track of who experienced what. Personally I think I would have connected even stronger with a clearer separation of each survivor's journey.
But even with that, the stories themselves never fell flat. I was always interested, always learning, and always reminded that behind the numbers we hear when talking about history were individual people with their own lives.
This book feels like standing in a room full of old photographs. Every picture holds a person, a memory, and a story. You might not remember every single name attached to every photograph, but you remember the weight of what they represent.
We cannot change what happened, but we can choose to remember. Learning these stories, even the painful ones, is part of how we carry the past with us and hopefully walk into the future a little wiser.
✨ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱: • The strength, quick thinking, and determination shown by the survivors
• The small human moments that stayed with me long after reading
• How the book remembers these were real people with whole lives, not just victims in history
🌧️ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱: • The amount of names and changing perspectives sometimes became difficult to follow
• I occasionally lost track of which experiences belonged to which person
• I would have preferred a clearer structure around each survivor’s individual story
⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5
A little thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for opening the door and letting me wander into this story. All thoughts, feelings, and bookish ramblings I brought back are entirely my own. 📖✨
I have always found history fascinating, even the darkest chapters. Maybe especially those chapters. Not because they are easy to read about, but because I think we have a responsibility to remember what humans have been capable of.
Miracle tells a powerful story of survival, but what stayed with me the most were often the smallest moments. The little decisions and split-second choices that could change everything. Adding something to seem a little taller, finding somewhere impossible to hide, a moment of kindness in the middle of cruelty. Tiny things that under normal circumstances would mean almost nothing, but here could become the difference between life and death.
Those small human moments were the ones that followed me after closing the book.
What I appreciated was that the people in these pages never felt like characters in a story. They felt like people. People who had lives before these horrors happened, people who fought to survive them, and people who continued building lives afterwards.
They did not just survive, they lived.
I also appreciated that the emotion was allowed to be there without completely taking over. A story like this should hurt to read, but the book still lets the people and their experiences stand at the centre.
My main struggle was the structure. Because this book follows several people, there are many names and perspectives moving back and forth. While I understand why, since this is not one person's story alone, I did sometimes find myself losing track of who experienced what. Personally I think I would have connected even stronger with a clearer separation of each survivor's journey.
But even with that, the stories themselves never fell flat. I was always interested, always learning, and always reminded that behind the numbers we hear when talking about history were individual people with their own lives.
This book feels like standing in a room full of old photographs. Every picture holds a person, a memory, and a story. You might not remember every single name attached to every photograph, but you remember the weight of what they represent.
We cannot change what happened, but we can choose to remember. Learning these stories, even the painful ones, is part of how we carry the past with us and hopefully walk into the future a little wiser.
✨ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱: • The strength, quick thinking, and determination shown by the survivors
• The small human moments that stayed with me long after reading
• How the book remembers these were real people with whole lives, not just victims in history
🌧️ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱: • The amount of names and changing perspectives sometimes became difficult to follow
• I occasionally lost track of which experiences belonged to which person
• I would have preferred a clearer structure around each survivor’s individual story
⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5
A little thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for opening the door and letting me wander into this story. All thoughts, feelings, and bookish ramblings I brought back are entirely my own. 📖✨
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
An astounding event of the Holocaust: escaping the gas chamber at Auschwitz! This is the true story of fifty-one boys between the ages of 13 to 17 who through a fluke of fate lived to tell the tale! It’s almost like reading a thriller.
The boys ID cards had been stamped by the Nazis as “gestorben,” German for “died.” They had been marched into Crematorium V, when three SS officers arrived and stopped the execution. Fifty boys were selected (a fifty-first snuck in) from 800 to unload a consignment of potatoes. These are the only known group of prisoners to walk out of a crematorium alive!
Six survivors recount that day! These same boys had survived multiple selections since arriving at Auschwitz in 1944. They recount what they had to do to be selected - still run and do knee bends, this after being starved for two days! The boys still had unimaginable things to survive after this but to a person the survivors believed their survival was due to divine intervention.
Interestingly the date these boys were chosen for execution was Hoshana Rabbah, the time of judgement as to who will live or die. This date was chosen by Josef Mengele who loved to torment the Jewish prisoners by picking dates that corresponded with dates sacred to Jews. The date fell on October 7, 1944. While st times the book can get bogged down on detail, the story is so horrific and compelling, this a minor flaw.
This is an important book especially since there seem to be so many Holocaust deniers. We must not forget! The shame of humanity in the wretchedness of WWII must always be remembered.
My thanks to NetGalley and Harper for granting me access to this powerful ARC.
The boys ID cards had been stamped by the Nazis as “gestorben,” German for “died.” They had been marched into Crematorium V, when three SS officers arrived and stopped the execution. Fifty boys were selected (a fifty-first snuck in) from 800 to unload a consignment of potatoes. These are the only known group of prisoners to walk out of a crematorium alive!
Six survivors recount that day! These same boys had survived multiple selections since arriving at Auschwitz in 1944. They recount what they had to do to be selected - still run and do knee bends, this after being starved for two days! The boys still had unimaginable things to survive after this but to a person the survivors believed their survival was due to divine intervention.
Interestingly the date these boys were chosen for execution was Hoshana Rabbah, the time of judgement as to who will live or die. This date was chosen by Josef Mengele who loved to torment the Jewish prisoners by picking dates that corresponded with dates sacred to Jews. The date fell on October 7, 1944. While st times the book can get bogged down on detail, the story is so horrific and compelling, this a minor flaw.
This is an important book especially since there seem to be so many Holocaust deniers. We must not forget! The shame of humanity in the wretchedness of WWII must always be remembered.
My thanks to NetGalley and Harper for granting me access to this powerful ARC.
June 30, 2026
On October 10, 1944, a group of about 700 Hungarian Jewish teenage boys were brought to Crematorium 5 at Auschwitz. They were stripped, processed, and officially marked as dead in the Nazi records.
At the last moment, something extraordinary occurred: around 50 of the boys were pulled out of the gas chamber, and SS officers assigned them to work handling a shipment of potatoes. A 51st boy managed to join them shortly afterward.
This is the story of those survivors — their lives before that day, what they endured afterward, and what ultimately became of them. Some lived to see liberation and went on to rebuild their lives, while others did not survive the camps. A few are still alive today. It is a story of survival under impossible circumstances, and of how some lost their faith while others found new strength in it.
One thing people often overlook is that there was no coordinated or “streamlined” system ready to receive Holocaust survivors after the war. Many had no families left to return to, and entire communities and homes had been destroyed. Their lives had to be rebuilt from the ground up—through finding relatives, replacing lost documentation, and securing places to live or immigrate. While some received physical and psychological support, many were deeply traumatized, and the process of recovery was fragmented and difficult..
At the last moment, something extraordinary occurred: around 50 of the boys were pulled out of the gas chamber, and SS officers assigned them to work handling a shipment of potatoes. A 51st boy managed to join them shortly afterward.
This is the story of those survivors — their lives before that day, what they endured afterward, and what ultimately became of them. Some lived to see liberation and went on to rebuild their lives, while others did not survive the camps. A few are still alive today. It is a story of survival under impossible circumstances, and of how some lost their faith while others found new strength in it.
One thing people often overlook is that there was no coordinated or “streamlined” system ready to receive Holocaust survivors after the war. Many had no families left to return to, and entire communities and homes had been destroyed. Their lives had to be rebuilt from the ground up—through finding relatives, replacing lost documentation, and securing places to live or immigrate. While some received physical and psychological support, many were deeply traumatized, and the process of recovery was fragmented and difficult..
July 16, 2026
I just finished listening to the audiobook, and am still processing all that I've heard. WWII is a time that fascinates me...the terrible things humans can inflict on each other, but the goodness and kindness of others is always so hopeful. The stories included in this book, as I expected, are horrific and horribly sad, but the lives of these boys are beautiful and encouraging.
Truthfully, I wish I had read this book instead of listening. There are just so many names of people and places that I couldn't keep them straight or remember them all, and finally gave up to just listen to their stories as a whole. I don't know if reading would have made it more impactful, but it would certainly have been a book I kept or passed along.
The research the author conducted into the lives of these men is comprehensive, and covers their lives prior to the war, during their time in Auschwitz, and after their release. He also wrote an epilogue noting the impact these men have had on his life, which I found to be quite meaningful. I think this may be a book I go and buy to have my own copy.
Thank you Netgalley, HCCP & HCF Audio for allowing me to listen to this audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.
Truthfully, I wish I had read this book instead of listening. There are just so many names of people and places that I couldn't keep them straight or remember them all, and finally gave up to just listen to their stories as a whole. I don't know if reading would have made it more impactful, but it would certainly have been a book I kept or passed along.
The research the author conducted into the lives of these men is comprehensive, and covers their lives prior to the war, during their time in Auschwitz, and after their release. He also wrote an epilogue noting the impact these men have had on his life, which I found to be quite meaningful. I think this may be a book I go and buy to have my own copy.
Thank you Netgalley, HCCP & HCF Audio for allowing me to listen to this audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.
Review of advance copy
I’ve read plenty of books about the Holocaust and I’d never heard about this story - so I was genuinely surprised to find out that such a miracle, as the title rightly puts it, occurred.
The writing was good, though I wouldn’t dare to say it was anything particularly special. At times, it became difficult to recall the details of the boys, due to the way it was written. The book would have strongly benefitted from a small list at the beginning or end of the book listing the boys with a brief description as many times, I found myself having to go and look through pages to recall the exact details of the individual boys.
Additionally, I noted minor grammatical errors that had been missed during publication.
However, despite these flaws, the book itself does tell a truly unique story. As previously said, I’ve never heard of this event and I’ve read many books about the subject. So for those who are avid readers of literature on the Holocaust, I would recommend reading this book.
The writing was good, though I wouldn’t dare to say it was anything particularly special. At times, it became difficult to recall the details of the boys, due to the way it was written. The book would have strongly benefitted from a small list at the beginning or end of the book listing the boys with a brief description as many times, I found myself having to go and look through pages to recall the exact details of the individual boys.
Additionally, I noted minor grammatical errors that had been missed during publication.
However, despite these flaws, the book itself does tell a truly unique story. As previously said, I’ve never heard of this event and I’ve read many books about the subject. So for those who are avid readers of literature on the Holocaust, I would recommend reading this book.
July 8, 2026
I've read so much about the Holocaust over my years but do not recall this particular account.
We get a very detailed account of what happened to the boys, prior, during, and after escaping what seemed their fate. I greatly appreciated learning about their families and lives prior to the camps and how they were able to navigate their time in the camps. It's devastating, every bit of it, but gave insight into their lives and feelings of the camps that we don't always get.
I did find the format sort of deadpan. The writing fell flat for me many times and I'd find myself rereading as it often felt like a list of experiences to run through. Overall, though, I learned so much and hearing individual experiences gave so much substance to this novel. Perspectives were so different and how they chose to live after all they endured was really dependent on how they felt about their experience. Mostly sad, but some found peace with their history in such a way to move ahead.
We get a very detailed account of what happened to the boys, prior, during, and after escaping what seemed their fate. I greatly appreciated learning about their families and lives prior to the camps and how they were able to navigate their time in the camps. It's devastating, every bit of it, but gave insight into their lives and feelings of the camps that we don't always get.
I did find the format sort of deadpan. The writing fell flat for me many times and I'd find myself rereading as it often felt like a list of experiences to run through. Overall, though, I learned so much and hearing individual experiences gave so much substance to this novel. Perspectives were so different and how they chose to live after all they endured was really dependent on how they felt about their experience. Mostly sad, but some found peace with their history in such a way to move ahead.
July 22, 2026
How do you rate and recommend a book that tells a story that is so horrifying that you hurt all over when you read it? Who do you recommend it to?
Yes, I'm giving it five stars. The writing is absolutely excellent and the story is told in entirety. The research that this required is astounding.
As you read, you need to remind yourself to breath. And you wonder to yourself who will read this? I'm 70 years old. I grew up with the silence around the Holocaust that gradually got louder and louder. I heard Ellie Wiesel speak when I was 12 years old. In Sunday School we saw news reels. It is ingrained in me.
But what about my children and my grandchildren? How will they learn--not just about what happened to us, but the lessons that we find there that apply to present day times.
And just because of that I would recommend this book to anyone.
Read it and again, don't forget to breathe. Step away when you need to. But come back.
Yes, I'm giving it five stars. The writing is absolutely excellent and the story is told in entirety. The research that this required is astounding.
As you read, you need to remind yourself to breath. And you wonder to yourself who will read this? I'm 70 years old. I grew up with the silence around the Holocaust that gradually got louder and louder. I heard Ellie Wiesel speak when I was 12 years old. In Sunday School we saw news reels. It is ingrained in me.
But what about my children and my grandchildren? How will they learn--not just about what happened to us, but the lessons that we find there that apply to present day times.
And just because of that I would recommend this book to anyone.
Read it and again, don't forget to breathe. Step away when you need to. But come back.
July 1, 2026
Fifty one Jewish boys aged 13-17 were naked in the gas chamber at Auschwitz, the doors began to close when they were suddenly pulled out told to dress and marched to unload potatoes instead of being murdered. The reason was never given, to the boys it was nothing but a neis, a miracle, now they had to survive until the war and their suffering ended. This is their stories of losing family members, friends and neighbours, their horrific treatment in the camp and their lives after. To prove that Hitler's plan was a failure, they became husbands, fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers. This is a hard read but also an uplifting story of survival and yes, a miracle. A must read for anyone interested in history and the Holocaust.
July 3, 2026
A bit scattered and harder to keep up with than other similar accounts, but this book is remarkable in that it gives credence to the divine intervention that saved all these people from death during the Holocaust. The author interviews some of them before death and hears of the account of the only known time children were led into a crematorium and were divinely saved to walk back out. This is their stories of how God saved them, on more than just that single occurrence. Several are devout Jews, very few turn their back on their faith. This may not be the messianic faith of the Bible, but there is such evidence for a peace in the midst of turmoil and the same Divine intervention that God shows for His people in the Old Testament.
June 23, 2026
It is hard to put into words the impact this book has on its readers. Like other tomes on the Holocaust (most notably Six of Six Million) the level of inhumanity, cruelty, and unspeakable and imaginable evil perpetrated by the Nazis and their collaborators makes reading this beyond painful and disturbing at times. But this story, previously untold, is truly amazing and the incredible strength, perseverance, fortitude and faith of these 51 boys is representative of all survivors. Their story in important and yet another testament that we can never forget nor should we - and that these stories are important and relevant to us all.
July 9, 2026
This book focuses on an event from World War II most don't know about, and the boys who lived through it. At one point teenaged Hungarian Jews were sent to the gas chamber at Auschwitz but at the last moment, after the doors had been initially closed, 50 young men were removed from the gas chamber and put to work processing a shipment of potatoes to go to soldiers or to be planted. The book shares the childhood, time in concentration camps, and post-war lives of some of those young men. It is in many ways a difficult book to read due to the harrowing events, but I am glad to have read it and learned the stories of the men who were reprieved.
February 6, 2026
A remarkable story, told in a fairly unremarkable book. It’s quite impressive that the author wasn’t able to create a shred of suspense given the characters, setting and emotion.
That said, there’s no doubt that the survival of the boys was truly a miraculous event, and I’m glad this story has been told. The reflections of the survivors made the read worthwhile, particularly their thoughts about Israel and Zionism.
And finally, for the love of God, let this be the last book of any sort of magnitude to be narrated by Laurence Dobeisz.
That said, there’s no doubt that the survival of the boys was truly a miraculous event, and I’m glad this story has been told. The reflections of the survivors made the read worthwhile, particularly their thoughts about Israel and Zionism.
And finally, for the love of God, let this be the last book of any sort of magnitude to be narrated by Laurence Dobeisz.
June 26, 2026
It is hard for me, who is old enough to remember a world without the Internet, to imagine anyone who didn't believe the Holocaust happened. The writers of this book interviewed survivors from a specific group of Hungarian Jewish boys who narrowly escaped the gas chamber. There will soon be no more survivors, so oral history of the atrocities is important to document now. What happened to them IS almost unimaginable; I found it most heartbreaking to read that no one wanted to hear about their experiences or didn't believe how bad it really was in the concentration camps.
July 8, 2026
The book tells the fascinating story of 50 Hungarian boys reprieved from one of the gas chambers at Auschwitz while the doors were closing because the Germans decided at the very last moment that they needed workers to unload a shipment of potatoes. The book describes their reprieve and their lives afterwards. The book also provides a detailed overview of the 1944 deportation of hundreds of thousands of Hungarian Jews to Auschwitz, where the vast majority of them were murdered immediately upon arrival.
July 19, 2026
This story is incredible. The tortures, deprivations, hardships, inhumanities, and disregard for human decency detailed in this book is hard to comprehend. At the same time, I am amazed at the positive perspective of these individuals and their faith in God despite their hardships. My two big takeaways from this book are that 1) we must never let the world forget, and 2) we need to always remember that even the most inhumane will face a final judgement where eternal, heavenly justice will be meted out by an all knowing Heavenly Father from whom no-one can hide their thoughts or actions.
August 8, 2026
This is a horrible story. Sometimes it made my stomach hurt just to read it. Nevertheless, it's a story that needs to be told, and the author does a good job of getting the points across. The writing is a little more in the textbook style than I prefer, but I think if it had been less formal, it might have been even harder to digest. Also, jumping back and forth between characters, I sometimes forgot the history of the individual being discussed. All that said, it is definitely an informative read.
August 9, 2026
You know in elementary school when they are teaching you the writing process and the first step is to write down all the info/research you think is relevant onto a piece of paper and not worry about organization or cohesion or anything else? This book feels like the author did that and then published those papers as a book. It was painful to get through. The last couple of chapters did capture the inspirational impact of the survivors and the gross lack of interest and respect for what happened in the Holocaust. But it was a challenge to finish.
August 13, 2026
I wish I could rate this higher. As for the boys story that’s a 5 star but the way their stories were told I had a hard time keeping track. I also didn’t feel as connected as I wanted to be. Their story was definitely nothing short of amazing as the Hungarian boys were in put into a gas chamber to then be pulled out to help unload a truck then moved to a different camp. Then proceeds to explain how they kept avoiding death and survived the camps and the appreciation of life they had a second chance at. Horrific details no one should ever have to go through.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews