Surviving Hitler: The Unlikely True Story of an SS Soldier and a Jewish Woman

by O. Hakan Palm

Gustav Palm kept his secret for more than forty years. He'd been a young man when Hitler invaded his native Norway. After being forced to guard a Nazi prison camp, however, Gustav took his only option for he volunteered for the Waffen-SS to fight at the front. Agnes Erdös grew up in privilege and prosperity as a child in Hungary. She and her parents were practicing Roman Catholics, but they were ethnic Jews, and after the Nazis invaded her country, Agnes and her parents were sent to the death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Miraculously, both Agnes and Gustav survived. And after the war, they found each other. Told in their own words, Surviving Hitler is the story of two indomitable spirits who built on their life-altering experiences to overcome the past, help each other heal, and embrace a common faith in God that led them to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Biography, Book Club, World War II, Historical, Biography Memoir

Audio CD

First published July 7, 2014

Reviews

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is really a time I wish I was good with words. I wish I could express in beautiful writing how much I loved this book, because it deserves that. Unfortunately I was born with the gift of "gab" and not the gift of "writing". I can only hope that my review will encourage another person to read this amazing story.

Stories about the holocaust are so very hard for me to read. In all honesty I try to avoid them. I like to read to escape reality, not live it through the words of a book. When I saw this book come up for review though, I had to jump on the wagon. I am always amazed when I read stories about the holocaust and how people came out "okay". That time in our history is so heart breaking, that is hard for me to believe that anything good came out of it. I am so very thankful that so many good things did come from such a horrible time in history.

This story is told in Agnes and Gustav's words through their son. They came from very different back grounds, and the entire time you will read about the same time, yet they are going through very different experiences. The small miracles that happen to each of them are evident and I love that they acknowledge that they are miracles.

I am an emotional person to begin with, so lets just say this book had me in tears on multiple occasions. Sobbing, deep, breath tears. Some were sad, and some were happy. None the less, this book brought out so many emotions while reading it.

I cannot imagine the horror that Agnes had to witness, and go through on a daily basis. When she talks about her trip to Auschwitz and the last time she sees her parents, my heart was so heavy. I cannot image the pain she went through as she watched her parents walk away, and be taken into the gas chambers. Through all of her hardships and terrors she had to live through she never lost faith. She may have questioned where God was at times, but deep down she knew he was always with her.

Gustav's point of view often made me angry. Not because he was a bad man, because he is not, but because of the horrible things he was forced to do as a soldier. I cannot image the turmoil he went through knowing that he was fighting a war in which he did not fully agree with. He served and did his duty, but knew that what they were doing was wrong. I understand why he kept his past a secret. I have to admit that while reading it at times, I didn't think too highly of him. I had to remind myself, that he really had no choice in the matter. I cannot image the heart ache he has had to go through knowing what role he played in such a horrific time in history. I grew to love Gustav and my heart aches that he even had to experience such things.

When Agnes and Gustav meet, I was absolutely blown away at the willingness and love that Agnes had for this complete stranger that she saw sitting alone. This woman has a heart bigger than life. She saw the good in people regardless of their background. She and Gustav are such an example of love, forgiveness, acceptance and overcoming the trials that life throws at you.

Reading this story really does put into perspective how easy my life really is! I really have no room to complain. We may experience hardships in our lives but how we handle them will decide what kind of person we will be.

Anges and Gustav's journeys were heart breaking, and horrible, but it also led to a beautiful life. It's hard to imagine that something so beautiful came from something so horrific. Now, they have a legacy of love that is larger than even they imagined. They have touched the lives of countless people. They are the true example of faith, unconditional love, and forgiveness.

Whether you are a religious person or not, this book is beautiful. The writing is beautiful. The glimpse into the lives of these two beautiful humans is amazing.

This book was inspiring, and wonderful. If you get a chance to pick it up, I do not think you will regret a minute of your time.

Source: I received this ARC copy from Deseret Book in return for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way for this review. These are my own PERSONAL thoughts on the book.

[Shiloah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true story of an unlikely couple. So much to learn and strength to gain from their stories. While difficult, this book was uplifting and inspiring—filled with hope and light.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to criticize a book where people are telling the horrific stories of the way in which World War II and the Holocaust affected their lives. But here goes. This book is apparently told in the words of the protagonists (although the author, their son, doesn't make that entirely clear), a Norwegian volunteer in the German SS who fought on the Eastern (Russian) Front and a Catholic woman who was interned in Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen, and elsewhere because her grandmother was Jewish and she was, therefore, considered Jewish under Nazi so-called laws. Both suffered and both felt their lives were miraculously spared. They met in Sweden after the war, married, and joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Although the promotional material implies that the idea of a concentration-camp survivor and an SS soldier finding love poses near-insurmountable problems, as it happened, Gustav Palm was never involved in the persecution of Jews--he was purely a soldier--and was never a committed National Socialist, having joined the German military after the occupation of Norway and in ignorance of much of the Nazi agenda--and once he learned of it, he was not allowed to resign from the army. I can see why his future wife probably didn't have to do a lot of soul-searching before developing a relationship with him. And if she did do any soul-searching, it certainly isn't described in the book.

Indeed, that's where the book is most lacking--the protagonists tell what happened to each (and they don't meet each other until about two-thirds of the way through the book), but they don't say much about how they felt about what happened except that their lives were quite difficult, which is obvious. But there is little description of their inner lives, the interior struggles they must have endured, or their contemplation of man's inhumanity to man that is so much a part of the evil of the Nazis. Of course, the "twist" in this tale of enduring the war and the Holocaust is that the protagonists later fell in love and joined the LDS Church But the book doesn't give a glimpse of their thoughts about doing either, which would have made the book so much more worthwhile. Their courtship is briefly described without much, if any, description of how they felt, what they talked about, or how they came to decide that they were right for each other. Similarly, their spiritual journey to the LDS Church from her devout Catholicism and his basically nonreligious starting place, through the suffering their spirits must have endured as part of their experiences in the war, to their decision to join the LDS Church, is missing. They basically say, "We met the missionaries and a few months after that, we were baptized." That Gustav Palm kept his service in the German military during the war a secret from everyone but his wife until he was "outed" in a talk by President Thomas S. Monson in about 1995 is interesting, and he does talk a little about how that affected him, but it's not enough to base a book on when there is already so much out there about the Holocaust. The aspects of the Palms' stories that make them worth writing a book about are omitted from the book.

From a pickier standpoint, the book (at least the ebook) is not well-formatted. Gustav's story in told all in italics, while Agnes's story is interspersed in regular Roman type. Anyone who has studied typeface and readability will tell you that blocks of italic text are difficult for the reader to read, and they take up at least half of the book. The name of the person whose story is being told is repeated even when a indication of a later date would suffice. When you consider the beautiful design that makes readable the different elements of President Eyring's recently published biography, this book makes you wonder if the fourth-string design team was assigned to take care of it. Surviving Hitler is perhaps worth checking out of the library if you are very much interested in the Holocaust, but I'm sorry I purchased it and I'm especially sorry that the elements that make the story most of interest to LDS readers--the intended audience--are glossed over or omitted.

[Kerry Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It’s inspiring to read about the experiences of this couple throughout WWII. It amazes me how they could live through such hard and horrible things and yet choose to see the miracles.

[Doris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was incredibly difficult for me to read. I have read several books by Holocaust and POW camp survivors, but this book was unique in that it followed two people's lives on different sides of the war and gave so much personal detail about what they went through and experienced. This is what made it very hard for me to read: particularly the scenes from near the end of and right after the end of the war. In fact, I just had to skip over some parts because it was just too painful and horrific.

The resolution is very joyful and hopeful, though, so I knew I had to finish the book and get to the uplifting part. I hope I never have to experience any of these things, and more particularly that none of my family will either. We must learn from the past so we don't repeat it, but sometimes I feel an awful foreboding that it will be repeated multiple times.

[Aud · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, so good! The book was hard to put down - I kept wondering how Gustav and Agnes would meet. I'm always fascinated by WWII stories, and this one included perspectives from both sides; a Jewish woman sent to a concentration camp and a Norwegian/Swede who signed up as a German soldier. I know one of Gustav's and Agnes' grandchildren, and he was the one who recommended this book to me. I'm glad I read it!

[Cynthia Egbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is quite the story and a really great reminder of the everyday people who were forced into being soldiers and those of Jewish heritage who were also forced to forfeit everything. These two people are true heroes in my book and I am grateful for the courage that they showed in finally deciding to face down their painful pasts and share it for future generations to understand. How grateful I am for my freedoms and my blessed life.

[Sherrill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a teacher of history in my former life so this was all very familiar to me. The young soldier who thought possibly he could survive somehow as an SS only to see the horrors of war upfront and to know he was aiding the wrong cause. Then the Jewish girl who had to endure so much, losing her family and all that she had. It is still a mystery to me that the cultured, peace loving, German people could have let this happen. The interesting part to me was to see these young people come into the church and go about their church assignments. When Agnes tells how Gustar did as the Book of Mormon told him to do and prayed about what he was learning, I couldn't help but remember our own experiences as missionaries. Then when her daughter tells of the rituals they had to go through, waiting for daddy to come home, if he was a minute late her mother fearing the worst had happened, mother calling the neighbor to see if her clock said the same as her own. The very real fear that Agnes had of losing her family and the peaceful existence they had made for themselves at last. A true story of survival and the dominance of the human spirit.

[Jessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was more like 2 1/2 stars for me. I usually love reading stories about WWII but this read very much like a text book and I had a hard time getting into it. There were a lot of horrible things that happened but I felt like they were told with no emotion at all. I was excited to get to the part where they finally meet and it was skimmed over so quickly that I was disappointed. Overall I thought their stories were amazing and i loved that they got through all of it and found each other and the church but just couldn't get into the book.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the kind of story we all need to write, about ourselves and our parents. It may not be as intense as surviving Nazi concentration camps and fighting on the front lines of WWII, but we have some challenges and some successes in the last half of the 20th century and beginning of the 21st that our posterity may be interested in 50 to 100 years from now.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. It is the true experiences of a former volunteer SS soldier and a Jewish woman who survived the Holocaust. The book is told in dual perspective with alternating excerpts from each of them, as told in their own words. I was riveted.

I found it to be moving, especially with how it was a true story as told by the survivors. I also really liked how the war and concentration camp memories weren’t whitewashed (but also not gratuitously descriptive for shock-factor either). It was a perfect balance and I thought it was very well done.

To be honest, I don’t think I have ever read anything from the perspective of a German soldier who fought for the Third Reich. It was very eye opening. I haven’t ever stopped to truly consider what an innocent Waffen-SS soldier might look like, or ever feel compassion for one. I appreciate yet another example of how I should not take it upon myself to judge someone else.


Content-

no swearing or sexuality but disturbing scenes of violence due to war and also concentration camp-inflicted abuse. My teenage kids read it before me and liked it. My 11-year old also read this before I did, while traveling for a family vacation, and she handled it well.
Basically, if you’re willing to take your kid to the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC, then they can probably read this.

[Patti · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely incredible story! This story reached deep into my soul and grabbed hold of my heart. It did so because it is a true accounting of two courageous people that fought to stay alive during WWII.

It is the biographical histories of young Agnes Erdos, and Gustav Palm, how they miraculously survived the war, and how their paths finally crossed into happiness afterwards.

Agnes was a Hungarian Jew of privilege because of her father’s job. She and her parents became practicing Catholics but were still considered ethnic Jews according to Hitler. Agnes and her parents were taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau where her parents were immediately exterminated.

When the Nazis invaded Gustav’s native Norway, he was forced to guard a prison camp. His only way out was to volunteer for the Waffen-SS where he was to remain at the war front until the end of the war. This burden he kept secret for 40 years.

The whole book is a chronicle of Agnes and Gustav’s courageous battle for survival, told in their words. Pictures are included and play an important part in the book. They help me see what these two incredible people, forced to be on sides they did not choose, had to endure. Quote on pg.115-116: (from Agnes) “I learned that there are good people everywhere and that you can talk to most. Our female guards were not fanatics or cruel people either. They were just people who had found themselves in unfortunate circumstances caused by this evil war. I wondered who exactly was responsible for all of this misery. Was it the selfish, the ambitious, and the sinful souls on each side, who usually get away? …The only thing left for us to do was to learn from what happened and think about all the innocent victims: Jews, Poles, Gypsies, Germans, Russians, or whoever they might be. However we, the victims of these greedy leaders, could not be revived unless we put our hope in Christ to live. We had to start anew, begin all over, forgive, and love as Christ did. And that is a long and difficult road.”

I have read other accounts of WWII and how it affected scared and scarred people throughout Europe. It all was before my time, but I have visited Dachau in person and also stood at the Berlin Wall. Both experiences made my heart cry for the innocent on both sides. When I read personal accounts, the history I once only read about for a school test becomes vivid and real, and I am sad for people we should never forget.

The best part is that Gustav and Agnes survive, meet, and find eternal happiness as they gain testimonies of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are remarkable, and their posterity is just as remarkable. Their stories are now forever documented in “Surviving Hitler” by their son, O. Hakan Palm.

I am a better person for reading Agnes and Gustav’s story.

[Erika B. (SOS BOOKS) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Agnes and Gustav is amazing! Gustav was an SS soldier and Agnes was actually a converted Christian woman who was Jewish who ended up in Auschwitz concentration camp. (I understand-that would be hard to fit all that in the book title.) The writing style is similar to journal entries switching back and forth between Agnes and Gustav. While Gustav's story was fascinating, I found myself holding my breath for Agnes. There is a part of the book where she is watching her parents being led away to the gas chambers. I had to wipe tears away because I can't even comprehend the feelings she must have felt at that moment. The cool part of the book is that there are definite angels found in their lives-seen and unseen. Gustav and Agnes later met and converted to the LDS church. I have said this before in many a review but it is hard to write reviews on survivor stories. But I have also said many a time that these stories also remind me that love, faith, and hope really can be found in the most horrific of situations. Reading is totally my way of restoring my faith in humanity! :D

Erika's Amazon Link

[Jessica Mae · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an inspiring story! It was fascinating to see perspectives on both sides of the war. I loved seeing how these two people were drawn together after going through so many horrible experiences.

I'd say a major theme of this book is that there are good and bad people everywhere. I especially loved Angus's accounts of the kind people she met while in the concentration camps, some of them prisoners, some of them guards. It's not a perspective you always see. She saw examples of people who retained their humanity and were still Christlike as they struggled to survive. And even in the midst of all their hardship, you can see God's hand working in their lives. Their lives were spared so many times.

Gustav's story was a unique perspective as well- I'm sure it took a lot of courage to be willing to share his experiences fighting for the Germans. But even he was able to retain his good nature. They both fought very hard to stay alive. It all makes me want to go write my own family history. What a legacy they've left for their children!

[Skylar Hatfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has just been released. This book is the first to tell the side-by-side accounts of an SS soldier and a Jewish prisoner of war that I have read. Both of these people had such different experiences and reactions to their trials. They were very innocent and naive when they became involved in WWII. They were both sheltered from politics and ethics, but in very different ways. They had very different religious upbringing. Yet, at different moments of crisis, each acted on a prompting from the Holy Ghost that made all the difference. Also, one learns from these pages that action rather than reaction, love of family, love of mankind, forgiveness, and service can open unexpected doors. One sees that captivity can come in many forms. One sees that people can best overcome trials with love.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so grateful that their son shared their story with the world. I am humbled by their goodness, determination and family motto/crest--- "Overcoming through love". I have so much to ponder because of this book. 4.5 Stars because it took me a bit to pick up the rhythm of the writing... Which I ended up loving!

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it. It was truly interesting. Sometimes the writing was slow and I wish there was more explanation into how they overcame all the emotional scars of war. But it was a story full of hope and possibilities and I loved that.

[Shauna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am fascinated with the events of WWII and this book didn't disappoint. I met Hakan Palm Saturday at Deseret Book; I told him my interest in how his parent's experiences affected the children. He explained even more how his parents dealt with their past; I was very touched.

[Scarlett · Rating 3 out of 5]

The style of using two different voices telling their stories being told by their son was a little hard to follow at times. I didn't feel like I really heard their individual voices. Inspiring to learn of them, their trials and triumphs though not one I would recommend.

[Ashley Camp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an incredible story of two WWII survivors, brought together by fate. Their faith is inspiring.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Love a happy ending made by strong, hard working people with much to overcome. Forgiveness is the greatest gift we give ourselves & future generations.

[Kelleyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned so much about the war and saw how not only the Jews were victims but those who were forced into serving in the army.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

For having been published by Deseret Book, this was a surprisingly well written book about 2 amazing people. Most of the story happens before they even met.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very touching-loved it!

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

A magnificent story of courage, love, and perseverance. I loved hearing both perspectives from the war. These are two truly amazing individuals.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting true account of two World War II survivors. From the title and cover, I expected it to be about two people who meet during the war who, though on opposite sides, are irresistibly drawn to each other, possibly with him as a guard and her as an inmate at a concentration camp. Since Hitler's name is in the title, I thought he might actually play a more direct role in the story as well. I was wrong on both counts. The couple doesn't actually meet until after the war, and they only survive Hitler in the same more removed sense that everyone in that era of history survived his Nazi forces.

Just the same, it was fascinating to read of these two people, so different in their background and upbringing, from opposite sides of the war, doing all they could to survive and eventually meet and make a life together. Agnes, an only child of a prosperous Hungarian Jew-turned Catholic couple, and Gustav, from a poor, not remarkably devout Scandinavian family, certainly seem to confirm the old saying that opposites do attract.

On the whole, I was much more interested in reading Agnes' story in the concentration camp than Gustav's battlefront accounts. Tales of hunkering down in one foxhole after another and dodging one bullet after another do not hold my interest very long. Because of this, I am grateful they chose to format this book chronologically, alternating perspectives, rather than one narrator all at once and then the other. If that had happened, I would surely have gotten bogged-down in Gustav's section. Agnes' account, on the other hand, is morbidly fascinating. It is incredible to read of the terrible crimes committed against the inmates of those concentration camps. Just the same, I was constantly amazed at her pluck and nerve in the many life-threatening situations she found herself in. Agnes acted boldly and confidently in many situations, rather than just submitting with bowed head and following the crowd, lemming style. You would expect that to get her killed with all those armed guards keeping careful watch all the time, but in fact, her decisive action often saved her life. She is an incredibly strong character. Not only that, but the compassion she showed in the midst of her own hardships is incredible. Not only was she the first to volunteer to help her fellow inmates in times of need, but she also demonstrated remarkable tolerance and love for her captors and even managed to make allies, almost friends, among the Nazis. With such traits demonstrated throughout the horrors of the holocaust, it is far less astonishing that she was willing to marry a former SS soldier after the war.

One of the most interesting parts of this book for me was the section about right after the war's end. I have heard many stories of what happened to people during the war, but little information has ever been shared about what happened immediately after. How and where were holocaust survivors nursed back to life and health? What happened to defeated enemy troops when the fighting stopped? Did everybody just decide they were done and head on their merry ways back home afterward? I think this is the only book I've ever read that really answers these questions, at least as it pertains to these to individuals. I liked getting new insights into these aspects of the war's aftermath, some really new information.

If I had one criticism of this book, it would be that I wanted to learn more about how Agnes and Gustav got to know one another. I loved the story of how they first met, which just goes to show once again the wonderful concern and thoughtfulness that is so typical of Agnes, but I would have liked to know more about how they got to know each other. Like I said before, they are definitely a case of opposites attracting, and I would be curious to know more regarding how they learned about their differences and were able to accept and work through them together. I expect we could all learn some great things about that from their example. What was is like when they each learned about the other's experiences during the war? How did Gustav react upon hearing of Agnes' suffering, and how did Agnes feel upon discovering she was dating "the enemy"? This is never addressed at all, and the story of their courtship is really very brief and not very intimate. I wonder if perhaps these details are very personal to these two though, and maybe that's why they chose not to share them with the world. I can understand that, though that doesn't mean I wasn't left still wanting more.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful World War II book. Follows a Hungarian girl (Christian, but of Jewish ethnicity) from her childhood, then as she goes to a ghetto, and to concentration camps, is miraculously saved multiple times, keeps her faith, and survives the war. Side by side, the story of her future husband is told (in his voice) as he signs up for a "police academy" in Norway and finds himself an SS soldier on the front lines. Both of them experience horrible things and suffer greatly, but they also each experience miracles and choose to be forgiving and not bitter after the war. While trying to rebuild their lives, these 2 meet and marry and raise 5 children. I loved this true story!

Agnes writes of her time in a concentration camp, "I was overwhelmed with gratitude that such greatness and nobility survived in the most degraded situation. I felt that the eternal spirit, which exists in all people, could be accessible despite the circumstances. Maybe there was still hope for the world, if some could remain untouched and pure in the midst of all the insanity. I learned that the hope that the world will be a place where all people will love their neighbors and themselves is alive as long as there is one person alive practicing it on the earth."

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

My grandma wanted me to read this book and I finally have after my Young adult literature class made me. It was an amazing book with sacrifice, love, and determination that is perfect for all young adults. There is trial and faith as the young woman endures the horrors of the concentration camp that took many lives. This book should be in all High School libraries that want stories of those that lived through the concentration camps. It is an amazing book about trials and the faith to endure whatever is happening, it definitely made me think that I was incredibly blessed. The book wold make perfect material for those that would want a good book that is more of an young adult “I survived” writing. I love a good story with a happy ending and this is it! Warnings wold include- language, talk of rape and other sexual things that occurred at the camps, death, torture, and physical violence. It is a book that took place during a war and so there will be war topics, you cant sugarcoat war. It was amazing, give it a read if you have the time!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is unique among the many World War II books I've read in several ways. First, it's true. A story of the author's parents' individual experiences during the war, written, much later, by their son. The telling was a back and forth between their experiences, she a woman of Jewish heritage who lived through a concentration camp. He, a young man who was caught in the web of Hitler's army. I had never thought of World War II from a German soldier's perspective. He wasn't German, but joined the army in order to not have to be on the side of Russia, who was more of an enemy, in his mind at the time than Germany was, based on his Norwegian heritage. Sound complicated? So is war. This book helped me see things from perspectives I never have. The final one being, when this unlikely couple, with so much in common, yet, so many seemingly insurmountable differences, fell in love and got married. This not only gave them both fresh starts after the terrors of war, but took them on an unexpected path of membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give 5 stars to Gustav and Agnes for sharing their personal stories.

It is hard to write reviews on survivor stories. I think it must take a lot of courage to share personal WWII stories. The accounts from Agnes captured my interest more. But it was good to read both stories, how they survived, the experiences they had recovering after the war, how they met and how they joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, etc.

I gave it 4 stars because I think the formatting, editing, writing could have been a little bit better. I also think the map could have been better in that it should have all the cities mentioned in the book labeled on the map. Ideally, they should have included 2 maps - a close up of Norway and Sweden and a map of Europe.

I know nowadays I can just look up cities and maps online. But I usually don't want to look things up online while I'm reading. It's faster to just look at the map in the front of the book and then get back to reading.