A Chance to Live: A Family's Journey to Freedom

by Pieter Kohnstam

As a small boy, Pieter Kohnstam lived with his parents in an apartment in Amsterdam during World War II. Anne Frank, whose diary later became world famous, was a neighbor and playmate. When the Nazis occupied The Netherlands, the Frank family went into hiding, but the Kohnstams decided to flee. Their year-long odyssey across Europe was filled with hardship, danger and miraculous escapes. Based on a memoir of Pieter's father, "A Chance to Live" is a powerful tale of struggle, determination and survival during the Holocaust, chronicling what is best about people and affirming that we are, after all, one human family.

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Ronni Shulman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this 5 stars not because of the outstanding writing, but because the firsthand account of a family escaping the Nazis is so compelling and important. I read this in two sittings.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing true story of a Jewish couple who escaped Amsterdam during World War 2 with their 6-year-old son, traveling (with the help of friends and resistance members) to Belgium, France, Spain, and finally to safety in Argentina. Coincidentally, this family was friends with the Frank family in Amsterdam,and Otto Frank had invited them to go into hiding together.