39 pages • 1 hour read
Thomas BuergenthalA Lucky Child
Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 2007A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
A Lucky Child: A Memoir of Surviving Auschwitz as a Young Boy by Thomas Buergenthal recounts his experience as a six-year-old forced to abandon his home and survive Nazi Occupation, including bombings, labor camps, and death marches. Buergenthal lost most of his family, but through intelligence, bravery, and human connection, he survived unimaginable conditions, retaining compassion and later advocating for human rights globally. The book addresses the horrific realities of the Holocaust, discrimination, and severe violence.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Thomas Buergenthal’s A Lucky Child is celebrated for its poignant and insightful recount of surviving the Holocaust, highlighting resilience and human spirit. Critics praise its compelling narrative and emotional depth. However, some note a lack of detailed historical context. Overall, it's a powerful memoir that educates and inspires, despite minor shortcomings.
Who Should Read A Lucky Child?
A reader who would enjoy A Lucky Child by Thomas Buergenthal is keenly interested in Holocaust memoirs and personal survival stories. Fans of Elie Wiesel's Night or Primo Levi's If This Is a Man will find Buergenthal's account compelling. This memoir offers a poignant and hopeful perspective on enduring unimaginable hardships.
RecommendedReading Age
18+yearsLexile Level
1150LBook Details
Coming of Age / Bildungsroman
Biography
History: World
Military / War
WWII / World War II
Holocaust