Hidden from the Holocaust: Stories of Resilient Children Who Survived and Thrived

(Hardback)

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From twins torn away from their family and separated, to a girl shut in a basement, maltreated and malnourished, the world of Jewish children who were hidden from the Nazis during the Holocaust becomes painfully clear in this volume. Psychiatrist Bluglass presents interviews with 15 adults who avoided execution in their childhoods thanks to being hidden by Christians, all of whom have since developed remarkably positive lives. All are stable, healthy, intelligent, and share a surprising sense of humor. Together, they show a profound ability to recover and thrivean unexpected resilience. That their adjustment with such positive outcomes was possible after such harsh childhood experiences challenges a popular perception that inevitable physical and psychological damage ensues such adversity. Their stories offer new optimism, hope and grounds for research that may help traumatized children of today, and of the future, become more resilient. The book's core consists of these remarkable survivors' narratives, told in their own words. Also included are childhood and current pictures of each survivor, a list naming their rescuers (people who hid them), and a detailed bibliography.

Reviews

.,."sheds new light on a chapter of the Second World War experience which has only recently started to be explored. She displays a solid understanding of the wider history of childhood and of the historiography of the Holocaust, while at the same time bringing her own original approach to analysing how particular behaviours and experiences...impacted on the people she is studying. In short, Dr. Bluglass combines academic rigour with careful intuitive observation to bring this seemingly scattered and impenetrable story to a modern audience."-Suzanne Bardgett Holocaust Exhibition Project Director Imperial War Museum, London
"A beautifully written, insightful look into the postwar lives of Jewish children hidden during the Holocaust. Let these accounts stand as a reminder of what it means to suffer as a child and what courage is required to recapture a meaningful life and to learn to love again."-Robert Krell, M.D. Professor Emeritus, Department of Psychiatry, The University of British Columbia
"This book is a comprehensive study of the suffering of hidden children during the Holocaust. It will be of special interest to social workers and psychologists who work with abused or neglected children....Here is a message of hope which shows that extreme adversity can lead to great strength."-Eva Schloss Auschwitz survivor and step sister of Anne Frank author of Eva's Story
[A]ny psychiatrist will benefit from reading it ... Kerry Bluglass wears her psychiatric persona lightly, but it is always there. The interviews themselves are insightful and skilful, and her commentary relates this group to the more general body of work on resilience ... For the general reader this is a heartwarming account of the triumph of the human spirit.-British Journal of Psychiatry
[W]e still know very little about the coping mechanisms deployed by hidden children. Kerry Bluglass's book is therefore a welcome addition to our knowledge. One can only hope Dr Bluglass will be encouraged to couple the depth of her professional practice with her academic approach by writing further on the subject to inform wider opinion about what is in the child's best interest in more recent traumas and theatres of conflict.-Association of Jewish Refugees Journal
The author regards these histories as giving grounds for cautious optimism about recovery from traumas which are, in some children, all too prevalent today. The intrinsic interest of this remarkable record will be obvious, and its relevance to social work, psychology and psychiatry is equally clear.-Child Abuse Review
These survivors' stories, and indeed, the enitre book, are truly a valuable addition to our knowledge about Hidden Children. Regardless of whether or not you are a healthcare professional, anyone wanting to learn more about such experiences will find much to appreciate in this book.-The London Jewish Community News
This is the story of the impact of war and genocide on the lives of hunted children; those who fell by the wayside, those who survived. It is humbling and amazing to the reader that many were able to rebuild their lives and live them to the full. One is left to marvel at the resilience of human beings - and their ability to remain human beings. These stories are heartbreaking as well as breathtaking for the unexpected maturity of these children and their miraculous survival as whole people.-Perspectives: Journal of Beth Shalom
"The author regards these histories as giving grounds for cautious optimism about recovery from traumas which are, in some children, all too prevalent today. The intrinsic interest of this remarkable record will be obvious, and its relevance to social work, psychology and psychiatry is equally clear."-Child Abuse Review
"Any psychiatrist will benefit from reading it ... Kerry Bluglass wears her psychiatric persona lightly, but it is always there. The interviews themselves are insightful and skilful, and her commentary relates this group to the more general body of work on resilience ... For the general reader this is a heartwarming account of the triumph of the human spirit."-British Journal of Psychiatry
"We still know very little about the coping mechanisms deployed by hidden children. Kerry Bluglass's book is therefore a welcome addition to our knowledge. One can only hope Dr Bluglass will be encouraged to couple the depth of her professional practice with her academic approach by writing further on the subject to inform wider opinion about what is in the child's best interest in more recent traumas and theatres of conflict."-Association of Jewish Refugees Journal
"[A]ny psychiatrist will benefit from reading it ... Kerry Bluglass wears her psychiatric persona lightly, but it is always there. The interviews themselves are insightful and skilful, and her commentary relates this group to the more general body of work on resilience ... For the general reader this is a heartwarming account of the triumph of the human spirit."-British Journal of Psychiatry
"[W]e still know very little about the coping mechanisms deployed by hidden children. Kerry Bluglass's book is therefore a welcome addition to our knowledge. One can only hope Dr Bluglass will be encouraged to couple the depth of her professional practice with her academic approach by writing further on the subject to inform wider opinion about what is in the child's best interest in more recent traumas and theatres of conflict."-Association of Jewish Refugees Journal
"These survivors' stories, and indeed, the enitre book, are truly a valuable addition to our knowledge about Hidden Children. Regardless of whether or not you are a healthcare professional, anyone wanting to learn more about such experiences will find much to appreciate in this book."-The London Jewish Community News
"This is the story of the impact of war and genocide on the lives of hunted children; those who fell by the wayside, those who survived. It is humbling and amazing to the reader that many were able to rebuild their lives and live them to the full. One is left to marvel at the resilience of human beings - and their ability to remain human beings. These stories are heartbreaking as well as breathtaking for the unexpected maturity of these children and their miraculous survival as whole people."-Perspectives: Journal of Beth Shalom

Author Bio

KERRY BLUGLASS is a Consultant Psychiatrist and Senior Clinical Lecturer in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.