“A shocking story of the fate of Jews in the infamous Slobodka ghetto and the horrors of Auschwitz and Dachau.” —B’nai B’rith Messenger
Holocaust survivor Harry Gordon recalls in brutal detail the anguished years of his youth, a youth spent struggling to survive in a Lithuanian concentration camp. A memoir about hope and resilience, The Shadow of Death describes the invasion of Kovno by the Red Army and the impact of Soviet occupation from the perspective of the ghetto’s weakest and poorest class. It also serves as a reminder that the Germans were not alone responsible for the persecution and extermination of Jews.
“In a Holocaust memoir made unique by its rare depiction of Nazi-occupied Lithuania and by its condemnation of the local Jewish council, Gordon bears witness to the brutality of Lithuanians and conqueror alike as he reconstructs his corner of hell . . . the book makes a tremendous impact.” —Publishers Weekly
“A powerful tribute to the human spirit and the will and determination of one human being to survive in a hell not of one’s own making.” —CCAR Journal: The Reform Jewish Quarterly
“Preserves the record for the many in detailing major events; the ambivalent behavior of Lithuanians toward Jews; and the community organization, work, and routine of ghetto life.” —Library Journal
“A timely reminder of a historic tragedy that the newly created nation would seemingly like to forget.” —The Jewish Post & Opinion
“A gripping account of the horrors of the Holocaust from the perspective of the ghettos’ poorest and weakest class.” —Appalachian Quarterly
