Tomi: Tomi Reichental’s Holocaust Story

ÔÇÿAt the age of six I began to fear for the future. … By the age of nine I was on the run for my life. … By the time I was ten I had seen all there was to see.’

Tomi Reichental’s story of the Holocaust through the eyes of a child. Tomi, who lost 35 members of his family in the Holocaust gives his account of being imprisoned as a child at Belsen concentration camp. He was nine-years old in October 1944 when he was rounded up by the Gestapo in a shop in Bratislava, Slovakia. Along with 12 other members of his family he was taken to a detention camp where the elusive Nazi War Criminal Alois Brunner had the power of life and death.

An accessible and honest account of the Holocaust that reminds us of the dangers of racism and intolerance, providing lessons that are relevant today. A true story of heroism during this painful horrific time in history.

Review

this is a true account, told in narrative form; it certainly doesn’t make for easy reading, but the personal touch of the accessible and honest is significant and moving — Parents in Touch it is a story that needs to be told and I think it would be an amazing class novel — seomraranga.com

About the Author

Eithne Massey┬áhas written many books for both adults and children, mainly based on the legends of Ireland. Her adaptation of the award-winning movie The Secret of Kells is set in the time of the early Viking raids; The Silver Stag of Bunratty and Where the Stones Sing are set in Norman Ireland and Blood Brother, Swan Sister at the time of the Battle of Clontarf. All blend together historical detail with myths, legends and folklore, resulting in stories which will appeal to “young readers who enjoy an adventure with well-rounded characters and a touch of magic and history” (www.childrensbooksireland.ie).