Perspective

The perspective of Auschwitz: True Tales from a Grotesque Land is two-fold that of the translator and the editors and that of the author, Sara Nomberg-Przytyk. The translator has a forward and the editors have an afterward, the first of which comments on how the translator tracked down the author and the history of the text, whereas the latter engages in literary criticism of the text.

Sara Nomberg was born born in Lublin, Poland on September 10th 1915; she was raised a Hasidic Jew and her grandfather was known across Poland as an important scholar of the Talmud, who also ran an important Yeshiva and rabbi in a community near Lublin. Sara grew up in poverty and watched children die from starvation. These experiences, along with enduring Polish antisemitism led her to become political active as a member of the communist party and as an atheist.

Sara was imprisoned...