Holocaust memoir reveals dark past and bright future of survivor

"I am proud to be an American." How many times have people said this? Many, I'm sure, but what makes people proud of being an American? Is it because of freedom of speech, education, minimum wages, and/or equal rights? These and many more are the rights our powerful country has to offer and why others immigrate to the United States to pursue the famous "American Dream."But what else brings people to America? Is it the luxuries we tend to take for granted such as eating three times a day, wearing clean clothes, and taking a daily shower? These are considered normal necessities, part of our daily routine; however, in a time of cruelty, despair, and war, everyday luxuries are not always accessible.For instance, Gerda Weissman Klein, her family, and many other Jews suffered severe deprivation during the Holocaust. Klein describes the tragic moments she experienced in her memoir, All But My Life.The book is separated into three parts: the invasion, life in the concentration camps, and the moment of liberation.During part one, Klein describes the German invasion, which occurred in 1939 when she was only 15 years old."I realized that we were outsiders, strangers in our own home, at the mercy of those who until then had been our friends. Although I was fifteen, I had a strong feeling...that our lives were no longer our own, but lay in the hands of a deadly enemy," writes Klein in the opening pages of her memoir. After years of living in the shadows of the Germans, Klein's family, along with others, was asked to report to Wadowitz; Klein never saw her mother and father again."Be strong" were the last words Klein heard from her mother, and strength was exactly what Klein needed in order to overcome the gruesome treatment she faced in one of the many concentration camps where Jews worked as slaves.In part two Klein details her horrific times spent at the concentration camps. She and her friends worked approximately 12-hour shifts, ate one meal a day, showered once every two weeks, and often endured torture. A key moment during the long, blistering death march that would lead to her liberation is when Klein describes the injuries and deaths around her. "I saw one girl break off her toes as though they were brittle wood," writes Klein.Although the march was led by German soldiers, which meant more violence, hunger, and deaths, the Jews were freed at last by the Americans.Klein relates that "Out of two thousand, only a hundred and twenty survived."This number is shocking, and it only refers to the girls that marched with Klein, not taking into account the millions of Jews who eventually died. Not surprisingly, Klein vividly remembers when the war ended."It [was] my birthday, my twenty-first birthday, and Germany capitulated," said Klein.After six years of violence, loss, pain, hunger, and humiliation, Klein survived the Holocaust, and she describes her liberation in part three of her book.Her memoir not only brings history and war to life, but also provides a life-changing experience for the reader. Klein opens our eyes to the horrible side of humanity-the side that should not exist. According to her, the United States is a country that is privileged for not supporting this side of humanity. Instead, this country provides great opportunities and accommodations.Her book is a great source of education for all generations. Being part of the last generation that will probably both read her book and meet Klein is a blessing. I, among others, will someday educate future generations by not only providing this book but also telling the story of a strong, admirable woman.Klein's memoir, All But My Life, provides lessons that we, as readers, should carry on forever: the lessons of hope, faith, and most importantly, humanity.