Leon Leyson (born Leib Lezjon) was only 10 years old when the Nazis invaded Poland and his family was forced to relocate to the Krakow ghetto. With incredible luck, perseverance and grit, Leyson was able to survive the sadism of the Nazis, including that of the demonic Amon Goeth, commandant of Plaszow, the concentration camp outside Krakow. Ultimately, it was the generosity and cunning of one man, a man named Oskar Schindler, who saved Leon Leyson's life, and the lives of his mother, his father, and two of his four siblings, by adding their names to his list of workers in his factory - a list that became world renowned: Schindler's List.
This, the only memoir published by a former Schindler's List child, perfectly captures the innocence of a small boy who goes through the unthinkable. Most notable is the lack of rancour, the lack of venom, and the abundance of dignity in Mr Leyson's telling. The Boy on the Wooden Box is a legacy of hope, a memoir unlike anything you've ever read.
©2013 Leon Leyson (P)2013 Simon & Schuster
I am an avid eclectic reader.
This book is the only memoir published by a former Schindler's list child. Leon Leyson (Leib Lezjon) a Polish-Jew was 10 years old when the Nazi attacked Poland. His family was placed inside the Krakow ghetto. Part of the book goes into detail of his life in the ghetto. The plant his father worked for was taken over by Oskar Schindler but the papers provided by Schindler did not protect the family for long and they were placed into the Plaszow concentration camp on the out skirts of Krakow. Leyson goes into detail about his life in the camp his fear of Captain Amon Goeth and his guards. The story does tell of fear, hunger, and death but also of hope and the goodness of people even in horrid conditions. Some claim the Amon Goeth(commandant of the concentration camp) should be counted as a savior of Jews because he took bribes from Jews and Schindler to send certain Jews to labor camps instead of death camps, Leyson primarily paints him as a cruel bully. He describes how Schindler managed to get his family and 1200 Jews out of the Camp. The ending of the book reveals Leyson life in California his education and become a teacher. Many years later he had newspaper and T.V. interviews and found that people were very interested in his life as a teenager in the concentration camps. When he first came to the USA people were not ready to hear his story. This is a must read book for everyone but teenager would benefit greatly from the message in the book. This book would make a great selection for a school book report. Danny Burstein did a great job narrating the book with all the Polish and German words.
Eclectic, avid listener, favorite book is the one currently in ear.
Leon Leyson, the youngest child on Schindler's list, has shared the story of his survival in this simple, heartbreaking and uplifting autobiography. His pluck and determination are amazing as he moves through the Krakow ghetto, Plazow work camp and then on to the work camp in Brněnec, Czechoslovakia under Schindler's protection. I read and loved Schindler's Ark, but this being non-fiction and though Leon's eyes was even more touching to me. It appears in the children's and YA sections... probably too intense for under middle school would be my guess... but as an adult I couldn't stop listening and it didn't feel like a children's book. My only complaint was I didn't want it to end.
Amazing story line from the inside view of "Schindler's" very own children he saved. Beautiful. Written very respectfully and provides a new view of what that man actually did.
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