The Apprentice of Buchenwald by Oren Schneider

The Apprentice of Buchenwald by Oren Schneider – 195 pages

ARC from Amsterdam Publishing for an honest review

Book Blurb:

Alexander Rosenberg was a smart and curious teenager who spoke many languages, collected stamps, played the violin, and lived a pampered life with his affluent parents in a tranquil Czechoslovakian town. The rise of fascism and Nazi Germany causes his protected existence to collapse, alongside the illusion of secular Jewish assimilation in 1930s Europe.
Using their last reserves of wealth and influence to escape extermination, the Rosenbergs go underground to avoid the Gestapo. Eventually exposed, captured, and taken to Buchenwald, the largest concentration camp in Germany, Alexander and his father collaborate to survive one day at a time. A chaotic chain of events puts young Alexander at the heart of a massive armament sabotage scheme. When his father is gravely injured and disappears after an air bombing, it is up to industrious Alexander to create leverage and use wartime machinations and raw talent to save his father’s life.

My Review: 4 stars

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The Apprentice of Buchenwald by Oren Schneider was an honest and raw retelling of his grandfather’s time in Buchenwald. Alex was wise beyond his years and that served both he and his father well.

Currently, there are a myriad of books being written by family members of Holocaust survivors. It’s so important, now more than ever, that these stories of their parents or grandparents are heard, then shared, before it’s too late. In each one I’ve read, I’ve also learned something new.

Alexander was likeable and his talent for languages saved him in many ways. I liked how the relationship between father and son was portrayed so that I could feel their connection. Honestly, without Alex, I can’t be certain that his father would’ve lived. Youth and strength were critical for any hope of survival. Although the father’s words of wisdom and support kept Alex propelling forward as well.

I’m not sure this is the right title for the book, as many prisoners worked to sabotage the Germans from the inside, but it’s a good hook to get readers to pick it up. I appreciated the book having a short length as these books tend to be dark. The epilogue was welcomed, and it was sweet to see his grandfather’s musings come full circle through Alex’s daughter.