review
Set in Nazi Berlin, this is a remarkable account of how a Muslim doctor, Mohammed Helmy, succeeded in rescuing his young Jewish patient Anna Boros from the clutches of the Gestapo.
This is a true story compellingly told, written in the style of a fictional thriller, and involving several twists throughout. In his gripping retelling of how an Egyptian doctor risked his own life to save Jews, Steinke has vividly reconstructed Nazi Berlin and its atmosphere of constant terror. The engaging narrative style will ensure the book reaches a wide audience. Particularly effective are the passages describing how Anna was disguised as a Muslim using a headscarf, and the hold-your-breath accounts of her days in hiding.
Mohammed Helmy’s story is reminiscent of the case of Oskar Schindler, the German industrialist immortalised in Schindler’s List, who saved Jews working at his factory in Poland from the Gestapo. The recent success of Hans Fallada’s Alone in Berlin, along with last year’s film, guarantees a receptive English-language audience for rousing stories of resistance to Nazi rule.
All recommendations from Spring 2018