The School That Escaped the Nazis by Deborah Cadbury

Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The School That Escaped the Nazis:

A school that kids actually wanted to go to!

Quick synopsis:

The story of Anna Essinger and how she relocated her school to England out of the Nazi’s reach.

Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like:

In December 1938, almost 2,000 children were saved from Nazi hands by the Refugee Children’s Movement.

Fun Fact for History Nerds:

By September of 1939, nearly 10,000 children were saved.

My Take on The School That Escaped the Nazis:

Deborah Cadbury’s, The School that Escaped the Nazis is a powerful work which does not unfold the way you think it would. Within the first couple of chapters, Anna Essinger, the head of the school, has already escaped with numerous pupils before the Nazis enact most of their terrible plans. The exodus from Nazi Germany is not a large portion of the book. It turns out, it was just the first of many daring feats of administrative genius by Anna Essinger.

The rest of the book follows the life of the school, some of its pupils, and some children still trapped on the European continent. Admittedly, the chapters which focus on the children who stay on the continent can seem almost like a diversion from the main story of the school. However, I began to realize how it all came together and how vital every story was to understand the full scope of Anna Essinger’s school. I won’t write too much to avoid spoiling anything, but rest assured it is all connected.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book even though any work tackling the Holocaust will inevitably make you feel more than just sad.

Verdict:

This is a very different look at World War II and great for any history nerd. Buy it here!