Unravelling The Truth

Only I Can Save Them by Imogen Matthews is a powerful dual timeline novel that has its’ roots in facts as we follow photographer Rudolf Breslauer from Leipzig in 1936 and onwards. The second period is in present day and seen through the eyes of Rudolf Breslauer’s great granddaughter.

The novel spans the Second World War years as we follow Rudolf Breslauer and his family from their home in Amsterdam (where they located to avoid the persecution) to the camp of Westerbork, which was a holding camp for Dutch Jews before continuing on to Auschwitz, Birkenau or Theresienstadt.

In present day, a great granddaughter finds a photo of her grandmother aged thirteen in a book. She wants to seek the truth about her grandmother’s family and their wartime experiences.

For all of her life, the grandmother has kept quiet but as she approaches the end of her life, is it now time for the truth to come out?

Rudolf Breslauer did what he could in order to protect his family. He was chosen as the official photographer of Westerbork – but there were only so many photos that the commandant wanted before it would be a one-way ticket to Auschwitz.

While in Westerbork Rudolf Breslauer “knew he had to record the truth.” He bravely took unofficial photographs and cine, hiding it, in the hope that someone would find it and the world would see the truth and not believe the Nazi lies.

We see the truth of the Jewish saying “whoever saves one life saves the world entire” in the number of descendants from Rudolf Breslauer.

Only I Can Save Them is such a powerful tale. It needs to be read in memory of the six million innocents who died and of those who survived.

I received a free copy via the publishers. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

JULIA WILSON

Book Description:

The little girl’s eyes brim with tears. My hands shake with fear as I take her picture, right before the carriage doors bolt shut, taking her and hundreds of others to Auschwitz. This photo proves what the Nazis are doing. But what will I have to sacrifice to show the world the truth?

Nazi-occupied Holland, 1942: Rudolf’s heart breaks as the gates of Westerbork transit camp clang shut behind his Jewish family. He had no choice but to accept a job as the camp’s photographer to keep his children safe. He sees the barbed wire surrounding them. Is this a trap, and will they ever walk out of here again?

Rudolf takes portraits of hundreds of tired souls, their clothes stitched with the yellow star they are forced to wear, marking them for deportation. He knows what the Nazis are doing to families just like his. But with each day come little acts of resistance. And one day, when the guards aren’t looking, he takes a picture of a little girl on a train to Auschwitz, her tear-filled eyes pleading for help.

That night, holding his young son in his arms, Rudolf’s heart is torn. This is no life for his children. His photographs could change the course of the war. And this could be his only chance to save them all.

Then, Rudolf and his family are ordered to report to the platform at daybreak. And as light creeps into the eastern sky, the atmosphere in the camp is tense. Do the Nazis know about the photo of the little girl? And can he still save the people he loves the most?

Inspired by the incredible true story of wartime photographer Rudolf Breslauer, Only I Can Save Them is a heart-rending tale about the choices we make in the darkest times to save those we love. Fans of Heather Morris, Ellie Midwood, Suzanne Goldring and Anna Stuart won’t be able to put this down.

Author Bio:

Imogen Matthews is an Oxford-based, award-winning author and journalist with an interest in forgotten stories from WW2 Holland. Imogen was born in Rijswijk, Holland, to a Dutch mother and English father who moved the family to England when Imogen was very young. All her life, she listened to her mother’s stories about her life in Holland, in particular the hardships she faced during the Hunger Winter in 1944-5, which has had a profound impact on her writing.

https://www.imogenmatthewsbooks.com

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Sarah Hardy

Publicist

Bookouture
Storyfire Ltd
Carmelite House
50 Victoria Embankment
London EC4Y 0DZ

Storyfire Limited, a member of Hachette UK Group, registered in England and Wales under company no. 7893911

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