The Librarian of Auschwitz

There was a separate, family camp in Auschwitz; no one really understood its purpose, but it was possibly to show off to any Red Cross visitors so they wouldn't know the truth. It was in section BIIb in Birkenau, and it included the block where the children spent their days. Officially, they were running something like a day care, with games and songs and sports. Secretly, they were running a school. Hidden in the floor were 8 books, the entire library at Auschwitz, and they were cared for by Dita Kraus, one of the older children (she was in her teens).

The Librarian of Auschwitz, by Antonio Iturbe, translated by Lilit Zekulin Thwaites, is a novel based on the true events of the family camp and the aftermath. It is rather intense reading, as it describes a lot of the horrors of Auschwitz (including watching someone get hanged and how people died in the gas chambers). At the same time, it's the story of a girl surviving amid the horrors, and the books that she cared for.

This isn't really meant as a review, although I will say that it's a good book and I highly recommend it. Really, it's just that there are two quotes that I'd like to share with you:

First, when Dita fears that she is being watched and that her being the librarian might cause trouble for not only herself but for the others (if the books are found, that's the end of the school, and probably death for anyone involved), and thinks about giving up her position:

"It's easy to commend the hero whose actions are visible. But how to you measure the bravery of those who step aside?"

Later, after the first group of prisoners (including children) have been brought to the gas chambers, she is talking with Miriam, one of the block leaders (Miriam speaks first):

"...They were happy, Edita."
"But it lasted such a short time ---"
"Life, any life, is short. But if you've managed to be happy for at least an instant, it will have been worth living."
"An instant! How short is that?"
"Very short. It's enough to be happy for as long as it takes a match to be lit and go out."