This was an amazing and inspiring story however I feel like it was poorly written. I felt like the details were focused on the wrong things. However, I have read many books about the holocaust and there were a lot of things in this book that I'd never learned in any other books. Hence the 4 stars

The US only took in 1000 Jewish children compared to 10,000 that Britain took in during WWII. That means one in every 20 children brought to the US is one of the 50 children Gil and Eleanor helped.

The events of this book are just as important now as they were then. It speaks to the jealousy, fear, and American protectionism that prevented countless more lives being rescued. These same sentiments continue to play out in America with Trump’s foreign and immigration policies.

We should all read this book and question what and how we and our governments contribute to the aiding (or worse prevention) of humanitarian efforts.

Wow. A great story, written pretty well. Heart wrenching. It really humanized the horror of the way the Germans treated Jews (even before the final solution). And counter that to the bravery and determination of a couple to bring even just 50 kids to the US and safety. This was a good read.

Apologies to those who have been waiting for my review of this book. I’m not up for writing a thorough review, but I hope my impressions are useful to you, especially regarding deciding whether or not this book is for you.

I found the account gripping and suspenseful, even though the reader knows from the very start pretty much what is going to happen.

From previous reading, I knew most of what was going on during the period and yet the details told still managed to shock me at times – great examples including excerpts from the NY Times, State Dept. memos, and the memories of those involved with this rescue.

I get more and more angry at the U.S. the more I learn. I get so exasperated with human beings. Luckily, this story is mostly about the bravery, heroism, and empathy expressed by some very good people.

I was particularly grateful for the details given of what happened with everyone, and surprised that there were so many children that couldn’t be currently tracked re what happened to them. I hope they or their significant others see the plea at the end of the book, and come forward with information. I had to smile because so many of the personalities/behaviors of certain children left me not at all surprised by the adults they became. I was very touched to read about some of their post rescue lives and accomplishments.

There is an exceptionally fine and informative Afterword by Paul A. Shapiro of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

There is no gorgeous language but it is a well written straightforward account.

The photos of the children, others involved, documents, the times & places of the era were so important to me, especially the family portraits of the children and their families.

The last year I’ve had a reading dry spell, but this book was easy for me to read, and very enjoyable.

Spoiler

I was very surprised that so many of the parents and siblings got out and how so many of them also got out before the worst of the Holocaust, in 1939 and 1940. The relatively few exceptions were so heartbreaking, more so because of how many were able to escape the worst of the Holocaust.

Intense. I had no idea that America was so closed-off to Jewish refugees during the 1930's and 1940's. This book was fascinating and gut-wrenching. I'm glad I heard it.

As others have said, this is the first book I've read that outright called bullshit on the what Americans have come to believe was our country's reason for ignoring the plight of German, Austrian, and European Jews before World War II was declared: that we didn't know how bad it was, that there was nothing we could do, and that our government had no idea what was happening. In this book, we have the story of an ordinary (albeit wealthy) American Jewish couple who read about what was happening in Europe and decided to do something about it. Within six months, they had successfully gotten the support of friends, government officials, and allies in Europe to bring 50 Jewish children to America.

Anyone who read a newspaper in the late 1930s were well-aware of what was happening. And polls of that time show that anti-Semitism was alive in the US. Government documents show that officials were aware of the plight of the Jews and were predicting what would eventually become the Final Solution. Yet no one did anything except Eleanor and Gil Klaus. From immigration law makers being unwilling to make exceptions fearing the wrath of a xenophobic public (even though they welcomed thousands of British orphans a year later), the American public unwilling to allow Jews into the country, and many of their friends and colleagues telling them to reconsider, the Klauses had the cards stacked against them. And yet, they succeeded. This is their story told in a straight-forward, journalistic manner. The Afterword (not by the author) gets into a more persuasive essay on the US's shaping of it's "not guilty" persona, but the majority of the book is told in a way to allow the reader to realize how any well-off US citizen could have made a stand and could have saved a life.

This review was hand-written a year ago. I wrote this while I read the book. I didn't edit it despite publishing it on Goodreads.

Details
So many precise details for absolutely no reason. The author gives a whole back story to every single person who is introduced. It's understandable to receive excessive information on characters who played a major role in saving 50 children, but their parents or grandparents definitely don't.

Writing Style
Whenever I read non-fiction, I expect the author to use wonderful story-telling language and writing. But Pressman's writing very much resembles that of a history book.

The Story Itself
Regardless of the writing style or information dumps, this story is remarkable in its own way. It is shocking that there were people in the world who did not support the idea of saving children. But the persistence and love of people who did support the cause was so touching and moving. This story is too beautiful to think negatively.

The Ending
It is sad how the world works sometimes. It is beautiful what you can do in other's life if you just offer a helping hand to those who need it.

I want to give this book a 5 for the amazing things the couple did to save the children. I learned a lot from the book, but at no point did it pull me in. I continued reading because I wanted to know what happened, not because I was truly enjoying the book.

What comes to mind upon completing this book is how history is shamelessly repeating itself. Now instead of Jewish children dying it's Syrian. I love the courage the Mr. and Mrs. Kraus, and all who worked with them exhibited in times many would never attempt to challenge. America failed many then and America fails many now. It's time to look at reality in our everyday lives, at what happens in government and who really rules. It's not We the People.