The School that Escaped the Nazis Audiobook By Deborah Cadbury cover art

The School that Escaped the Nazis

The True Story of the Schoolteacher Who Defied Hitler

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The School that Escaped the Nazis

By: Deborah Cadbury
Narrated by: Julie Teal
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The extraordinary true story of a courageous school principal who saw the dangers of Nazi Germany and took drastic steps to save those in harm’s way.

In 1933, as Hitler came to power, schoolteacher Anna Essinger hatched a daring plan: to smuggle her entire school out of Nazi Germany. Recognizing the terrible dangers of Hitler’s Germany, she resolved to bring her pupils to the safety of England. From her new school in Kent, as war swept the continent, Anna welcomed children fleeing unimaginable horrors.

Featuring moving firsthand testimony from surviving pupils and drawing from letters, diaries, and present-day interviews, The School that Escaped the Nazis is a dramatic human tale offering a unique perspective on the devastation of Nazi totalitarianism. It is also the story of one woman’s refusal to let her belief in a better world be overtaken by hatred and violence. World War II 20th Century War & Crisis Europe Modern Genocide & War Crimes Great Britain Inspiring Politics & Government Military Wars & Conflicts

Critic reviews

“What gives this book its immediacy and freshness is the fact that Deborah Cadbury has spoken to so many of the witnesses to a phenomenal story. The woman who brought an entire school to Kent from Germany, and saved so many children from the Nazis, was a completely heroic figure. This story is an uplifting reminder of how courage, high virtue, and intelligence can overcome even the most appalling odds. At many points, with tearful eyes, I cheered—it is a book which stirs up deep emotion, and high admiration, for the author as well as its subject.”—A. N. Wilson, author of The Mystery of Charles Dickens
“Anna Essinger’s wartime school for Jewish refugees reminds us of the lifelong impact which one person’s compassion and imagination can make on others—even in the darkest of times. Cadbury’s story packs a real emotional punch.”—Caroline Shenton, author of National Treasures
“A stirring account of a German schoolteacher’s efforts to build an oasis for children fleeing the Nazi advance across Europe. . . . Impressively researched and vividly told, this is a captivating portrait of courage and resilience in the face of unspeakable horror.”—Publishers Weekly
“An inspiring, well-researched life portrait of a spectacularly heroic teacher.”—Kirkus Reviews
Important Historical Account • Complex Yet Accessible • Compassionate Storytelling • Significant Testimony

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This was an excellent read. The characters were well-defined and I found myself anxious to hear what had become of them.

Rich, true story

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This book is hauntingly prescient of the current political climate. My own father took part in the liberation of the first discovered concentration camp. He took some of the same photos as in the first scene in the Holocaust Museum in DC. He felt it was important to share them with his daughters, sons-in-law, grand and great-grand children. He said "Never forget what humans can do to others! One day there will be people saying the Holocaust never happened. Never forget!" This book is an amazing, gut-wrenching and significant compilation of primary and secondary testimony. Believe!

Timely awareness.

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I couldn't recommend this book enough. It's a must read for everyone. It gives you a different outlook on what children went through during WW2 and tells a much-needed story of Anna Essinger, that must not be forgotten.

A Must Read

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Thank you everyone who made this phenomenal book. To all who surivived the Holocost thank you. Thank you to everyone who didn't surivive the Holocost.

Thank you

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While I have studied and read many texts on the Holocaust, this important book weaves together stories of personal suffering and survival in a complex yet accessible way. Beautifully written, the author’s narration is vivid and compassionate. Learning about the school in England was totally new and draws important parallels to today’s dangers.

Incredibly moving

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