Night by Elie Wiesel

With the sad news of this amazing man’s death I felt compelled to honor his book.  This book was a hard one to read, despite it short length.  Several of my students pick it up and think it will be an easy read because it is not think and appears to only be about 100 or so pages.  I warn them that is not the way to know if I book will be easy to read or a quick read, but most don’t understand until they start reading.

As heartbreaking as Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl was for me to read, Night was harder, even though I knew what was going to be talked about.  I think the reason this is hard to read is because it tells about the worst in humanity, but the kindness of those in the camps as well.  A part of history we should never forget, but not an easy part to learn about, read about, or try to understand how so much hatred could have happened in such a large scale.  This book was such a memorable read that even now years later I could tear up just think about parts of the books and the horrors this man and so many others told.

Sadly, humans are fragile and have a time limit on life.  There are fewer and fewer men and women who survived the concentration camps that are still alive, and fewer and fewer men and women who fought in World War II who are still alive.  None of their stories should be forgotten nor should their voices be forgotten.  This book tells a harsh reality that humankind should never forget.  Thank you Mr. Wiesel for sharing your story, and living your life with kindness and compassion.

Oprah interviewed him at the concentration camp, and I have included the videos below, along with links to memoirs written by Elie Wiesel.

Memoirs:

All Rivers Run to the Sea (book 1)

And the Sea is Never Full (book 2)

One Generation After (20 years after leaving his home he returns to search for a watch he burred in his backyard before being sent to Auschwitz)

Open Heart (looking back on his own life at age 82)

Other Books Elie Wiesel Wrote:

The Forgotten

Souls on Fire

The Oath

The Town Beyond he Walls

The Golem

Interview with Oprah

Entire interview (click here)