TOW #24: The Nazi Officer's Wife (IRB #2)

     The Holocaust is a time period full of selfishness, anger, loss, and deep hatred. If one thing was considered wrong with a person, they were thought to be aliens. They were foreign and many thought them as a dead man walking. Stories have been told ever since the first person was liberated, but mainly from a lot of stories from prisoners. An aspect that is often untold is those affiliated with the Nazis. Why would anyone want to know a story from the oppressors? It's understandable not to want to pay attention, especially because of the amount of oppression that they caused. When first picking up this book, I was not sure what to expect. I have read other autobiographies from Jewish survivors, but never one from someone who was married to a Nazi. An aspect that I didn't expect is that she lived in fear as well. She feared that someone would find her out because of her educational status.
     I believed in the beginning that her purpose was to share her story. As stated earlier, I have previously read other war stories, but this was different. It came from a whole new perspective. Instead of running through the cold nights of winter while trying to escape or fighting other prisoners for food, Edith was able to live with her new husband. But. This was after she was able to escape from the ghetto that her family was forced to live in. Now, I realize what her purpose truly was. No one was immune to suffering in World War II. Yes, some people were able to stay in their homes with their family while others were separated, but that does not mean that they weren't impacted. People were drafted, tortured, separated, killed, wounded, etc. Although different people had different levels of suffering, everyone was united in the struggle. That's what I believe that her purpose was. She didn't leave any details out, mainly because I think that if she left things out, people would judge her. Why? Because she is a Nazi officer's wife.
     I enjoyed the different perspective that this book offered. Learning more and more about the Holocaust is, I feel, important. There is no limit to the knowledge that someone can gain, and Edith certainly contributed.