Born Survivors

More about the book

In 1944, amidst the millions sent to Auschwitz II-Birkenau, Priska, Rachel, and Anka entered with a secret: they were newly pregnant and faced an uncertain fate without their husbands. Determined to protect their lives and those of their unborn babies, they encountered a series of miraculous events that allowed them to survive. Remarkably, the gas chambers ran out of Zyklon-B just after their babies were born, sparing both mothers and children from extermination. The narrative follows their harrowing journey, beginning in Auschwitz under the watchful eye of Dr. Josef Mengele, then to a German slave labor camp where they struggled to hide their pregnancies while enduring extreme hardship. As the Allies advanced, they faced a grueling 17-day train journey to the Mauthausen death camp, where many perished, yet acts of kindness from strangers helped save them. Sixty-five years later, the miracle babies reunited at Mauthausen for the anniversary of their liberation, forming a bond as siblings of the heart. This account intertwines their stories, celebrating their survival against the odds and highlighting the enduring capacity for love and compassion amid unimaginable cruelty.