Elizabeth B. White

The Counterfeit Countess by Elizabeth B White and Joanna Sliwa is a fascinating story of one woman's fight against evil while constantly being in danger herself. Now, more than ever, we need people like this who believe it is better to save lives than commit genocide, even when the governments prefer and actively pursue genocide.

Dr. Josephine Janina Mehlberg was the type of person who didn't simply seek safety for herself and her family, though that had to be the first step in the story, but some level of care for those who couldn't completely avoid the Nazi concentration camps. From providing for those in the camp to freeing many others, she did more than anyone, especially the Nazi officers, thought possible. While some of her work was, by necessity, clandestine, a lot was done openly, advocating for the prisoners in her role as a Countess and member of a council. In other words, she didn't just get a new identity then hope to ride out the war. She used that identity to help others.

The source material first presented to the authors was a diary that covered the war. The amount of research they did to recover more about Mehlberg and verify the events in the diary was a tremendous undertaking and makes for a wonderful book that shows both the evil that is any genocidal government as well as the humanity which is necessary to stand up against it. A lesson that needs to be taught to many today.

Highly recommended for those with an interest in the Holocaust and those who like to read about people doing more than is asked of them for an ideal that is bigger than any person, group of people, or belief system.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via Edelweiss.… (altro)