New book aims to educate kids on Eva Kor's life, Holocaust

Jun. 2—Michigan author Danica Davidson learned about the Holocaust as a young girl, growing up in California.

Her father explained to his daughter the history of the Nazis' systematic killing of six million Jewish people during World War II. Davidson's Jewish family included relatives who stayed in Eastern Europe in the 1930s and '40s and died in the Holocaust, she said Tuesday by phone from Michigan.

So, when a Holocaust survivor came to educate kids on the topic at Davidson's school, Danica — an eighth-grader then — already knew the details. She talked with classmates after the survivor's presentation. "They were very empathetic," she recalled.

Decades later, Davidson hopes the new book "I Will Protect You: The True Story of Twins Who Survived Auschwitz" enlightens young kids on that terrible time in history. The book — published by Little, Brown and Co. — is targeted to "middle grade" readers, kids ages 8 through 12. It tells the story of Eva Kor, the late Terre Haute Holocaust survivor, who endured Nazi Dr. Josef Megele's torturous medical experiments with her twin sister Miriam at the Auschwitz concentration camp.

The twins were just 10 years old in 1944, when Nazis deported their family from Romania to Auschwitz, where all but Eva and Miriam were killed. Eva Kor, who died in 2019, became internationally known for her determination to educate the world about the Holocaust and for her eventual forgiveness of her Nazi tormentors.

Davidson heard Eva Kor speak in Michigan in 2018, and decided to write the book, which is a collaboration with Kor. It is Davidson's 17th book and a departure from her others, which are in the manga genre. She finished the manuscript shortly before Kor's passing at age 85.

Teaching kids about the history of the Holocaust, and the importance of empathy, is a goal of the book, Davidson said. Explaining the Holocaust to children as young as 8 to 12 years old is difficult but necessary, and Kor emphasized that necessity, Davidson said.

"She's proof herself of what kids can do and the amazing things they can accomplish," Davidson said.

"I Will Protect You" is available in hardcover, audio and e-book form through online retailers. It is also among the books available at CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Terre Haute, which Kor founded. Museum executive director Troy Fears said CANDLES recommends parents read "I Will Protect You" themselves before reading it with their child because of the subject matter.

Mark Bennett can be reached at 812-231-4377 or mark.bennett@tribstar.com.