PRESS QUOTES

"The Aftermath is an important contribution to the literature of Holocaust testimony. Read it and you will be moved by the pain and courage of a man who has witnessed the victory of evil as well as its downfall."
Elie Wiesel, Author
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

"The Aftermath tells of the unspeakable sufferings of the Jewish people.... Accounts such as this are a great source of sadness to me. At the same time, the spirited determination of the Jewish people to survive and succeed has been a great source of inspiration to us Tibetans. There are great similarities between the attempts to eliminate our two nations and in the remarkable will of both peoples to rebuild their lives and maintain their traditions with love and hope. I am heartened to know that even after experiencing the cruelty of the concentration camps, the author still believes in basic human goodness."
His Holiness The Dalai Lama
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

"The Aftermath is a spell-binding tale of loss, recovery and integration of self. I was riveted as the author, in his search for Lydia, takes the reader through the chaotic landscape of newly liberated Europe. The narrative unfolds with the suspense of a good detective novel. With its forward movement and its chilling flashbacks, it opens up a unique perspective on the post-Holocaust world."
Yehudi Lindeman, Director,
Living Testimonies, McGill University

"The Aftermath's haunting story and compelling questions leave the reader to contemplate the meaning of human existence. It is a book to be read and reread."
Bill Surkis, Executive Director
Montreal Memorial Holocaust Centre

STORY

Ra-tatata-ta. Ra-tatata-ta. The growl of machine guns. From time to time the distant roar of cannons. I am lying on the third tier of a bed of boards. I am cold. I have covered my head with a blanket. I think of food and then, with indifference, I realize that this is perhaps the last day of my slavery, or of my life.

So begins Henry Lilienheim's remarkable story, on the eve of his liberation from Dachau. Written in 1947, The Aftermath provides an indelible first-hand portrait of the post-war world, where all Germans miraculously claim never to have supported Hitler, where Munich is the vortex of the greatest migration in history, and where former camp inmates become Displaced Persons. Through it all, Lilienheim battles to maintain hope that his wife, against all odds, is still alive.

Written in spare and often lyrical prose, The Aftermath is a powerful and eloquent love story with lessons for us all. It is destined to become a classic.