As Long As I Hope to Live: The moving, true story of a Jewish girl under Nazi occupation

Claudia Carli has written a book about Alie, a Jewish schoolgirl in Amsterdam, and her friends, who did not survive the War. Through the discovery of a friendship album, she has traced and preserved their lives, bringing them to life with their writings and everyday hopes, pleasures, and longings.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 432 pages
Publication date: 07 April 2022
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

An extraordinary book that delves into the lives of a remarkable group of girls, most of whom tragically did not survive the Holocaust. Claudia Carli's remarkable journey began through the discovery of a precious friendship album belonging to 12-year-old Alie, a Jewish schoolgirl in Amsterdam. Through meticulous research and preservation, Carli has intricately traced and documented the lives of an entire class of girls, offering a poignant and heart-wrenching glimpse into their world.

Alie and her friends come to life on the pages of this extraordinary book, their hopes, joys, and longings intermingling with the constant fear of the knock on the door, the disappearance of a classmate, or the loss of a loved one. Their stories are rendered with vivid detail, capturing the essence of their everyday existence amidst the backdrop of war.

In 1943, Alie and her mother were destined to meet their fate at Sobibor. However, Alie's sister Gretha, against all odds, survived Auschwitz and kept her promise to her sister, preserving the friendship album as long as she had hope. This book stands as a unique testament to occupied Amsterdam and the girls who, through their memories and stories, will forever be remembered. It joins the ranks of notable works such as Anne Frank's diary and "The Cutout Girl," providing a profound window into the lives of these young victims of the Holocaust.

Weight: 302g
Dimension: 130 x 196 x 31 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781529385960