Summary

In Chapter 1, Antonio Iturbe immediately draws attention to the dark and heinous setting in which the novel takes place. The Story of Dita Kraus begins in January of 1944, in a residence where life has little value, and where “death has become an industry that is profitable only if it’s done wholesale” (1). This widely known hellhole is Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Narrated in the third person, the story commences in Block 31, the only place where any sort of serenity remains within the walls of Auschwitz. It is a place where children can play games and participate in activities during the day while their parents work in camp BIIb - the family camp. Despite the juvenile nature of the block, there remains one strict rule: school is forbidden. Despite this, Fredy Hirsch has established a small, yet important school with multiple teachers that is hidden from...