LOVERS IN AUSCHWITZ:
A TRUE STORY
“Lovers in Auschwitz adds to the history of resistance during the Holocaust, and is an example of a rare story of joy during an incredibly dark time.”
—Time Magazine
“Moving and tragic … A true tale of love amid unimaginable suffering.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“A vivid portrait of the brutality of daily life at Auschwitz, alongside formidable tales of people who risked their lives to save others—even strangers—through sabotage, sympathy, and love. Mesmerizing and inspirational.”
—Judy Batalion, New York Times bestselling author of The Light of Days
“A story of hope in one of humanity’s most hopeless places, Lovers in Auschwitz honors those who were lost while producing fresh insights into the nature of survival, the resilience of memory, the unseen debts we all owe one another, and, yes, the transformative power of love.”
—Robert Kolker, New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Valley Road and Lost Girls
ABOUT
Keren Blankfeld Taqqu is an award-winning narrative nonfiction journalist.
The granddaughter of four World War II refugees, Keren grew up hearing stories of partisans, hidden children and orphans. Her grandparents were displaced people in Eastern Europe who found their way to São Paulo, Brazil, where Keren was born. At age 12 she immigrated to Houston with her family.
As a journalist, Keren gravitates toward stories about refugees and immigrants. Her articles have ranged from interviews with New York City DREAMers to cover stories and profiles on both refugees and billionaires. Keren has written for The New York Times, Forbes, Reuters, The Toronto Star and others.
Her new book, Lovers in Auschwitz: A True Story, will publish through Little, Brown and Company on January 2024. The book is based on her 2019 New York Times feature “Lovers in Auschwitz,” which was translated to more than ten languages and received The Silurians Press Club Merit Award for Feature Writing.
Keren started her journalism career in 2005 reporting on a sewage facility in Rahway, New Jersey. In 2008 she joined Forbes Magazine where she served as a staff writer and editor. She has been a guest on CNN, BBC World News and E! Entertainment. In 2013 Keren served as a creative executive at New Regency Productions, where she worked with screenwriters and playwrights to develop material for movies and TV shows.
Keren teaches reporting and writing at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, where she earned her MS. She also holds a BA in International Relations and English from Tufts University.
Keren lives in New York with her husband and two sons and spends her free time running, drawing comics and making clay creatures with her kids.
EVENTS 2024
- April 7 — Glencove, NY
In conversation with Michael Berkowitz at the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County (register here) - May 3 — Pleasantville, NY
Pleasantville Community Synagogue
- May 6 — Westfield, NJ
Temple Emanu-El
- June 7 — London (virtual)
York Festival of Ideas
- October 7 — Nebraska, Oklahoma
University of Nebraska - October 17 — New Canaan, CT
New Canaan Library - November 21 — Boca Raton, FL
Congregation B’nail Israel, Boca Raton
PREVIOUS EVENTS
- Washington Post “Zippi and David are both lovingly rendered. And in focusing on them, the book does implicitly honor the full humanity of two survivors — recapturing the texture of their origins, their hopes and dreams, and their complex lives, rather than merely their presence at one of history’s most unfathomable, tragic episodes.”
- Time Magazine "Lovers in Auschwitz adds to the history of resistance during the Holocaust, and is an example of a rare story of joy during an incredibly dark time.”
- People Magazine (January Best Book Selection) “This searing true story shows the human spirit transcending horrific suffering.”
- Los Angeles Times (January Best Book Selection) “A complicated, important story, told with great care.”
- The Forward “Keren Blankfeld’s gripping Lovers in Auschwitz, written with the page-turning intensity of a good novel, tells one such story."
- Jewish Book Council "Today, when firsthand accounts of the Holocaust are few and antisemitism is once again on the rise, reading a warm, accessible story like Lovers in Auschwitz offers particular value. It captures the miracle of love in a place of horror and reminds us that, at the very moment the world is tearing us apart, certain forces might bring us back together."
- Aish "A new book uncovers the almost-lost story of hope during the darkest of times."
- New York Post "They fell in love at Auschwitz and survived — then they didn’t see each other for 71 years [...] a new, notable book."
- Publisher's Weekly "Fast-paced and novelistic, this is a moving demonstration of the ability to find love in the darkest places."
- The Telegraph David Wisnia and Helen 'Zippi' Spitzer met as prisoners and began a clandestine romance, but plans to meet after liberation went awry...
- The Smithsonian The Couple Who Fell in Love in a Nazi Death Camp: A new book chronicles the unlikely connection between Helen Spitzer and David Wisnia, both of whom survived Auschwitz
- Lithub Uncovering the Incredible Story of a Romance Between Two Prisoners in Auschwitz: Keren Blankfeld on Researching a Gripping Love Story and the Challenges of Writing About Someone Who Isn't There
- Jewish Book Council Love and Survival in Auschwitz
SELECTED STORIES
- He Sang for His Captors at Auschwitz. 75 Years Later, He Sang There Again (The New York Times)
David Wisnia, whose tale of endurance and love during the Holocaust touched readers around the world, has died at 94. - They Were the Lucky Ones (The New York Times)
The Secret History of America’s Only WWII Refugee Camp. - Lovers in Auschwitz, Reunited 72 Years Later (The New York Times)
He had one question. Was she the reason he was alive today? - Bela, the Forgotten War Orphan (The New York Times)
The remarkable tale of a 3-year-old whose parents died in Auschwitz, and the soldier who worked to get her out of occupied Berlin. - The Puzzling Inferno (Scientific American, PDF)
When saving trees means less carbon storage. - A Man for All Reasons (Forbes)
A day in the life of “homeless” billionaire Nicolas Berggruen as he sets to fix California’s government. Read about Berggruen and his plan here. - Hollywood Heavyweight (Forbes)
The Hollywood producer is responsible for making Pretty Woman and Mr. and Mrs. Smith big screen hits. But before he came to Hollywood he was an arms dealer. Read more here. - Funny Business: Billionaire Ron Perelman With His Dad (Forbes)
LBO maestro Ron Perelman and his dad, Raymond, in an intimate conversation about rebellion, success, mistakes and the meaning of life. Read more here. - Big Man in Brazil (Forbes)
Eike Batista was the face of Brazil’s boom. He rode the commodities wave to become Brazil’s richest man and aimed to become the world’s richest man. Was it all a house of cards? Read more here.
Check out my other stories here.
CONTACT ME
Story ideas? I would love to hear them: kblankfeld@gmail.com
LITERARY AGENT: Erika Storella, Gernert Co., erikas@thegernertco.com
PUBLICITY: Elizabeth Garriga, Little, Brown, & Co., elizabeth.garriga@
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS: Jayme Boucher, Hachette Speakers Bureau, Jayme.Boucher@hbgusa.com
I love book clubs (Books! What's not to love?). Reach out if your club is reading Lovers in Auschwitz, and if I can, I'd love to visit with your book club, either in person or virtually.