Book review: Amazing ways to live by a Holocaust survivor
Kicking off this year’s book reviews is the powerful life story by the late Eddie Jaku OAM: The Happiest Man on Earth: A Holocaust survivor shares how he found gratitude, kindness and hope in the darkest of places.
The bestseller was published in 2020 by Pan Macmillan Australia after Jaku turned 100.
And last year it won the Australian Book Industry Awards Biography Book of the Year.
So let’s find out what the book is about, why it is so interesting and what you can learn for your own writing …
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What is The Happiest Man on Earth about?
The 208-page The Happiest Man on Earth begins before World War II when Jaku lives with his loving parents and sister in Leipzig, Germany.
Then as a young man, he and his family finally manage to escape the country but, after much hardship and danger, are shipped to Auschwitz.
Jaku miraculously survives the brutality of the camp and the end of the war.
But then moves to Sydney, with his wife Flore and their son, to start a peaceful new life.
“I will tell you my story. It is a sad one in parts, with great darkness and great sorrow. But it is a happy story in the end because happiness is something we can choose. It is up to you.”
What makes the book so interesting?
The brutality of the Nazis – gassings, poisonings, slavery – is a shocking standout of The Happiest Man on Earth.
However, so too is the hopeful spirit Jaku and others nurtured to keep each other going.
Another highlight was the daring escapes and tribulations that Jaku, his family, friends and others endured. These are simply incredible.
Finally, it is remarkable Jaku did not ever talk to his children about the war and was age 100 when he published his book.
“In my mind, this is really the best revenge, and it is the only revenge I am interested in – to be the happiest man on Earth.”
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What can we learn from The Happiest Man on Earth?
The first takeaway is even ‘ordinary’ people and ‘non-writers’ like Jaku can and should sit down to write life stories.
Another is to weave in life lessons. For example, in The Happiest Man on Earth, this includes wisdom about friendship, kindness and the disease of hatred.
Also, the book has a wonderful quote title that evokes curiosity given the dark subject matter.
“There are always miracles in the world, even when all seems hopeless. And when there are no miracles, you can make them happen. With a simple act of kindness, you can save another person from despair, and that might just save their life. And this is the greatest miracle of all.”
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Final say: The Happiest Man on Earth
The Happiest Man on Earth by Eddie Jaku OAM is about his incredible survival of Auschwitz and World War II.
But it is more than this: it is a potent guide and reminder about what’s important in life.
Indeed this biography shows the human spirit at its worst and also its best.
Certainly, given the current unrest in Europe, this biography is a timely message for all.
Happy writing and reading.
*Please note: If you are affected by this story and want to seek assistance, see: Lifeline, Beyondblue.
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