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Review: The Mascot (Mark Kurzem) (original post 10/4/09)

I earned my Master's Degree in History with an emphasis on the Holocaust so have read a lot of Holocaust memoirs and history. The book I read today was one of the best and most interesting, probably because it is so different from the others I've read. The Mascot: Unraveling the Mystery of My Jewish Father's Nazi Boyhood by Mark Kurzem is fascinating! Kurzem's father was only 5 years old when he narrowly escaped being killed by the Nazis in 1941. He was found soon after by Latvian fascists and becomes their mascot. They get him child-sized uniforms and he accompanies them on all of their horrific adventures. He was eventually taken in by a chocolatier who raised him as his own son until the war ended and they were put into a displaced person's camp for 4 years.

This book chronicles the author's discovery of his father's hidden past and we follow him and his father as they research the story, the Latvian experience of WWII, and try to find any surviving relatives.
Genre: Non-Fiction/Holocuast
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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