Children of the Flames: Dr. Josef Mengele and the Untold Story of the Twins of Auschwitz by Lucette LagnadoMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Amazon Book Description
During World War II, Nazi doctor Josef Mengele subjected some 3,000 twins to medical experiments of unspeakable horror; only 160 survived. In this remarkable narrative, the life of Auschwitz's Angel of Death is told in counterpoint to the lives of the survivors, who until now have kept silent about their heinous death-camp ordeals.
A disturbing yet truly interesting account of Dr. Josef Mengele and the twins who were personally selected subjects for his heinous medical experiments at Auschwitz. There is a common thread that binds these twins who survived Auschwitz and that is that many of them suffer from nightmares, an inability to find enjoyment in life's precious and simple moments, a sense of survivor's guilt and anger that Dr. Mengele was never formally prosecuted for war crimes and crimes against humanity, even in absentia. Mengele "fell through the cracks" of the justice system and was able to flee Germany and live out his existence in exile in South America. It wasn't until the mid 1980's that the fervor to hunt him down and bring him up on charges came about and this was instigated by one of the "twins of Auschwitz". In the end, though Mengele was never captured or convicted by a court of law, he did lose his family and his fortune, and his medical degrees were stripped while his mentor and many other former Nazis went on to lead successful and fulfilling lives after the war. Many twins refuse to believe that Mengele is actually dead and feel he was too smart to ever have been captured. Those who are interested in hearing more about the twins and their lives in the camps as well as the difficulties they had after returning home from Auschwitz should view the documentary, "Forgiving Dr. Mengele". This emotional documentary tells of Eva Mozes, who is featured in this book, and her long journey to find it within herself to forgive Dr. Mengele. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0489707/
and here is my review of the documentary
http://www.bookshopsdriveinsandjive.com/2010/08/what-incredible-and-thought-provoking.html
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