Light out of Darkness

Three wonderful books come to us out of the foulness of Nazi genocide. One is "Schindler's Ark," by Thomas Keneally, of which enough said for now - see previous post.

Then there's "If This Is A Man,"by this magnificent writer:

Primo Levi, who also wrote wonderfully on other subjects, inclcuding chemistry. "The Periodic Table" is delightful as well as enlightening for a non-scientist like me.

And finally,  "Man's Search for Meaning," by:

Viktor Frankl, who turned his experiences into the basis for a whole new approach to existential psychotherapy.

The Schindler book is, of course, not a first-hand account of the camps, but it is against the background of the camps that Schindler did his miraculous escapology.

There are quite a few first-hand accounts of life in the camps; these two, by Levi and Frankl, are horrifying, but also inspiring, because of what the horror generated in these men: the sort of insights that reverberate around the world for generations. These books are light out of darkness, guidance for us from the depths of human suffering. Schindler, Levi, Frankl, names to treasure.