What readers are saying about
A Boy’s Journey
“Not just another Holocaust book, A Boy’s Journey grips the reader with heartfelt revelations that can only be expressed by a survivor. The best books on the Holocaust are not only interesting to read, but also ask readers to think about their own lives and what they would have done in similar situations.”
— Sharon Halperin, Director of the Center for Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights Education of North Carolina
“Peter Stein has written a riveting memoir of his experience as a young Jewish boy in Nazi-occupied Prague. Scholars will admire this important contribution to the historical literature of a terrible time, and readers of all ages will find their hearts reach out to the courageous boy who sees one after another member of his family disappear with no plausible explanation.”
— William E. Leuchtenberg, Past President of the American Historical Association
“No genre is better equipped to draw the literary and the sociological together than memoir. More creative than the standard journal article or academic monograph, it nevertheless maintains a commitment to truthfulness: not to providing a precise and exhaustive record of events, but to representing the past faithfully, understanding that this is an interpretive task shaped by the natural distortions of memory and perspective. A Boy’s Journey…[exemplifies the] strengths…that good literature and good sociology share.”
— Dr. Christina E. Simko, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Williams College
“Peter Stein has produced a remarkable tale of Nazi occupation, the Holocaust and emigration that reimagines events from the perspective of a young boy. Part history, part memoir, A Boy’s Journey is a touching, eloquent act of remembrance.”
— Chad Bryant, author of Prague in Black: Nazi Rule and Czech Nationalism
“Reading the book, A Boy’s Journey, generated a lively and insightful discussion of immigration, social justice, and democracy by my students.”
— Lynda Moss, Genocide Educator
“This is a powerful story of human resilience in the face of violence, uncertainty, and fear. Although the narrative focuses on the author as a young boy, the real heroes are his Christian mother and Jewish father who somehow navigate their way through the horrors and uncertainty of first the Nazi and then the Communist occupation of Prague. They are strong and courageous models for a boy who became, in his turn, a compassionate voice for justice in a world never completely free of the danger of tyranny.”
— William F. Powers, Amazon Reviewer
“My students read and compare several books of immigrant experiences.These are stories of boys and girls from Mexico, Rwanda, Cambodia, Russia and Peter’s book about Czechoslovakia under Nazism. Students come to understand the complexities of leaving one’s country of birth and learning about coping with a very different new life.”
— Sheldon R., High School Social Studies Teacher
“I teach children from very diverse backgrounds whose families often face incidents of racism, ethnocentrism and prejudice. Stein’s book provides a good grounding for our explorations.”
— Maureen M., Middle School English Teacher
“Stein also includes a helpful timeline of historical and family events, as well as poignant and sometimes-chilling black-and-white photographs. The book serves as a timely warning of humanity’s potential for evil when good people remain silent.”
— Michael F., Middle School Principal in Raleigh, NC
Praise for Peter’s Presentations
“Thank you for such a wonderful talk. It is so critical for our young people to hear from survivors and witnesses – firsthand accounts – or all will be lost on them. I look forward to reading your book and sharing passages with my children.”
— Kathleen Shanahan Lindner, Executive Director at the UNC East European Studies Center
“Thank you for your spirited and insightful presentation.”
— Kathleen Korgen, Professor of Sociology at the University of William Paterson University
“I cannot thank you enough for today. Your message is so important & so timely. I greatly appreciate your passion & compassion.”
— Nona M. Shepherd, Associate Professor of English at Northeast State Community College
"Thank you very much for the powerful talk you gave to Village Voices this evening. You had a large audience, all of whom stayed with us for the entire hour.Your slides were superb--I am quite amazed that you have as many family photos as you do. It was an excellent evening, thank you again."
— Trudy Peterson, Chair of Capital Hill Village Voices
“Peter, that was a fantastic presentation. Loved your inclusion of resistance and liberators in your family. Thank you for all you do.”
— Sharon Halperin, Director at The Center for Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Education of NC
“Thank you again for sharing your story with us and for giving this very moving talk. Your talk was very well received and the audience was moved and engaged.”