Book
To hope and back : the journey of the St. Louis / Kathy Kacer. --
The true story of the journey of the ocean liner St. Louis, which left Germany in 1939 full of Jewish passengers bound for Cuba, only to be turned back when it was not allowed to dock, as seen through the eyes of two young children.
Record details
- ISBN: 1897187963 (pbk.)
- ISBN: 9781897187968 (pbk.)
- Physical Description: 204 p. : ill. --
- Publisher: Toronto : Second Story Press, c2011.
Content descriptions
| Immediate Source of Acquisition Note: | LSC 14.95 |
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Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at Tsuga Consortium.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeshore Branch | J 940.53180922 Kac | 31681002716785 | JNONFIC | Available | - |
- Baker & Taylor
A true account of two Jewish children on the ship St. Louis who while attempting to escape Nazi Germany were turned away from port after port. - Orca Book Publishers
Told from the perspective of two Jewish children passengers on the ship St. Louis as they try to escape Nazi Germany but are refused at port after port. - Orca Book Publishers
September 1, 2011 - From the award-winning author of The Diary of Laura's Twin, The Secret of Gabiâs Dresser, and Hiding Edith comes a new book about the tragic true story of the St. Louis, an ocean liner carrying over 900 Jewish passengers seeking a new life in North America, only to be turned away at every port.
Young Lisa and Sol are amongst the 937 Jewish passengers who boarded the luxury ocean liner St. Louis in Hamburg, Germany on May 13, 1939. Lisa, with her family in first class, and Sol, with his below in tourist class, share mixed feelings about the trip. Both children are excited to be beginning the voyage to a better life, but sad to be leaving their homes behind. Though war has not yet been declared, Nazi persecution of Jews in Germany has been escalating for years and when the St. Louis sets sail for Cuba hopes run high as the passengers believe they are on their way to safety. But as Hitlerâs propaganda machine turns Cuba against their cause, the mood on board begins to darken. Though the ship's German captain is @font-face { font-family: "Times New Roman"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }table.MsoNormalTable { font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: determined to find safe harbor for his passengers, he is ultimately helpless. First Cuba turns them away, then the United States and Canada both close their doors to the St. Louis and its desperate passengers.
This was the tragic true history of the St. Louis. Denied entry from port after port, the Captain was forced to return his passengers to Europe, where many died in the Holocaust. Through the eyes of Sol and Lisa â both of whom survived the war and shared their experiences with Kathy Kacer â we see the injustice and heartbreak caused by the prejudice and ignorance of so many. In January 2011 the monument called "The Wheel of Conscience", designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, was opened at Pier 21, Canada's immigration museum in Halifax. The monument acknowledges Canada's role in the tragedy.
Key Selling Points:
- Originally published in English in 2011, To Hope and Back was shortlisted for the Ontario Library Association Silver Birch Award and the National Jewish Book Award. It received incredible reviews from the New York Times, School Library Journal, Quill & Quire, Canadian Jewish News, and more.
- According to BookNet Canada, To Hope and Back was the bestselling childrenâs book in Canada in English in 2024. Second Story Press has sold over 60,000 copies of the book.
- To Hope and Back has been chosen two years in a row for ONE BOOK for Holocaust Education in Ontario by Ernieâs Books, a program that sends sets of one book into classrooms across Ontario for Holocaust education, with tens of thousands of copies distributed.
- Kathy Kacer has published more than 20 books with Second Story Press. Second Story Press has sold over 180,000 copies of Kathy Kacerâs books in North America and they are consistently among our bestsellers.
- Sol and Lisa, the two children in To Hope and Back, both survived the war. When To Hope and Back was originally published in 2011, they both gave talks about the real events and promoted the book.
- In January 2011, the memorial to the St. Louis unveiled at Pier 21 in Halifax: âThe Wheel of Conscienceâ, designed by Daniel Libeskind.
