The Counterfeit Countess: The untold story of the Jewish heroine who defied the Holocaust
by Elizabeth White and Joanna Sliwa
Narrated by Julie Teal
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Pub Date 25 Jan 2024 | Archive Date 25 Mar 2024
Bonnier UK Audio | John Blake
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Description
We are all too familiar with the stories of Jews who were tortured and killed in concentration camps throughout the Third Reich. But less is known about the persecution of Polish prisoners housed in Majdanek, a concentration and extermination camp on the outskirts of the city of Lublin in south-eastern Poland. The Counterfeit Countess tells this story through the lens of the efforts of one remarkable woman, herself a Jew, who passed as Polish aristocracy, became a lead official in a Polish relief organisation and an officer in the underground resistance movement known as the Polish Home Army. Using the false identity of Countess Janina Suchodolska, Josephine Janina Mehlberg persuaded the SS and other Nazi authorities to give her access to prisoners, bringing them soup, clothing, medicine and tending to their needs, and on many occasions having them freed from the camp. This is her story, based upon her own unpublished account.
Advance Praise
'Powerful. . . . A heart-wrenching profile of resilience, ingenuity, and heroism.' - Publishers Weekly
'A story of courage, compassion, and cunning so profound that it must be included with the greatest Holocaust literature. Janina Mehlberg is a heroine for the ages.' - Larry Loftis, New York Times bestselling author of The Watchmaker's Daughter - Larry Loftis, S&S NYC
'The Counterfeit Countess is an extraordinary testament to courage, resilience and humanity during the darkest months of the Holocaust. Beautifully crafted and meticulously researched by two of America's powerhouse World War II historians, this riveting story will ensure that the world never forgets the utterly remarkable Josephine Janina Mehlberg and an epic rescue mission that defied great evil. You will not put this book down until the very last word -- it is a stunning piece of Holocaust history that will stick with you long after you're done.' - Debbie Cenziper, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of Citizen 865: The Hunt for Hitler's Hidden Soldiers in America - Debbie Cenziper, S&S NYC
Available Editions
| EDITION | Audiobook |
| ISBN | 9781789467499 |
| PRICE | |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Julie F, Reviewer
Majdanek was a concentration camp near Lublin where Josephine Janina Mehlberg used a false identity as Countess Janina Suchodolska and persuaded camp leaders it was in their interests to feed thousands of their prisoners. She provided food, medicines and other items that if found co7ld have led to her death.
This is a wonderful and inspiring listen and read (I listened to the audiobook). The horrors that this lady saw and tried to alleviate were enormous. This brilliant and clear writing has come to us through careful and thorough validation of Janina’s memoir, which came to light after her death. She saved many many people from starvation and helped many escape. We should praise and remember her..
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