Four main things stand out for me from reading Questions I Am Asked About The Holocaust : Young Reader’s Edition. The first, it took the author, Hedi Fried, a lifetime to heal and process her experiences; the second, history has repeated itself, and third, while I knew what genocide meant (there is also a glossary that gives a technical definition) it was broken down by etymology: genos: people and cide: murder, or People Murder. But perhaps the big takeaway from this translation by Alice E. Olsson edition is, this is one woman’s experiences, feelings, learnings and words, but many people can relate. And not just from the past, but from today’s refugees as well.
The setup of this book are the questions Fried has been asked over the years, such as Why did Hitler hate the Jews? What was the worst thing that happened to her? What was her life before the war? Do you still hate Germans? Was there anything good?, and edited into short (a few pages each) answers. And while some seem odd (Were there nice Nazis?) they are not flippant nor are her answers quick or dismissive. Things are detailed, but not bogged down. They are emotional, straightforward, and can make you think. Some of the experiences that Fried encountered, we have heard before, and many were unique to her. The timeline at the end allows for placement of when things were happening to her and also how quickly things were happening. As she said, you got used to things easily, even injustices, but the one thing the Holocaust taught her was to never get used to injustice. 
There are many parts I found interesting that make things fall into being a more unique experience for the author. One of the most thought provoking is the fact that she and her family were deported to Auschwitz (where her parents were killed and she and her sister later were sent to Bergen-Belse) only near the end of the war. And I wonder when I hear these kinds of things, what would have been different if they had been at the start of things. Also, the author has a special relationship with country and identity. Due to where she was born and grew up, this area passed between Romania and Hungary. Her relationship to the nationalism of the time, or which “side she was on” was complicated. Then, after the war, she moved to Sweden, and somewhat became a citizen by accident. Therefore, was she Swedish? Of course, coming into play was the fact she was Jewish, and therefore not “completely Romanian” in the eyes of others, which also would awaken her knowledge of the anti-Semitism of the times. I am curious about what was edited to make this the young reader version. I also read this as an online reader’s copy, though the book is currently available. 
The extras not only include a glossary and the timeline but have questions and things that can be used in the
classroom discussion, for essays, and more. There are also facts about the identity of Jewish peoples, history of the people, as well as the larger picture context. I usually skip these kinds of extras, but the Jewish identity section captured my interest and I went back and read them. It was not enough that some of the facts that were already presented in the answers was actually new to me, this had to add to things! There are also illustrations by Laila Ekboir. I do not wish to make them seem like an afterthought, as they are anything but, yet it is hard to get everything I want in! These are sometimes on the page with text, or take up pages on their own. They are simple, not overly detailed and actually have a somewhat positive feeling to them. Even if you see things like an SS soldier, or a swastika. They are colorful, and while not “in depth” they are telling. And while I would not have them as art on my wall, they are well done and artistic.
classroom discussion, for essays, and more. There are also facts about the identity of Jewish peoples, history of the people, as well as the larger picture context. I usually skip these kinds of extras, but the Jewish identity section captured my interest and I went back and read them. It was not enough that some of the facts that were already presented in the answers was actually new to me, this had to add to things! There are also illustrations by Laila Ekboir. I do not wish to make them seem like an afterthought, as they are anything but, yet it is hard to get everything I want in! These are sometimes on the page with text, or take up pages on their own. They are simple, not overly detailed and actually have a somewhat positive feeling to them. Even if you see things like an SS soldier, or a swastika. They are colorful, and while not “in depth” they are telling. And while I would not have them as art on my wall, they are well done and artistic.
Two more things, one, it seems I have read this book before, but obviously it did not stick with me. However, current events to make this an important read. And I will end with, I had different ideas for a title, and finally decided to use the one thing that really expresses the subject matter. 
