Alice Herz-Sommer's Piano: A Life Story

The story of Holocaust survivor and pianist Alice Herz-Sommer: "A miraculous journey of mother and son for whom music provided strength and nourishment." —Kirkus Reviews

Alice Herz-Sommer, a talented pianist from a very early age, became famous throughout Europe. However, as the Nazis rose to power, her world crumbled. In 1942, her mother was deported to the Theresienstadt concentration camp and vanished. The following year, Alice, her husband, and their six-year-old son were sent there as well.

In the midst of the horrors they faced, music, especially Chopin's Etudes, became Alice's salvation. Theresienstadt was a "show camp" —a living slice of Nazi propaganda created to convince outsiders that the Jews were being treated humanely. In more than a hundred concerts, Alice gave her fellow prisoners hope in a time of suffering.

Born in Prague in 1903, Alice's story has now been told in the book Alice's Piano, written with the cooperation of the survivor herself, who contributes a foreword. Melissa Müller and Reinhard Piechocki's work marks the first time her story has been documented.

As Booklist's starred review states, "Most moving is the story throughout of her loving bond with her son and how she saved him. No politics, intolerance, or self-righteousness, no talk of revenge, always the rigor and joy of music."

The book, published in the UK as A Garden of Eden in Hell, offers a poignant and inspiring account of Alice Herz-Sommer's resilience and the power of music to sustain the human spirit, even in the darkest of times. Through her extraordinary story, readers are reminded of the profound impact that a single individual can have, and the transformative potential of art and creativity in the face of unimaginable adversity.

Alice Herz-Sommer's life and legacy stand as a testament to the enduring strength of the human spirit, and her story continues to inspire and captivate audiences around the world. The tale of this remarkable woman and her unwavering devotion to her son and her craft serves as a powerful reminder of the transformative power of music, compassion, and the unbreakable bonds of family.

product information: