An American in Auschwitz

"Though she had barely enough flesh on her bones from malnutrition, Elsie knew what she needed more than anything else to survive. She approached another prisoner, Hanka, who worked near the ovens and discarded piles of personal belongings, "Find me a prayer book. I’ll give you my food for it." Missing a day’s ration could make Elsie too weak to work. To the captors, a prisoner’s only value was for work, or you die. They tried to steal the prisoners’ identities by taking all their personal possessions and tattooing a number on the arm. But, Faith cannot be stolen."

Elsie Ragusin was a girl born in New York City, raised by loving parents of Italian heritage. Graduating from high school and attending the World’s Fair in 1939, she was full of pride in her country and optimism for the future. While she and her family were visiting her aging grandparents in northern Italy, they were thrust unknowingly into the middle of a war that revealed some of mankind’s worst atrocities. Unjustly accused of being an American spy, she was sent by boxcar to Auschwitz. Forced to wear a triangular red patch to identify her as a political prisoner, Elsie proudly sewed USA into the patch in defiance. Even though she was starved, tattooed, and experimented on, Elsie survived and flourished afterwards with a full life with her Christian faith and tenacity of spirit fully intact. Reading this book will inspire you to overcome any circumstance, hardship or injustice you may be forced to endure.