“Four Pebbles” brings a real witness to holocaust history
As the camp filled beyond its capacity, the crematorium could no longer keep up with the body count. The dead at Bergen-Belsen were then burned in open pits, tossed into mass graves, or even strewn about above ground.
This description is not something out of a Hollywood vision of what the Holocaust must have been like, but part of an account written by an actual eyewitness to the devastation.
Marion Blumenthal Lazan, co-author of the book Four Perfect Pebbles, provides us with a vivid collection of memories from one of the most horrific events in human history.
Sometimes shocking in its detail, her book is an award-winning memoir that is both poignant and educational. The highly descriptive content has no need for wordy rhetoric and flows smoothly as Lazan seamlessly integrates her own personal memories with historical fact.
The BlumenthalÃs are a young Jewish family in Nazi Germany. They try to deal with the Anti-Semitism for as long as they can, but soon it is no longer safe to stay. By the time they decide to flee Germany, however, it’s too late. They escape briefly to Holland, but the Nazi army soon invades and sends the entire family to the notorious concentration camp, Bergen-Belsen.
The inspiration for the title of the book comes from a game the 9 year old Lazan created for herself while in the camp. Finding four perfectly identical pebbles would mean that her, her brother, and her parents would survive the ordeal. This quest for four perfect pebbles became a comfort and a pastime for her.
At a recent lecture, someone asked her if she ever found four perfect pebbles, Lazan replied, ìI always found four perfect pebbles,î then with a smile she added, ìSometimes I cheated, yes, but it was my game and I made the rules.
Her childhood game would become a metaphor for her in later years. Her message now is one of tolerance, determination and love.At just 130 pages long, the book makes for a quick read to fit in anyoneÃs
busy schedule. For those interested in War history or simply a great story of human triumph, this book will surely be a memorable one.
Byron Clarke is a book critic at the Utah Statesman. Commens can be sent ot him at abclarke@cc.usu.edu