Book Review – By Chance Alone: The Young Readers’ Edition

By: Matt Buie, FSWC Educator

By Chance Alone: The Young Readers’ Edition, written by Kathy Kacer, is based on the 2019 Canada Reads winning memoir written by Max Eisen. The book begins by describing Max’s happy life with his family in the former Czechoslovakia.  After the Nazis take over in 1938, their lives quickly change: they are forced from their homes and sent by cattle car to the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp. Eisen’s emotional journey of survival is detailed, as every day becomes a test of his strength. Kacer compellingly describes the cruelties Eisen witnessed and every chapter grips the reader as one wonders how he will survive.

This version is excellent for its stated audience, ages 10 to 13, as the language has been simplified to ease the difficulty of comprehension, but the descriptions of events have not been compromised. Each chapter is only a few pages long, making it the perfect book for a daily read-aloud, literature circles, or even a class novel study.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day is on January 27 and By Chance Alone would make for a powerful tool to help examine the Holocaust through the lens of a survivor. Experiencing the horrors that occurred through reading can help students better understand this dark chapter in history and is a powerful tool to build empathy for its victims.

Learn more about Max Eisen and why he felt it was important to share his experiences.

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