Reviewed by Becky Brown
“Neighbors” by Jan T. Gross is set in Jedwabne, Poland, during the time of the Holocaust. It tells the story of a group of Polish people who allegedly brutally murdered their Jewish neighbors during the Holocaust.
Gross used a collection of Holocaust records to put together the story of what may have really happened in Jedwabne on July 10, 1941. The Germans occupied this area at the time. Instead of defending their friends, Gross deduced that the Polish took the side of the Germans and horrifically harmed and humiliated the Jewish people.
Reading “Neighbors” was meaningful to me because I want to learn about the Holocaust without sugarcoating it. However, because of Gross’s vivid description of the murders, I would only recommend this book to mature readers who are interested in the Holocaust. Few people know about these murders in Jedwabne because they have not been written about much. I believe the world should know.
Becky Brown recently completed her junior year in the academically gifted program at Hahnville High School. She enjoys swimming on the Hahnville swim team, playing the clarinet in the band and spending time with friends.
Editor’s note: Book reviews are published weekly in agreement with Hahnville High School gifted English teacher Deborah Unger in conjunction with the Brown Foundation Service Learning Program.
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