Elie Wiesel was born in 1928 in Sighet, which is located in what is now known as Romania. He was 15 years old and had lived a scholarly life of learning when he and his family were transported to the Auschwitz concentration camp. His mother and younger sister perished immediately upon arrival. He and his two older sisters survived.
The historical memoir entitled Night is a record of his experiences in the camps, and the later Buchenwald death march, as well as his internal struggles over the deaths of his family, the loss of his own childhood innocence, and the conflicts he faced in trying to reconcile his strong religious beliefs with what was occurring in the camps. The message is clear within the novel, events such as the Holocaust must never be allowed to occur again.
Elie Wiesel is a human rights activist who brings to light human rights violations occurring throughout the world and who has dedicated his life to helping leaders around the world to meet to discuss these issues. He has also written some other really great novels. Other titles include Dawn, Twilight, Day, The Forgotten, and After the Darkness: Reflections on the Holocaust. Get a complete list of the books authored by Eli Wiesel as well as a biography at the author's website The Eli Wiesel Foundation for Humanity.
Please let me and the rest of the class know if you have read any of these other novels by Elie Wiesel, or any other novels which relate to the Holocaust.