Jacob’s Courage chronicles the dazzling beauty of passionate love and enduring bravery in a lurid world where the innocent are brutally murdered. This is a tender coming of age story of two young adults living in Salzburg at the time when the Nazi war machine enters Austria. The historical novel presents accurate scenes and situations of Jews in ghettos and concentration camps, with particular attention to Theresienstadt and Auschwitz. Follow lovers Jacob and Rachael from their comfortable Salzburg homes to a decrepit ghetto, from there to a prison camp where they became man and wife. Revel in their excitement as they escape and join the local partisans, fighting their Nazi tormentors. Finally ride the crowded, fetid train to the terror of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Stung by the death of loved-ones, enslaved and starved, they have nothing to count on but faith, love and courage. From desperate despair, to unforgettable moments of chaste beauty, Jacob’s Courage examines a constellation of emotions during a time of incomprehensible brutality.
This novel is dedicated to the six million innocent Jewish men, women and children, murdered because of their religion; and to the countless other deaths attributed to World War II.
The Story Behind This Book
Members of the author's maternal extended family were victims of the Nazi extermination of Europe's Jews. Almost two entire generations, including grandparents, parents, children and grandchildren, were murdered because they were Jewish. This novel is dedicated to them and to the entire six million; put to death because of their religious identity.
Praise and Reviews
“Gut Wrenching and Heart Rending. Weinblatt’s characters and characterizations compel the reader to read onward. At the end of the read one feels both hope and admiration for the human spirit.” Holocaust Center of Toledo Director, Hindea Markowicz
“And I Cried… This book brings the Holocaust to life and evokes emotions not found in many history books. Weaving together a story of love, passion, horror, and history, Weinblatt left nothing out.” Sylvania (OH) Historical Society
“A tender, coming of age tale. This book shows the critical roles that love, determination, and steadfast belief play toward battling one’s demons both physically and mentally. Jacob’s Courage is ultimately a tribute to the triumphant human spirit.” Jewish Book World
“The reader sees events through the eyes of archetypal participants… a doctor forced to experiment on his own, a Sonderkommando and a hero.” The Association of Jewish Libraries
“The author maintains a driving, relentless pace. Jacob and his beloved Rachael try to escape the madness of Nazi Germany while maintaining their humanity; in the end, the visionary protagonist comes to echo his Biblical counterpart who fled danger in his own country and saw a life-changing vision in his dreams.” The University of Toledo Alumni Magazine, Cynthia Nowak
“Weinblatt has painted a picture with words of the horrors of the holocaust. He has done so in a haunting and evocative way. Weinblatt has the talent to convey the terror of the Jews.” James E. Vigiletti, Attorney at Law.
“You see hear and smell… Hitler’s Third Reich.” Ron Braithwaite, author
“Jacob’s Courage reminded me of one of the greatest books of the 20th Century, Viktor Frankl’s, Man’s Search for Meaning. Weinblatt has painted a picture with words of the horrors of the holocaust. Jacob’s Courage is a personal, real life example of holding on to something greater than one’s self. The love that grows between Jacob and Rachael sustains them through the horrors of life in a Nazi death camp. We all could learn a lesson from these two teenagers, coming of age and faced with the greatest existential threat to life.” Frank Fiore, bestselling author
“Not since Corrie Ten Boom’s The Hiding Place have the horrors of the holocaust been brought to life in such vivid detail. Charles Weinblatt takes you to Nazi Germany through the lives of two young people whose world is torn apart at a time in their lives when it should be blossoming. Weinblatt does a masterful job of touching your emotions throughout the book by placing you inside the lives of Jacob and Rachel. I recommend you pick up a copy of this book and a box of tissues. Get ready for a good cry and a heart warming ending as Jacob and Rachel find the courage to live.” Rick Rodgers, author
” Weinblatt weaves such detail into his story that the reader comes away with a powerful sense of what life was like for the Jews during this horrible period in history. Jacob’s Courage may be a work of fiction but it shines a spotlight on the truth. Anyone interested in World War II, the Holocaust, Jewish history, or a love story, should pick up Jacob’s Courage.” Darcia Helle, author.
“This is an amazing book… one of the best reads that I’ve had in a long while and I literally could not put it down.” Jodi Shepard.
“For a clear and no-hold’s-barred description of life as a Jew in Nazi Germany, you can’t beat Jacob’s Courage, by Charles Weinblatt.” Jennifer Feddersen, Editor.
