This powerful work tells the true story of Charlotte Adelman, a Holocaust survivor whose life stands as a testament to resilience, memory, and survival.
Born in Paris in 1932, Charlotte spent her early childhood in a loving Jewish household before her world was shattered by the Nazi occupation of France. At just ten years old, she was forced into a life of fear and flight, escaping danger six times over four years as Jews across France were rounded up for deportation. During this time, Charlotte’s mother, Rose, was taken by the Nazis and murdered at Auschwitz.
By the end of the war, Charlotte had been separated from her family for nearly five years. She was reunited with her father shortly after liberation, and after two years of searching through Red Cross records, she was finally reunited with her brother, Max. These reunions marked the beginning of a long road toward rebuilding a life forever shaped by loss.
Charlotte later immigrated to Canada, where she built a life rooted in love, family, and perseverance. She married her husband Alex, with whom she shared fifty years of marriage, raised two children, and became a proud grandmother. Today, Charlotte is an active member of the Phoenix Holocaust Survivors Association, continuing to bear witness so future generations never forget.
Her testimony has been preserved in collaboration with Steven Spielberg and the Shoah Foundation and is housed in major Holocaust museums around the world. Among the tens of thousands of Parisians murdered during the Holocaust, her mother’s name is honored at the Holocaust Museum in Paris — a permanent memorial to lives lost.
This book was written in collaboration with Mala Blomquist, managing editor of Jewish News of Greater Phoenix. With decades of experience as a journalist and editor, Mala brings care, clarity, and deep respect to Charlotte’s story, ensuring it is told with accuracy, compassion, and enduring purpose.
✨ Meet Charlotte Adelman and Mala Blomquist at the Scottsdale Book Festival and experience a story that reminds us why remembrance matters.