Impossible Escape: A True Story of Survival and Heroism in Nazi Europe

Ages 12 to 18

From award-winning author Steve Sheinkin, a true story of two Jewish teenagers racing against time during the Holocaust—one in hiding in Hungary, and the other in Auschwitz, plotting escape.

This is the true story of Rudolph (Rudi) Vrba. In 1944, he was just a teenager when he did the impossible and escaped Auschwitz, becoming one of the first survivors to share with the world what was actually going on in the Nazi concentration camps. But before he escaped, before he became one of the most famous whistleblowers in the world, he had to survive the concentration camp.

This is also the story of Gerta Sidonová, his highschool friend who fled from Slovakia to Hungary with her family. There, she lived under assumed names and hid her Jewish identity. Every day, she risked being found out as Hungary began to cave under pressure from German Nazis.

Rudi and Gerta's parallel storylines bring them together as the clock ticks down for Gerta and her family, and Rudi edges towards escape.

About the Author

Steve Sheinkin is an acclaimed author whose accolades include a Newbery Honor, three Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards, a Sibert Medal and honor, and three National Book Award finalist honors. Sheinkin lives in Saratoga Springs, New York, with his wife and two children. stevesheinkin.com