More Nights Than Days. A Survey of Writings of Child Genocide Survivors


More Nights Than Days. A Survey of Writings of Child Genocide Survivors. 
Central European University Press, 2023.

More Nights Than Days is a unique exploration of the experience of children who survived the Holocaust—including Roma and Sinti victims—and the genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, and Bosnia. Children are among the principal victims of armed conflicts and slaughters; nonetheless, they perceive events through the prism of their unique perspective and have a range of coping techniques adults don't possess.This overview of writings of ninety-one child survivors bears evidence from a wide range of human ruthlessness. The author presents little-known texts along with famous memoirs and autobiographical fiction, with abundant quotations. Many of these are not only compelling as historical testimony, but poetic and stirringly expressive. Yudit Kiss has not written a historical study or literary criticism of the children’s books. She explores, instead, what the authors went through and what they felt and understood about their experience. An accessible and captivating reading, this volume presents a close-up, human size dimension of the destruction. The books written by child survivors also describe the resources and means that helped them to remain human even in the deepest well of inhumanity, offering precious lessons about resistance and resilience.

The book is part of CEU’s Open Access publications.  [Open book PDF in browser 📖]




Reviews

"By compiling evidence from a wide range of survivors and including commentary on little-known texts—along with remarks on well-known memoirs and autobiographical fiction—Yudit Kiss offers rare insights into children’s experiences during traumatic events and allow readers to access personal, individual stories. The testimonies by survivors are not only compelling as historical evidence, but are also poetic and stirringly expressive at the same time, conveying the uniqueness and humanity of the people who faced dehumanizing policies and mass murder." 

Naomi B. Sokoloff, Professor of Hebrew and modern Jewish literature at the University of Washington in Seattle

Interview with Yudit Kiss about her book 'More Nights Than Days: A Survey of Writings of Child Genocide Survivors', CEU Press, October 12, 2023.    📖

"Just reading through the biographies of the various genocide survivors at the end of the book is enough to make you shiver, but preserving memories and accounts of atrocities of war is essential to shed light on historical events that changed the lives of many generations forever. … an important book in teaching us how to remain human and resilient when hope is lost, resistance is futile and coping with despair seems impossible."

Anonymus CEU Press review, 📖

"Kiss allows insight into mass violence at each stage of genocide as viewed by the youngest victims, a subject that is underexamined within the current literature. …The book’s structure effectively conveys the author’s statement at the start of this comparative section that "never again” failed to mean “never again.” … The book bridges a gap in comparative genocide studies…. succeeds in offering a new interpretation of genocidal victimhood and survival."

Georgia Parsisson, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, 2026, Vol. 40, No. 2   📖 


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