"The best learning comes from curiosity and compassion." In this profound and riveting collection of essays, Twigg has honoured Holocaust survivors and family members “who knew they had a secret to tell but never found the voice for it until later in life.” Featuring eighty-six authors, documentaries, and 163 books about Holocaust survivors, sympathetic nationalities, and Nazi war-criminals, each essay is expertly researched and written. Some literary topics include a Holocaust survivor reunited with a German guard, a love story, “architect of the death camps,” how Canada was one of the most restrictive Western countries to admit Jews fleeing “the final solution” and Nazi Germany policies during and surrounding WWII, and a Holocaust survivor who snuck back into a death camp, twice! Highly recommended for secondary schools. Twigg has published twenty books in forty years and has received the George Ryga Award for Social Awareness (2023) and the Order of Canada (2015).

Cautions / Content Warnings: Some horrific content and graphic photos.
Other End Matter: Afterword, footnotes, author's statement
Images: b&w photographs, b&w illustrations, map, historical documents, and posters
Bibliography: Yes
Index: No

Source: Books BC - BC Books for Schools

Alan Twigg is the publisher and editor of BC Book World, Canada's largest-circulating publication about books. He has also been contributing editor of Quill & Quire, Canadian books columnist for the Vancouver Province, books columnist for Vancouver magazine, a contributor of profiles to the Toronto Star and the Writers Union of Canada representative on the board of directors of the Canadian Centre for Studies in Publishing. In 2000, he was the first recipient of the Gray Campbell Distinguished Service Award for outstanding contibutions to literature and publishing.

Alan is the author of ten previous titles including For Openers: Conversations with 24 Canadian Writers, Hubert Evans: The First Ninety-Three Years, Vancouver and Its Writers, Vander Zalm: from Immigrant to Premier, First Invaders: The Literary Origins of British Columbia and Cuba: 101 Top Historical Sites.

Alan Twigg's profile page

Yosef Wosk's profile page

Winner, George Ryga Award for Social Awareness in Literature

Nominated, Western Canada Jewish Book Awards in the category for writing on the Holocaust

"A celebration of 85 authors/survivors who have written about their harrowing and inspiring stories." - Vancouver Sun

A "fascinating" overview of BC Holocaust literature. The afterword by Rabbi Yosef Wosk "rounds out the collection with his thought-provoking reflections on hiding." - Jewish Independent

An "important publication" - Zachor (Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre)

"What Twigg's stunning testament achieves is to keep alive even unspoken Holocaust truths." - subTerrain Magazine

"Out of Hiding is well illustrated, so that people, locales and related artifacts from the BC milieu and its narratives are richly presented." - The BC Review

"The Holocaust must not to be forgotten, under-estimated or disregarded. This book represents the best way forward in the 21st century." - Dr. Robert Krell

"Out of Hiding is both inspiring and chilling." - Dr. Ruth Linn