Samson: A Savior Will Rise by Shawn Hoffman is based on true stories of the horrors endured by the Jews at the hands of the Nazi's during World War II. It follows the Abrams family from their life in occupied Poland to their enslavement in the concentration camp at Auschwitz. The main character Samson, an Olympic boxer is forced to fight for his life where if he wins he gets extra rations, and if he loses, he is sent to the gas chambers. While at the camp, Samson meets a Polish Catholic priest named Maximilian Kolbe who becomes a sacred friend and helps Samson wrestle with the question of "Where is God in the face of such evil?"
I found this book incredibly difficult to read and review. The story itself is gripping, but the brutality of the events is certainly not blunted or sugar coated. If I didn't have to read the entire book to review it, I likely would have put it down because it was so disturbing. At one point, about half way through, I had to skip to the end of the book to see if there was any hope or justice given, because if there wasn't, I would have been unable to continue. The fact that the book is based on true events is heart wrenching and distressing, but I kept reading holding out hope that something good was coming. It did, but not in the ways I had hoped for. This book is a good read for someone who wants to have their eyes open to the horrors of war, but be prepared to be consumed with thoughts about the book and the horrors of the holocaust that will last much longer than the story - and perhaps that's not a bad thing.
I am a member of Book Look Bloggers and have received this book free in exchange for an honest review.
