A Century of Wisdom

Title: A Century of Wisdom
Author: Alice Herz-Sommer
Publisher: Two Roads Books
ISBN: 9781444737608

From the publisher: At 108 years old, Alice Herz-Sommer is the world’s oldest living Holocaust survivor. She is also the world’s oldest concert pianist.

Born in 1903 Prague to a family of Jewish intellectuals and musicians, Alice Herz-Sommer socialised with the likes of Kafka and Brod.

But in 1943, Alice, a prominent concert pianist, her husband and young son, were deported to Theresienstadt concentration camp.

Alice’s mother and husband perished, but Alice and her young son survived. Alice played more than 100 concerts for her fellow prisoners in the camp, giving them and herself comfort and hope. Her son was one of only 93 children (out of 15,000) to survive that camp.

A Century of Wisdom is a collection of Alice Herz-Sommer’s life stories and the lessons she has taken from them. Despite living through terrible experiences, her outlook is one of understanding, optimism and joy.

Despite all she has suffered and witnessed, Alice Herz-Sommer harbours no bitterness, which she believes only eats away at the hater.

Alice says, ‘only when we are old, do we realise the beauty of life – life is a present’.