BOOK

Saints and liars : the story of Americans who saved refugees from the Nazis

Dwork, Deborah, author

2025

Overview

\"Long before their country officially joined the war, American aid workers were active in rescue efforts across Europe. Two such Americans were Martha and Waitstill Sharp, who were originally sent to Prague as part of a relief effort but turned immediately to helping Jews and dissidents after the 1939 invasion by Germany. They were not the only ones. Renowned historian Debórah Dwork follows the story of rescue workers in five major cities as the refugee crisis expanded to Vilna, Shanghai, Marseille, and Lisbon. Followed by Nazi agents, spiriting people across borders, they learned secrecy. Others negotiated with government representatives, like Laura Margolis, who worked with the Japanese, to get enough food and warm shelter for the refugees in Shanghai. Yet, the women also often faced lack of support from their agencies; if part of a couple, they fought to get paid even at a low salary despite working as long and hard as their husbands. Moving and revelatory, Saints and Liars illuminates the unpredictable circumstances and often fast-changing historical events with which these aid workers contended, while revealing the moral questions they encountered and the devastating decisions they had to make. Drawing on a multitude of archival documents, from letters to diaries and memos, Dwork offers us a rare glimpse into the lives of individuals who--at times with their organizations' backing, but sometimes against their directives--sought to help people find safe haven from persecution\"-- Provided by publisher.

• Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company
• Subject: World War, 1939-1945 Jews Rescue. / World War, 1939-1945 Evacuation of civilians. / World War, 1939-1945 Participation, Female. / World War, 1939-1945 Women United States. / Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)
• ISBN: 9781324020349, 1324020342

Item info:

1 item available

1 item total in all locations

Holdings :

Call Number	Copies	Material	Location
D809.U5 D96 2025	1	BOOK	GENERAL