To Hope and Back: The Journey of the St. Louis

To Hope and Back: The Journey of the St. Louis
By Kathy Kacer
Second Story Press, 2011. 204 pgs. Young Adult Nonfiction

In 1939, over 900 Jews sought refugee from Hitler and the rise of Nazism in Germany by boarding the St. Louis and heading to Cuba. Having purchased costly tickets, which in some cases used up families' entire life savings, they were treated kindly by the crew, including Captain Schroeder, and they were anticipating a new life in Cuba, or after a brief stay in Cuba, in the U.S. However, as the ship was racing across the ocean, trouble was brewing, as Nazi propaganda convinced many Cubans the soon-to-arrive Jews were poor, dirty criminals. As the ship reached Cuba, no one was allowed to disembark. While a few concerned people tried to convince either the Cuban government or the U.S. government to allow the emigrants in, the Jews feared what would happen if no one would take them--because returning to Germany would mean almost certain death.

This is first-rate book that really makes the story of the St. Louis and her passengers come to life. It follows two children who really traveled on the ship, one a wealthy passenger experiencing seasickness and the other a third class passenger loving every minute on the ship. In alternating chapters, we follow them as they leave their homeland--and their fear--behind, only to be faced with a whole new fear when they reach Cuba. Interspersed throughout the books are also chapters titled "What the Captain Knew," which is a bit of a misnomer since the captain didn't know exactly what was going on, just that something wasn't right as he tried to get his passengers to Cuba as quickly as he could, in hopes of getting them into the country before anything could keep them out. The narrative style makes it a gripping choice, and readers will be aghast at the decisions made by hostile and/or weak governments who haggled over the Jews and their situation with little regard for their suffering. With its bittersweet ending, as the Jews did find new countries back in Europe but many were captured by the Nazis anyway, it shows readers the sobering reality of weakness and disregard for human life.

AE