The Ravine

A Family, a Photograph, a Holocaust Massacre Revealed

By: Wendy Lower

Narrated by: Suzanne Toren

A single photograph—an exceptionally rare “action shot” documenting the horrific final moment of the murder of a family—drives a riveting process of discovery for a gifted Holocaust scholar

In 2009, the acclaimed author of Hitler’s Furies was shown a photograph just brought to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The documentation of the Holocaust is vast, but there are virtually no images of a Jewish family at the actual moment of murder, in this case by German officials and Ukrainian collaborators. A Ukrainian shooter’s rifle is inches from a woman's head, obscured in a cloud of smoke. She is bending forward, holding the hand of a barefooted little boy. And—only one of the shocking revelations of Wendy Lower’s brilliant ten-year investigation of this image—the shins of another child, slipping from the woman’s lap.

Wendy Lower’s forensic and archival detective work—in Ukraine, Germany, Slovakia, Israel, and the United States—recovers astonishing layers of detail concerning the open-air massacres in Ukraine. The identities of mother and children, of the killers—and, remarkably, of the Slovakian photographer who openly took the image, as a secret act of resistance—are dramatically uncovered. Finally, in the hands of this brilliant exceptional scholar, a single image unlocks a new understanding of the place of the family unit in the ideology of Nazi genocide.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2021 Wendy Lower (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

Lots of Promises, Almost Delivered

Despite the amazing work of Dr. Wendy Lower, the description of the book is not accurate. She never actually identifies the family. She gets very close, but no one can actually identify the family.

I also disagreed with the author that we are never able to become desensitized to images. I worked at the 911 museum for a time, and at the beginning, the imagery and content was overwhelming. However, the only way that we as employees could survive, was simply by taking a deep dive into the horror of it all, and then disassociating. in order to act as stewards of our history, we had to desensitize ourselves – not only to protect our own selves, but to present the history in a factual way. In a way I became desensitized to a lot of things, including my own emotions surrounding 9/11, and just personally. However, I think that’s a perfect example of what horrific history can do to us, and I think that’s an important part of the discussion.

That being said, there were some really interesting (is that the right word?) aspects of the Holocaust that I had never heard about before. I think it’s fascinating how Dr. Lower went about researching and the interviews she had with family members.

Overall a good listen; but frustrating that the summary promises an answer and we are left with none. Though at the end of the day, that seems to be one of the many themes of this terrible tragedy.

A world gone wrong

This is the most difficult book I’ve read on the Holocaust & probably the last . I will not forgive or forget but these images will not fade so we must move on to prevent this ever happening again in any lifetime . I pray to G-d we have the courage .

The Ravine

Lower brings the horrors of The Holocaust to life they her vivid and heart felt account. It is a must read for people of all faiths. We must never forget.

Wendy Lower is one the best

When it comes to thorough research on Holocaust topics, Wendy Lower is one of the best. It's amazing how she was able to get so much information from one photograph. As an audiobook, be prepared to listen several times because Lower relates so much inforation and histories of people.

Difficult But Powerful Read

She builds the story behind the photo, the research about it, and the lesser known Holocaust atrocities in the former USSR into a phenomenal book. It is haunting and sad, but informative in detailing the history and record-keeping not just of the Nazis, but other witnesses and bureaucracies. Never forget.