How We Outwitted and Survived the Nazis

Extraordinary storytelling about unfathomable horror. – Library Journal (starred review)

[A] worthy tribute to the extraordinary bravery of a remarkable woman. – Publishers Weekly

In World War II's Poland, thirty-year-old Zofia Sterner and her husband Wacek refuse to be classified as Jews destined for extermination. Instead, they evade the Nazis and the Soviets in several dramatic escapes and selflessly rescue many Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto and a labour camp. Later, they become active participants in the Warsaw Uprising where they are taken prisoner.

This retelling, captured through diaries, interviews, war crime trial testimonies, and letters, details the Sterners' heroic rescues, escapes, and ultimate survival. A true story of hope amid horrifying tragedy, How We Outwitted and Survived the Nazis illustrates how war brings out the worst and the best in people, and how the true humanity and heroism of ordinary people are revealed by their willingness to risk everything to help others. This story is about being human under the most inhumane conditions.