YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – “The Mauthausen 7,” the latest book by Mahoning Valley-based author and playwright J.E. Ballantyne Jr., will be released Sept. 1.
The historical short novel is based on true events that took place in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II. It sells for $25.95 and can be purchased at JEBBooks.com and Amazon.
Those who purchase from JEBBooks.com will receive the book quicker and will also receive a 25% discount if ordered from Sept. 1-8 (discount not applicable to Amazon purchases).
The story is based on a little-known incident that took place at the Mauthausen Concentration Camp in Austria. It fills in the missing details of what happened by telling a fictionalized story of seven Jewish prisoners housed in Block 5 of the Nazi camp.
Ballantyne created a play based on the story in the early 2000s titled “Block 5.” The play was produced twice in the area, at the Oakland Center for the Arts in 2005 and the Victorian Players in 2010. It garnered 14 Marquee Awards, which recognized the best local theater productions at that time.
The new book revisits the harrowing story of heroism, sacrifice and bravery.
Set almost entirely inside Block 5, it introduces seven Jewish prisoners, who are the only inhabitants in the building. That is, until an eighth prisoner – a British Navy officer – is mysteriously thrown in with them.
All of the captives wrestle with questions: Why are they kept apart from the other crowded blocks? Why has the British officer been placed in Block 5, and can he be trusted?
“The Mauthausen 7” and “Block 5” are among several successful Holocaust works written by Ballantyne.
His play “A Light In the Darkness,” about the early life of Eva Schloss, stepsister of Anne Frank, was produced in London several years ago.
“Block 5” is a difficult play to produce, so to keep the story alive and reach a wider audience, Ballantyne adapted the story into a book.
The written format allowed him to explore the characters better and to broaden the impact of the incident.
The book broadens the scope of the story, he said.
“With relatively few Holocaust survivors left, it is incredibly important that we keep these stories alive,” he said, noting that many Holocaust stories will never be known.
“There are heroes from the Holocaust that go unnoticed, either due to them passing away or the survivors’ reluctance to talk about their ordeal,” Ballantyne said. “Their histories must be chronicled, remembered and taught to future generations.”
The truth of the Holocaust is constantly under attack from deniers, he said, and stories such as “the Mauthausen 7” are “a standing monument to those who died and suffered under Nazi domination.”
Ballantyne hopes that “The Mauthausen 7” will provide insight into the incident and the Holocaust in general.
The book includes bonus features, including selected information about the Holocaust, key Nazi figures who were prominent in running the camps, camp photos, maps and Holocaust histories.
Also included is a list of prominent individuals who were imprisoned at various camps and what happened to them.
Information is also provided to guide people who are interested in conducting their own Holocaust research.
Pictured at top: The cover of “The Mauthausen 7.”