Prisoner No 73863

You like "Midnight Express", you will love this moving and heartbreaking taleThe true story of Philippe Combes imprisoned for two years in Morocco. This story does not take place in the 1970s on the other side of the world but today and only 18 kilometers from Europe. Philippe Combes is a renowned and happy businessman. There have been happy days with his partner for over two years, when they both decided to leave for Marrakech. A new life in the continuity of the daily happiness they share. Morocco is quickly becoming a welcoming land and they fall in love with it as deeply as they are with each other. For a year, they will invest themselves personally and professionally in order to make their contribution to the development of this country which is dear to them. A single meeting with three of its nationals will however rock everything. Through this story, you will discover the judicial and prison world in what is most terrible: humiliated, beaten, tortured, dehumanized, Philippe Combes will only have his strength and his dignity to stand up. You will understand how, in full knowledge of the facts, the country of Human Rights has let one of its fellow citizens languish in what is the worst prison in this world. Left to its own devices, you will discover the daily life of a man who has no other goal than to survive in order to regain his freedom. "If you were the first of your friends to read PRISONER NO 73863, you would absolutely recommend this story." The Sun "The plot of this story is dizzying. PRISONER No. 73863 is a powerful book, with no escape, but deeply moving and sincere. Breathtaking. C. L. Taylor "Captivating and well conducted." The Sunday Mirror "A true, exciting and exhilarating story." Rachel Rhys "Strong story readers will love it." - Library Journal "A masterful plot! We hold our breath until the last page. - The New York Times "A breathless suspense." - Sunday Express "A very effective story, a breathtaking suspense, a great humanity." - Herald

Despite their common heritage, Jews born and raised on opposite sides of the Polish-Soviet border during the interwar period acquired distinct beliefs, values, and attitudes. Variances in civic commitment, school lessons, youth activities, religious observance, housing arrangements, and perceptions of security deeply influenced these adolescents who would soon face a common enemy. Set in two cities flanking the border, Grodno in the interwar Polish Republic and Vitebsk in the Soviet Union, Borderland Generation traces the prewar and wartime experiences of young adult Jews raised under distinct political and social systems. Each cohort harnessed the knowledge and skills attained during their formative years to seek survival during the Holocaust through narrow windows of chance. Antisemitism in Polish Grodno encouraged Jewish adolescents to seek the support of their peers in youth groups. Across the border to the east, the Soviet system offered young Vitebsk Jews opportunities for advancement not possible in Poland, but only if they integrated into the predominantly Slavic society. These backgrounds shaped responses during the Holocaust. Grodno Jews deported to concentration camps acted in continuity with prewar social behaviors by forming bonds with other prisoners. Young survivors among Vitebsk's Jews often looked to survive by posing under false identities as Belarusians, Russians, or Tatars. Tapping archival resources in six languages, Borderland Generation offers an original and groundbreaking exploration of the ways in which young Polish and Soviet Jews fought for survival and the complex impulses that shaped their varying methods.