Passage to Freedom

Written by National Geographic Learning

A diplomat defies orders to save thousands from the Holocaust.

4.3 Goodreads · 808 ratings

32 pages· 1,850 words· Est. 15 min read-aloud· AD610L

$11.95Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

In 1940s Lithuania, Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara faces a moral dilemma: obey his government or save thousands of Jewish refugees. Inspired by his young son's question, Sugihara risks everything to issue life-saving visas, defying orders and showcasing the power of compassion and courage. What will be the cost of his brave decision?

From the publisher

The true story of Chiune Sugihara, the “Japanese Schindler,” who, with his family’s encouragement, saved thousands of Jews in Lithuania during World War II.As a Japanese diplomat in Lithuania in the 1940s, Chiune Sugihara had a chance to help thousands of Jews escape the Holocaust through Japan, but it was against his government’s orders. When his five-year-old son Hiroki asked, “If we don’t help them, won’t they die?” Sugihara decided to assist the refugees. Based on Hiroki Sugihara’s own words, Passage to Freedom is the first fully illustrated children’s book to tell Sugihara’s heroic story, highlighting his courageous humanity, and the importance of a child’s opinion in his father’s decision.

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