Teen’s book tells grandmother’s Holocaust tale

Every Holocaust memoir is unique, but Phoebe Unterman’s book, “Through Eva’s Eyes,” is perhaps more unique than others. The children’s book, written and illustrated by Phoebe, is based on her grandmother, Eva K. Unterman’s, experiences as a Jewish child growing up in Poland and surviving some of the most notorious Nazi concentration camps.

The first version of the book was written when Phoebe was just 13; she’s now 17 and a senior at Shawnee Mission East High School. She writes the book as though she were Eva Unterman telling her story.

In eighth grade, Phoebe entered the National Kids-in-Print Book Contest for Students, sponsored by Landmark House Ltd, a Kansas City, Kan., publishing company. She didn’t win in her age group, but the publishers chose it for their Publisher’s Choice Gold Award Line. Phoebe received a $15,000 scholarship and the chance to have her book published.

“We have a book that is very rare, because there aren’t very many books written about the Holocaust for elementary school children,” said Teresa Melton-Symon, president of Landmark Publishing. “It’s a wonderful beginner for a teacher to do a classroom project on the Holocaust. Without being extremely graphic, you get the idea that people died. And kids are interested in what other kids go through.”

Little did Phoebe know that it would be more than three long years before the book would actually make it to print. During that time, several people close to Melton-Symon became ill, including her mother and then-company president Nancy Melton, which held up the process somewhat.

The whole truth
Phoebe entered the contest to fulfill a project requirement in her speech class, and had intended to do a picture book for very young children.

“But I realized that my grandma’s story was the most amazing story I’ve ever heard,” she said, “so why not be able to tell something that could really affect people and make a difference?”

The original story only went as far as Eva Unterman having to leave her home in Lodz and move with her family to the Lodz Ghetto. However, the publisher felt the whole story needed to be told.

“(Phoebe) really didn’t get into a lot of detail,” said Melton-Symon. “The family eventually went on to (be imprisoned in) Auschwitz, but (Phoebe) really didn’t want to get into that. She just wanted to brush over it in an epilogue. But (our editor) said the story wasn’t worth telling if we don’t tell the whole truth. People are going to want to know what happened.”

Phoebe says she wanted to keep it a children’s book and not be graphic or violent. Plus, she didn’t know how to do illustrations for the concentration camps.

“But I came around because it really was an unfinished story at that point. And it raises the (reader’s) age a little; it’s not for little kids,” she said. “It’s a true story, and it’s told through the eyes of my grandmother. So that puts it on the same level as someone her age during the war would have seen it. It’s appropriate for kids just learning about the Holocaust, and adults can enjoy it, too.”

Phoebe spent the entire summer of 2008 working on the illustrations. She perused photos in Holocaust-themed books and online.

“The illustrations were the longest … and most frustrating part of the process,” she said. “I’ve always liked art, but that’s not the kind of art I usually do. It was such a huge project … there were a lot of times when I thought I couldn’t finish this. I’m glad I did, because now it’s really paying off. … It was something I wanted to do so much that I got it done.”

The last group
Although Eva Unterman — who lives in Oklahoma — has talked of writing her own memoirs, Phoebe said her grandmother was pleased with her version “because it’s not the whole story, not as detailed.”

“She’s done some research about the war and found out some things about her story that she didn’t know then,” Phoebe said. “She was sort of sheltered. So I tried to keep it like her; her view. I really think it’s important to have something out there because she’s in the last group of survivors, and she’s one of the only kids. … There were not a lot of kids that went through the camps, very few. Most were in hiding. So it’s really unique that she somehow made it through, because they almost always killed the kids when they got to Auschwitz, or even earlier on.”

“Through Eva’s Eyes” is available for $20.95 at Rainy Day Books, 2706 W. 53rd St., or it can be ordered directly from the publisher, Landmark House, Ltd., 1949 Foxridge Drive, Kansas City, KS 66106

Perhaps some time in the future, Phoebe will write more about the Holocaust, but for now her main focus is getting into one of the eight colleges to which she has applied. Being a published author ought to help.

Phoebe, the daughter of Ellen Murphy and Stephen Unterman of Mission Hills, is currently planning to major in journalism, but said that may change.
Eva Unterman lives in Tulsa, where she is active in Holocaust education.

Meet Eva Unterman
Phoebe’s grandmother, Eva Unterman, will be the guest speaker at 6:30 p.m. services Friday, Feb. 5, at The New Reform Temple. There will be a question-and-answer period, and Phoebe’s book will be available for sale.

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