Last Known Address: The Stumbling Stones of Europe

Gr 5-8–The Stumbling Stones project originated by Gunter Demnig is a heartfelt and large-scale way to honor people affected by the Holocaust. Mr. Demnig inscribes plaques with a name, birth date, and the date the person was killed or arrested, as well as their death date if possible, in the ground at the person’s last known voluntary address. The idea is that others will stumble across the stones and pause to remember. The memorials can be found in over thirty countries. This book tells the stories of 12 people acknowledged on stumbling stones, and one from Munich who has a memory stone, a similar monument. With settings from Italy, the Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, England, the Czech Republic, Serbia, and Hungary; and people who were Jewish, Roma, gay, or who had mental illness, the stories represent a wide range of experiences, sadly united in the reality that so many people were persecuted during the Holocaust. The shifts from first to third person can make it a bit confusing to know when the author is speaking versus a character, but the engaging, conversational style makes the stories relatable to a contemporary audience. The subjects are real people, and in a note, sources that include personal interviews and published accounts are acknowledged, but not listed with bibliographic information.