A story that had to be told and must be read
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Set in Poland during WWII, Samson: A Savior Will Rise is inspired by true stories and based on real events. The book follows Samson Abrams, a Jewish boxer who is sent to Auschwitz with his entire family after he helps a young boy escape from being beaten by Nazis. At the camp he is soon recognized as an Olympic participant and offered a deal: he can box for his life (and the Nazis’ entertainment). If he wins, he will receive extra portions of food. If he loses, he will be sent to the gas chambers. Samson will do anything to try and save his family…
The characters of Samson and his family are amalgamations of different but real persons. Hoffman also portrays historical events and figures such as the Catholic monk Maximilian Kolbe or the infamous camp physician Dr. Josef Mengele. Even if you are familiar with the history of WWII and the atrocities of the concentration camps in particular, I doubt you will be prepared for the more graphic details of some of the heinous experiments performed by Mengele.
Shawn Hoffman paints a vivid picture with his words. I wasn’t surprised at all that he is a screenwriter. While reading the book I could visualize the entire story. Paradoxically, Samson is both easy to read because of the author’s writing style while at the same time one of the most difficult books you’ll ever read. It is a stomach-twisting, heart-wrenching and incredibly emotional book. I just couldn’t put it down.
Despite all its heaviness, Samson is actually very inspirational. It’s a story of pain and suffering beyond words but it is also a story of hope and faith, redemption and ultimately freedom in Christ.
At the beginning of the book, Hoffman quotes Eli Solomon, a holocaust survivor: “Some stories are easy to hear. Other stories simply must be told, no matter what the consequences.” Samson is one such story that had to be told and hence must be read.
You can watch book trailers online at http://samson-book.com/