The Naked Life

About the Book

The Naked Life is a coming of age story set against the backdrop of World War II. It is a captivating, visual and sincere memoir that traces Antonie's life from the age of eleven in Austria, to the work camps in Siberia, and on to Israel. The harsh brutalities of war are sliced by memories of first kisses and dances. The naked life is a life devoid of possessions, of home, of food, of civility, and sometimes of hope. But, in that naked life, with all excess whittled away and when expected the least, scintillas of human kindness wax brightest.

About the Author

My name is Antonie Blum, born Antonie Haut in Vienna, Austria in 1927. I was 11 years old when the National Socialist Party came to power in Austria and the nightmares began. This is my coming of age story. A story of naiveté and first kisses set against a backdrop of hunger, transience, and WWII. I now live in Aventura, Florida and hope to educate future generations about what did happen and what could.