Always Remember Your Name: A True Story of Family and Survival in Auschwitz

Andra and Tatiana Bucci’s poignant memoir bears witness to their childhood experiences in Auschwitz and their lives after the war. In March 1944, six-year-old Tati and four-year-old Andra were taken to Auschwitz, where they were separated from their family, some of whom were killed immediately thereafter. Approximately 230,000 children were deported to the camp, but just a few dozen survived. Although the girls lived in the children’s barracks, their mother watched over them and admonished them to memorize their tattoo numbers and “always remember your name.” This lesson helped reunite the girls with their family after the war’s end. With precision and elegance, Gabrielle De Cuir’s narration honors the sisters’ memories and reflects their story’s somber tone. While Andra and Tati occasionally speak as individuals, they usually refer to themselves using the first-person plural, and in so doing, they speak for all the lost children of Auschwitz. De Cuir’s lightly accented voice—unadorned and clear—complements the simplicity of the sisters’ words and is a fitting testament to this truly terrible time in history.