Stephen “Pista” Nasser—a Great Man

My Brother’s Voice, by Stephen “Pista” Nasser, is a very convincing, true story about a young, teenage, Jewish Hungarian boy who survived the Nazi holocaust. I found the book to be very interesting, educational, and uplifting. I experienced the complete spectrum of emotions including smiling, laughing, crying, sadness, sorrow, and anger (towards the SS killers). The Nazis and particularly the SS officers were despicable. However, some good Germans existed such as the potato farmer and the Wehrmacht guard who purchased Pista’s carvings for food. Further, there was the good engineer who headed the bridge project and saved Pista twice from a nasty SS officer. These were the good Germans.

Pista Nasser received more than his share of hardships and beatings; however, because of his ingenuity, he was able to succeed in spite of the roadblocks placed before him. He was definitely a survivor. Very moving was the great love displayed between Pista and his older brother, Andris. We live through Andris’s ordeals and his subsequent death, the brutality of the Nazis in murdering Pista’s baby cousin (Peter), and the horrors committed at Auschwitz. These reasons are why this book had to be written—even after keeping the entire story a secret for over 50 years.

It was hilarious how Pista smuggled a 2-inch knife into the concentration camp by inserting it up his anal passage. It’s a good thing that they didn’t have metal detectors as we have these days. The strong family ties are heartwarming. After the war ended, Pista’s journey back to his home in Budapest and all of the obstacles he overcame doing it can only be credited to Providence. There were so many times that he could have been caught and thrown into prison. His relationship with his girlfriend is heartwarming, which added a lot to the book. My Brother’s Voice is a must read. I highly recommend it to all those who enjoy true stories that are truly uplifting.