Welcome to the online home of Small Miracle, A Holocaust Story from France, published by Fernwood Press.

Small Miracle is a middle grade/young adult novel-in-verse which retells the true story of Charles Middleberg.

Charles Middleberg is a Holocaust survivor. But when you hear his story in person, he prefers to be called a witness.

Charles and his family are Polish Jews, living in France during World War Two. After the German invasion in May 1940, Charles’s father is taken away. Soon after, his mother is taken as well, and for the next three years, Charles and his brother will have their lives saved – again and again – by a series of small miracles. Some of these miracles happen by chance, but most occur because of the concern and care of people who simply decide to do what is right, at exactly the right moment, at great risk to themselves, at a time of great evil when doing nothing would have been the safe and easy thing for them to do.

This is the message Charles brings as he tells his story of perseverance and survival, and about the dangers of hate, especially during today’s troubled times when hate is again on the rise. He was a witness to the greatest crime against humanity in history; he is the evidence – the living proof of that crime – and when Charles retells his story, we, too, become witnesses.

It was one of the great honors of my life to work with Charles and to be able to share his story with you.

“When you listen to a witness, you become a witness.” ~ Elie Wiesel