Dancing with the Enemy

Praise

“I could not put down this powerfully haunting story. . . . The author takes readers on a gripping journey. . . . Passionate, clever, resourceful, and determined, Rosie was a powerful force. This story reminds us once again of the resiliency of the human spirit and its ability to endure, overcome and even dance amidst unthinkable tragedy.” —Cleveland Jewish News

“Family secrets run deep. When Dutch-born Glaser started digging up his hidden Jewish past, he learned that his estranged aunt Rosie had survived Nazi concentration camps by giving dancing lessons to the guards and having affairs with more than one. Letters, archives, diaries, relatives and family friends lead the writer, at last, to Rosie Glaser herself, and to an extraordinary story of an unconventional, nervy woman and her determination to survive.” —The New York Post

“[Rosie Glaser] led one of the most extraordinary lives of the 20th century. . . . [A] riveting story. . . . What is undeniable . . . is Rosie’s fearless strength in facing her fate and her refusal to become a victim. She refers little to the brutality she encountered, but frequently mentions the little kindnesses extended by the Germans. The will to survive is powerful indeed.” —The Washington Times

“A compelling story about how one prisoner charmed and danced her way to survival. A fascinating read that also exposes the calumnies of the Dutch people and government both during the war and after it.” —Deborah E. Lipstadt, Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish and Holocaust Studies, Emory University

“It is rare, at this point, to come upon a work that offers a different angle, an unusual variation on the familiar theme. In this sense, Dancing with the Enemy… is something of an exception… [I]t is in fact two stories whose parallel strands combine to create a complex, sobering, conclusion.” —The Jerusalem Report

“A readable, personable study and a scathing indictment of Dutch passivity in the face of occupation.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Glaser weaves together his interviews with Rosie in Sweden and his research into her amazing letters and diaries, and he tells the story in her voice parallel with his surprising discoveries of his own identity. . . . An essential addition to the Holocaust collection.” —Booklist

“Rosie was unconventional, exuberant and ever optimistic, and her spirit comes through in these pages.” —Jewish Woman magazine