Dr. Josef Mengele was an infamous SS doctor who experimented on people, affecting them even after the war ended. Children of the Flames: Dr. Josef Mengele and the Untold Story of the Twins of Auschwitz tells of Mengele’s life from his childhood to his death in Argentina in 1979. The book describes in detail, including first person accounts, of the horrible experiments conducted by Mengele on twins, and anyone else he found “interesting”, in the extermination camp at Auschwitz. The authors of this book, Lucette Lagnado and Sheila Dekel, wrote this book because they wanted the survivors of Mengele's experiments to have their story heard and remembered. It had been difficult for these people to come out and tell their stories-- many had told no one of their experiences, not even close loved ones. Many tried to forget what happened. In this book survivors recount their experiences with Mengele, describing painful injections and Mengele's two sided nature; being kind and gentle yet sadistic and cold-hearted. "Mengele once put a needle in my arm--only the needle, not the syringe. Blood started spurting out. He calmly placed the blood in a test tube. Then, he gave me a sugar cube," (Solomon Malik, 65). The use of testimonies from survivors of Mengele’s experiences makes the story feel more real. A personal connection is drawn to the story, the personal first person accounts allow the reader to understand the truly appalling conditions of Auschwitz and Mengele’s laboratory. Even after the war, Mengele continues to influence the survivors lives, some of whom never get full closure due to him getting away. This book serves as an opportunity for the stories of those victims of Dr. Joseph Mengele to be heard.
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