Die Sonnenblume (The Sunflower) by Simon Wiesenthal

A young SS officer lays dying during WW II, and he feels the need to repent for the horrible crimes he has committed against the Jewish people. The SS officer's nurse arranges for a Jew named Simon to visit his room in the hospital, and there, the SS officer asks Simon for forgiveness. Simon chooses not to respond to him and does not forgive the dying man. Should Simon have forgiven the SS man because he was truly repentant? Or did he stay true to his values and leave forgiveness to a higher power? This is a great moral dilemma, and is based in part on Wiesenthal's life experiences in several concentration camps during the war. Included are comments from a variety of famous authors and others who were impacted by this moving narrative.

Leatherby Libraries Call Number: D 810 .J4 W5313 1976, 2nd Floor Humanities Library

Review submitted by: Kevin Ross, Associate Dean, Leatherby Libraries
Rating: Highly Recommended