Dawn at Birkenau Author: Narrated by Simone Weil, edited by David Tabler Publisher: Guangxi Normal University Press

☆ The woman who entered French politics from the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp: Simone Weil. Her funeral was presided over by French President Macron. She is the fifth woman buried in the Panthéon in France.

☆ Simone Weil was the French Minister of Health and the first female President of the European Parliament. On November 29, 1974, thanks to her efforts, France finally passed the "Weil Law" (Voluntary Termination of Pregnancy Law). Simone Weil won the right of French women to voluntarily have an abortion.

☆ This autobiography shows us the tenacious soul of an outstanding woman. Behind this strong character is the tragic experience in the concentration camp. The glory of her life cannot be erased, but the tattoo she got as a concentration camp prisoner: 78651.

【Content Introduction】

This book consists of three parts. The first part is narrated by the director of Simone Weil's documentary, the second part is Simone Weil's own narration, and the third part is Simone Weil's conversations with her friends. It is supplemented with documentary stills and Simone Weil's childhood photos, a total of 60 photos.

Simone Weil once had a happy childhood, but everything changed after she entered the concentration camp. She experienced the violence that destroyed humanity and the sorrow of separation from her family, and saw to what extent people could be inhuman. Weil's heart was permanently cast with a shadow, just like the tattoo on her arm.

In this book, Weil tells the story of her experience before and after the concentration camp. We cannot truly empathize with the tragic experience, but Weil provides us with a way to move forward with pain: do not stop doing things, and believe that you can have a normal life. In addition, the perspective of the Auschwitz survivor is also a precious gift to readers. When she talks about her experience, struggle and efforts, she is writing a piece of history with her personal experience. There is a deep and transcendent power under the lightness of the clouds. It is this power that helped her enter the political arena, and it is this power that opened up the possibilities of women being suppressed.

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