The Happiest Man on Earth- Eddie Jaku

In these stories, you will witness tremendous sorrow followed by an even more powerful gratitude.

Our new friend, Eddie Jaku, serves as a beacon of hope to all. Having barely survived Aushwitz and the monstrosities before and after, Eddie has every reason to be a bitter, resentful old man. The thing is, he’s not. He is the happiest man on earth. He knows that life, every day, every breath is a gift.

Eddie shares his story as if he is telling it to a friend. It is raw and tender. Egregious and blood boiling. Inspiring and filled with hope.

I have read more WWII inspired novels than I can probably remember but the story hits differently from a survivor. In this memoir, I learned of diabolic acts I had never heard of before. I thought I had heard it all. How wrong I was.

While no one besides the survivors could truly understand, it’s through their words  that we can try our best to empathize and more importantly, to learn. We have a duty to future generations to learn these stories and pass them along. If not you, who? If not now, when?

The Happiest Man on Earth, while short in length, delivers monumentous emotions that will linger with you long after you have closed the book. I think if you have a few hours to spare, which we all know we do (*ahem* fellow doom scrollers,) we should all get to know the happiest man on earth.

Keep a pencil, highlighter, and/or tabs at the ready.

Eddie Jaku went on to live a long, beautiful life. He passed away October of last year at the age of a hundred and one.