Sturgis author Danica Davidson to sign copies of “I Will Protect You”
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Sturgis author Danica Davidson may have published 16 books previously, but none is quite like her latest, “I Will Protect You.”
The book, aimed at ages 8-12 and beyond, tells the story of Auschwitz survivor Eva Mozes Kor. Davidson explained she met Eva at a speech at Western Michigan University in 2018.
“I introduced myself to her afterward, hoping I could interview her for a magazine, but when I mentioned I write children’s books, she forgot all about the magazine,” Davidson said. “She wanted to do a kids’ book about her story.”
Eva was elementary school aged when she survived Auschwitz, which was extremely rare, Davidson said.
“The only reason she had a chance at survival was because she had a twin and there was a Nazi doctor who was doing experiments on twins,” she said. “Eva said in order to fight the growing anti semitism we see now, we need to educate kids. She wanted to tell them the true story of surviving the holocaust as a child.”
Davidson spent a few months interviewing Eva. Then she would write the book and email her chapters at a time. Eva would get back with changes.
“I wrote the rough draft in three weeks,” Davidson said. “We did some revisions and sold it in 2019.”
Unfortunately, Eva passed away unexpectedly 15 days after accepting the offer for publication, Davidson said.
“I’m doing everything I can to promote the book and her legacy with the book without her,” Davidson said.
A book signing is planned for noon-2 p.m. Saturday, April 30, at Lowry’s Books in Sturgis.
“I Will Protect You,” published by Little Brown, tells Eva’s personal story with pieces of history as well, Davidson said. The book is available at Lowry’s and anywhere that sells books online.
The book is new this month. Publishers wanted to release it in April, the month of Holocaust Remembrance Day, Davidson said.
For more information, visit Davidson’s website at danicadavidson.com.
This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: news-Danica Davidson-"I Will Protect You"-Lowry's Books
