Parallel Journeys

Parallel Journeys (1995) is a nonfiction book by Eleanor Ayer. It won several awards, including the American Library Association’s Best Book for Young Adults. An author of many nonfiction books about the Holocaust, Ayer pairs the stories of Alfons Heck (a former Hitler Youth member) and Helen Waterford (a Holocaust survivor) to show how Nazism impacts the people it empowered and targeted. Ayer didn’t choose Alfons and Helen randomly. They formed a partnership in the 1980s and began giving lectures together to promote understanding. Their experiences link to themes like Death and Visibility, Power Versus Helplessness, and Compassion Versus Hatred and Indifference.

This guide refers to the e-book version of the 2000 Aladdin Paperbacks edition of Parallel Journeys.

Content Warning: Parallel Journeys centers on the Holocaust and World War II and features the violent, deadly traumas associated with the genocide and global conflict.

Summary

Alfons Heck and Helen Waterford live in Germany. Alfons is Christian and lives on a farm with his grandparents. Helen is Jewish and lives in the city of Frankfurt with her parents and brother. Alfons is six when Adolf Hitler, the leader of the Nazi party, becomes Chancellor of Germany, while Helen is a young adult.