Inhumanity and slavery, from the literal to the figurative, or slavish devotion, runs through each of this week’s Newsmax Rising Bestsellers. There is a fact-based novel, which describes what life was like as a Jew in a German concentration camp during the Holocaust. There is also a nonfiction work describing the events leading up to the start of the American Civil War and another that describes the five lies of modern “wokism” that holds many in bondage. Another describes how a former congresswoman and presidential hopeful broke the chains that her party placed on her, and the fourth argues that big government puts all Americans in bondage — including the minorities it purports to serve.

“The Survivor From Block 19,” by Arie Blumenfeld (Independently published)

Although “Survivor” is described as a historical novel, it recounts the true story of Shmuel Blumenfeld, who was marched as a prisoner through the gates of Poland’s Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp. From his arrival in 1943 to the camp’s liberation by Soviet soldiers in 1945, life for Blumenfeld was a daily struggle for survival, against the smoke and smell emitted from the crematoriums. “Mr. Arie Blumenfeld honors his father’s righteous memory in writing ‘The Survivor From Block 19,’” wrote Diane Johnson for Amazon. “I have read so much about this time period, yet, found this life work to be profound in its telling. Everyone should read this work of love and life, the impact to your heart and mind will amaze you. Hopefully through thoughtful reading of Shmuel’s biographical account, we decide to be better human beings.” [Fiction]

“The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War,” by Erik Larson (Crown)

In what the Los Angeles Times calls a “riveting reexamination of a nation in tumult,” historian Larson looks at the “tragic errors and miscommunications” during the five-month period between the election of Abraham Lincoln and the Confederacy’s bombardment of Fort Sumter — the start of the American Civil War. Lincoln wrote that the tribulations of that pivotal period were “so great that, could I have anticipated them, I would not have believed it possible to survive them.” “Larson’s writing is, as ever, engaging and compulsively readable. We know, of course, what will happen at Sumter, but ‘Demon’ enables us to watch events unfold on the ground, in Ft. Sumter, in Charleston, S.C.; and Montgomery Ala.; Washington; Springfield, Ill.; and elsewhere,” wrote Bruce Katz for GoodReads. “‘Demon of Unrest’ is full of such revelations, insights, and lively characters. I can say with complete confidence that it will be a bestseller. And it will deserve to be.” [Nonfiction]

“Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age,” by Rosaria Butterfield (Crossway)

This one came highly recommended by my neighbor Dale who, along with her husband Gary are devout Christians. It might be called something of a coming-of-age account of a young woman’s discovery of what’s important. She began her adult life as a radical feminist, a promiscuous lesbian and a “devout” atheist — in short, the epitome of a modern woke woman. But deep down her life lacked purpose. It wasn’t until she realized that she’d been fed five lies about life on sexuality, faith, feminism, gender roles, and modesty, that she found happiness and meaning. “In sum, this is a terrific book penned by a terrific woman. How a ‘women-centered, pacifist, lesbian vegetarian’ turned into a remarkable warrior for God and His truth is an amazing indication of how God can set people free and use them for his purposes,” concluded Bill Muehlenberg in his Culture Watch review. “You need to get at least two copies of this book: one for yourself and one for a friend. Thank you so much Rosaria for speaking biblical truth, and for speaking it so boldly.” [Nonfiction]

“For Love of Country: Leave the Democrat Party Behind,” by Tulsi Gabbard (Regnery)

This is the recounting of the realization by former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard that the party she loved and was once one of its rising stars, no longer supported the values that made America great. The Hawaii Democrat and 2020 presidential hopeful could either support her party or support her country — but not both. This is Gabbard’s story of what led her to choose country over party. “I highly recommend this book for any independent thinking American, that’s seeking a perspective that’s outside of the elites in D.C.,” wrote Ashby for GoodReads. “Her first-hand account of the nature of our political system is spot on.” [Nonfiction]

“Put Y’all Back in Chains: How Joe Biden’s Policies Hurt Black Americans,” by Horace Cooper (Bombardier Books)

Legal commentator and Newsmax columnist Horace Cooper described how the Democratic Party’s policies have failed all Americans — especially minorities. Although the book’s title is a quote of then-candidate Joe Biden that was directed at Black Americans, Cooper told National Review’s John Miller that the book itself is not — nor is it targeted at white Americans. “My book is targeted to any person who thinks that Big Government intervention in the market, and in society, is the best way to improve the lot of Black America. I show, in multiple categories, that those types of policies — especially when they’re racially activated, where your government is picking racial winners and losers — the whole economy suffers.” “Love the easy-to-read factually based book,” wrote Matt Buzzelli in his Amazon review. “The author reminds us of how policy has failed certain citizens time and time again.” [Nonfiction]

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