Squirrel Is Alive

“Squirrel Is Alive is a charming memoir of a young Belgian resistance fighter whose exploits during the German occupation of her country were the stuff of legend. As a young woman, she served as a courier transferring information, arms, and ammunition between resistance groups defying the Nazis and leading a daring and adventurous life. Her journey took her into the arms of a liberating American soldier and into small-town America where she worked as a nurse and then, later in life, where she spoke to groups large and small about her experience and the meaning of freedom and democracy, values that Americans too easily take for granted. It brought her well-deserved honors, but more importantly brought wisdom and insight to her many audiences. The issues she spoke of, the questions she raised, and the values she embodied have become more urgent in our world, and Squirrel—her code name during the war—is once again alive through this moving memoir, alive with much to say.”

– Michael Berenbaum, Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies and Director, Sigi Ziering Holocaust Institute

“A rare, surprising tale of a teenage girl’s struggle with adolescence, love of family and country, ethics, humanity, and survival under Nazi occupation of Belgium and France. That the ‘Squirrel,’ Mary Rostad, stayed alive as she traveled and fought against the Nazis shows the reader, young or old, what a single young person's conviction, determination, and perseverance can achieve in the name of ‘Right’ and justice. This is an eminently readable and inspiring book by an author who never sought the well-deserved recognition she gained late in her life. Many of the events and feelings Mary described resonate with me, a Holocaust survivor, the benefactor of the actions of a few righteous ‘Squirrels.’

– Peter Feigl, retired international business executive, senior Defense Department arms negotiator, and Holocaust lecturer and survivor

“A teenager makes a difference. Mary Rostad sees her country is being destroyed by the Nazis, so the ‘Squirrel,’ as she is known, leaves her family and walks over a thousand miles in the cold with little food, always in constant danger, to report German troop movements. She was not a bystander but an upstander, a hero. At the end of the war, she visits Dachau and learns that President Eisenhower insisted the townspeople see the atrocities caused by the Nazis, an action that could have predicted the eventual rise of Holocaust deniers. Toward the end of her life, Mary—with the encouragement of her mentor, Darryle Clott— feels compelled to share her experiences with the world.”

– Sam Harris, President Emeritus and founding member, Illinois Holocaust Museum; Holocaust survivor

Students tell me every school year how much they learn from reading Mary’s story, not only about the Holocaust but also how much they learn about themselves and the challenges of being teenagers. --– Dave Nelson, English/Language Arts Teacher, Westby Area High School, Westby, Wisconsin

“Relatable stories of heroism can be transformative because they remind us of our values, fears, love,

and humanity. This is the story of Mary Rostad, a typical teenage schoolgirl who in 1940 rebelled against the Nazi occupation of her homeland in Brussels. Her defiance began with small acts of sabotage and rose to organized resistance. At the age of 17seventeen, Mary, code name “Squirrel,”, left home with nothing but the clothes on her back, braided ponytails, and her teenage heart fueled by a rebellious spirit grounded in the value of justice. She spent two years evading Nazi capture as a courier for the resistance. Risking her life for justice, freedom, and democracy, Mary reminds us of the courage our inner voice carries and the power of our youth. Our students need such stories.

– Lesly Culp, USC Shoah Foundation Director of Education and Outreach