Eight decades after the Holocaust ended, the reverberations of one of the worst genocides in recorded history can still be felt by many, including Kalispell resident Kate Fraser.  

“It’s part of history that still feels somewhat alive,” said Fraser, whose parents lived in Hungary during World War II and faced persecution for their Jewish heritage.  

It’s a story that Fraser wouldn’t learn until many years later when she began exploring their experience before eventually turning it into her first published novel titled “Do You Really Want to Know?”  

Ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Monday, Fraser recalled their journey and hers in learning their story of survival.  

The United Nations in 2005 declared Jan. 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day writing that the holiday should serve as a reminder of the 6 million European Jews killed during World War II by Nazi Germany between 1933 and 1945 and as “a warning to all people of the dangers of hatred, bigotry, racism and prejudice.”  

While described as historical fiction, Fraser's novel shares intimate details from her own family’s history, including the struggles her parents faced during the Holocaust. The book was published in November 2023.  

The book’s main characters, Fritz and Lili, are based on Fraser’s parents, Robert and Susan Fuerst. Both were forced to wear a yellow star on all their clothing, outwardly identifying themselves as Jewish, and Robert was conscripted into a labor camp, where he worked long days filling in bomb craters.  

Meanwhile, millions of their countrymen were deported, disappearing into the now infamous Nazi concentration camps scattered across Europe. Ultimately, about two-thirds of Hungary’s Jewish population — over 563,000 people — died between 1941 and 1945.  

Growing up, Fraser knew few of these details. She found it difficult to connect with her Jewish heritage and rarely discussed her parents’ connection to the Holocaust. 

“There were a lot of Jewish families around, but nobody talked about what happened,” said Fraser. “It just seemed like something so distant, so far away.” 

After graduating high school, Fraser embarked on what she now calls her “hippie years.” She joined peace protests in the late 60s and moved to Oregon, where she raised goats as part of a commune. In 1976, she received a teaching degree and took a job at a small private Christian school in Kalispell. 

In many ways, the growing mountain town seemed far removed from her New York City upbringing. Fraser encountered very few Jewish residents and knew nobody with family members who had survived the Holocaust. However, Fraser was confronted with her family history when a unit about the Holocaust was added to the school curriculum. 

“When I started teaching [about the Holocaust] in fifth grade, it became very real to me,” said Fraser. 

Fraser read stories alongside her students, learning about the Holocaust through the eyes of fictional characters, but she also pulled out some of her father’s writing. Both Robert and Susan had penned personal memoirs, detailing their early lives in Europe. 

Reading the accounts helped Fraser understand her parents and the important role that storytelling plays in learning from and about history. When she retired after 25 years of teaching, Fraser decided it was time to write down her own stories. 

“Everybody has a story and especially as you’re getting into your upper years, it’s important to tell it,” Fraser said. 

By then, Robert and Susan had died, but Fraser also wanted to give her parents the chance to share their story. A writer's group at Flathead Valley Community College helped Fraser rework her parents’ memoirs into a cohesive story.  

The novel follows two Jewish teenagers who fall in love while navigating the dangers surrounding them. Their story intersects with that of a Nazi officer who attempts to protect his family from the rapidly changing political chaos.  

While the final product of the Novel added some exciting fictive elements, Fraser believes the story remains true to what she considers the theme of her parents’ lives: survival and redemption. 

“My parents survived, and even if there had been one week different, one day different, they would not have,” said Fraser. “Let’s not repeat history. Let’s learn from this.” 

Her book “Do You Really Want to Know?” has garnered several positive reviews and is available for purchase online. Fraser has started working on her next book, another fictionalized memoir about her early adulthood and college years.  

Reporter Hailey Smalley can be reached at [email protected].