Publication Date: October 10, 2025
The little girl’s eyes brim with tears. My hands shake with fear as I take her picture, right before the carriage doors bolt shut, taking her and hundreds of others to Auschwitz. This photo proves what the Nazis are doing. But what will I have to sacrifice to show the world the truth?
Nazi-occupied Holland, 1942: Rudolf’s heart breaks as the gates of Westerbork transit camp clang shut behind his Jewish family. He had no choice but to accept a job as the camp’s photographer to keep his children safe. He sees the barbed wire surrounding them. Is this a trap, and will they ever walk out of here again?
Rudolf takes portraits of hundreds of tired souls, their clothes stitched with the yellow star they are forced to wear, marking them for deportation. He knows what the Nazis are doing to families just like his. But with each day come little acts of resistance. And one day, when the guards aren’t looking, he takes a picture of a little girl on a train to Auschwitz, her tear-filled eyes pleading for help.
That night, holding his young son in his arms, Rudolf’s heart is torn. This is no life for his children. His photographs could change the course of the war. And this could be his only chance to save them all.
Then, Rudolf and his family are ordered to report to the platform at daybreak. And as light creeps into the eastern sky, the atmosphere in the camp is tense. Do the Nazis know about the photo of the little girl? And can he still save the people he loves the most?
Inspired by the incredible true story of wartime photographer Rudolf Breslauer, Only I Can Save Them is a heart-rending tale about the choices we make in the darkest times to save those we love. Fans of Heather Morris, Ellie Midwood, Suzanne Goldring and Anna Stuart won’t be able to put this down.
Within the gates of a Nazi-run transit camp, a German Jew uses his photography skills to document life at Westerbork.
Inspired by a true story, Only I Can Save Them illustrates the role Rudolph Breslauer played in secretly documenting the reality of Jewish persecution while churning out propaganda. Author Imogen Matthews details Rudolph’s gut-wrenching decision that put his family’s safety at risk.
A dual storyline connects past and present as a young woman seeks information from her grandmother about an old photo. This aspect was especially poignant because of the pain linked to the memories.
The horrors facing Jews leading up to World War II, as they try to find safety, come to life as Rudolph moves his family from Leipzig to Amsterdam, only to be caught up by the vast Nazi occupation.
It’s contributions like his that put a face on ordinary people doing extraordinary things during the war. The fact that his footage survived is miraculous.
Only I Can Save Them highlights an inspirational story of courage in light of personal sacrifice unfolding in World War II.
Imogen Matthews is an Oxford-based, award-winning author and journalist with an interest in forgotten stories from WW2 Holland. Imogen was born in Rijswijk, Holland, to a Dutch mother and English father who moved the family to England when Imogen was very young. All her life, she listened to her mother’s stories about her life in Holland, in particular the hardships she faced during the Hunger Winter in 1944-5, which has had a profound impact on her writing.
