On Tour 03/06/25-05/01/25 “Do Not Cry When I Die” by Renee Salt with Kate Thompson

Release Date: March 4, 2025

About The Book:

One of the oldest living Holocaust survivors recounts her family’s imprisonment at Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen in this moving memoir of love, loss, courage, and hope.

“I only survived because of my mother’s love.”

When German soldiers invaded Poland in September 1939, it began a six year journey for then-ten-year-old Renee Salt and her mother Sala.Until their liberation in 1945, Renee and Sala were imprisoned in ghettos and concentration camps, including Auschwitz-Birkenau and Bergen-Belsen. The only light in the darkness and brutality for Renee was the unwavering grasp of her mother’s hand in hers–enduring, against all odds.

It was this unbreakable bond, along with a few miracles, that kept Renee alive. Sala’s staggering courage to defy the will of SS guards saved both her and her daughter from the gas chambers, and the pair survived the deadliest days in Auschwitz’s history.

After suffering the nightmarish conditions at Bergen-Belsen, Renee and her mother were liberated in April 1945–but Sala died soon after they were saved. To this day, Renee attributes her survival to the love and bravery of her beloved mother.

Do Not Cry When I Die is an incredibly moving and deeply crucial book that tells the shocking story of one of the oldest Auschwitz-Birkenau and Bergen-Belsen survivors–and the mother’s love that saved her life.

About The Author:

Renee Salt, BEM, was born Rywka Ruchla Berkowitz in Zduńska Wola, Poland, in 1929, and is a Holocaust survivor and educator. Renee and her mother survived both Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. After the Holocaust, Renee returned to Poland to try and find any surviving members of her family and found an aunt who was living in Łódź, who she moved in with. From there they moved to Paris, where Renee met her husband Charles, who was a British military policeman who helped to liberate Bergen-Belsen. They married in 1949 and had two children. Renee lives in northwest London and has 5 grandchildren. She regularly speaks in schools, organizations, and to the government about her experiences during the Holocaust.

Kate Thompson is a journalist and bestselling author. As well as being passionate about capturing lost voices and untold social histories, Kate’s also a library campaigner. Her 100 libraries project celebrates the richness and complexity of librarians’ work and the vital role of libraries in our communities. Alongside her journalism and writing, Kate is also a podcaster and recently launched her own podcast, From the Library With Love. www.katethompsonmedia.co.uk

Social Media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katethompsonauthor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KateThompsonAuthor/

Book Blurbs:

“A deeply moving memoir, beautifully written and researched. I was engrossed from the opening.”—Lucy Adlington, New York Times bestselling author of The Dressmakers of Auschwitz

“An unforgettable story about the power of love, a story that reminds us how important hope is.”—Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Orphan

Bloggers On Tour:

March 6th- Cassie’s Book Reviews https://instagram.com/cassies_books_reviews

March 7th- Lindas Book Obsession https://www.facebook.com/lindasbookobsession/

March 9th- Books and Coffee MX https://instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx

March 14th- Plains Reading https://instagram.com/plains_reading

March 18th- Tiffany Vt4 https://instagram.com/tiffanyvt4

March 20th- Marilyn Goncalves https://instagram.com/marilynjgon

March 24th- ML Book Love https://instagram.com/mlbooklove

April 7th- Reading Is My Remedy https://instagram.com/reading_is_my_remedy

April 8th- CMT Loves Wine and Books https://instagram.com/cmtloveswineandbooks

April 10th- Books Love And Understanding https://instagram.com/booksloveandunderstanding

April 14th – Reading Late Into The Night https://instagram.com/reading.late.into.the.night