This "e;extraordinary"e; memoir of a black man's coming of age in Nazi Germany is "e;an entirely engaging story of accomplishment despite adversity."e; -Washington Post Book WorldIn Destined to Witness, Hans Massaquoi has crafted a beautifully rendered memoir-an astonishing true tale of growing up black in Nazi Germany. The son of a prominent African and a German nurse, Hans remained behind with his mother when Hitler came to power, after his father returned to Liberia. Like other German boys, Hans went to school; like other German boys, he swiftly fell under the Fuhrer's spell. So he was crushed to learn that, as a black child, he was ineligible for the Hitler Youth. His path to a secondary education and an eventual profession was blocked. He now lived in fear that, at any moment, he might hear the Gestapo banging on the door-or Allied bombs falling on his home. Ironic, moving, and deeply human, Massaquoi's account of this lonely struggle for survival brims with courage and intelligence."e;A cry against racism, a survivor's tale, a wartime adventure, a coming of age story, and a powerful tribute to a mother's love."e;-New Orleans Times-Picayune"e;An incredible tale . . . Exceptional."e; -Chicago Sun Times"e;Destined to Witness examines a roller coaster of racism from different cultures and continents."e; -The New York Times Book Review"e;Here is a story rarely lived and even more rarely told. We need this book for a balanced picture of the Holocaust."e; -Maya Angelou"e;A nuanced, startling memoir."e; -Kirkus Reviews"e;An engaging story of a young man's journey through hate, self-enlightenment, intrigue and romance."e; -Ebony