Jane Haining

The Scottish Missionary Who Died at Auschwitz

Mary Miller on the courage of a remarkable Scottish heroine

About the Ebook

'Balances detailed research with powerful storytelling to create a well-written and heart-wrenching account' - Nicole Gemine, Press and JournalJane Haining was undoubtedly one of Scotland's heroines.A farmer's daughter from Galloway in south-west Scotland, Jane went to work at the Scottish Jewish Mission School in Budapest in 1932, where she was a boarding school matron in charge of around 50 orphan girls. The school had 400 pupils, most of them Jewish. Jane was back in the UK on holiday when war broke out in 1939, but she immediately went back to Hungary to do all she could to protect the children at the school. She refused to leave in 1940, and again ignored orders to flee the country in March 1944 when Hungary was invaded by the Nazis. She remained with her pupils, writing 'if these children need me in days of sunshine, how much more do they need me in days of darkness'.Her brave persistence led to her arrest in by the Gestapo in April 1944, for "offences" that included spying, working with Jews and listening to the BBC. She died in the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz just a few months later, at the age of 47. Her courage and self-sacrifice, her choice to stay and to protect the children in her care, have made her an inspiration to many.

Why You'll Love This Ebook

• Discover the extraordinary life of a Scottish missionary in wartime Hungary
• Learn how Jane Haining stayed with her Jewish students until the end
• Read a moving biography of faith, sacrifice, and quiet heroism
• Read another celebrated title from Birlinn Ltd - Independent Scottish Publisher

Reviews

'Mary Miller has written a detailed and very moving biography — Jane Haining is revealed as a woman of rare and noble character, and her story is told with clarity, compassion and great emotional power.' The Scotsman

'In this well‑researched and clearly written book, Mary Miller pieces together the fragments of Jane Haining's life; her firm moral compass emerges vividly, making her story both heroic and heart‑rending.' Church Times

'Jane Haining has found the biographer she deserves — soberly and movingly, Mary Miller tells the story of her life and her death in the service of an ideal, an inspiring tale of quiet heroism.' Neil MacGregor

About the Author

Mary Miller was a founder member and Director of the Jeely Piece Club, sharing with other local families in establishing self-help and mutual support for parents and children in a Glasgow housing scheme. Later specialising in the care of traumatised children, she carried out a similar role for HIV+ orphans in rural Zimbabwe from 2007-2012. Named Evening Times 'International Scotswoman of the Year' in 2009, her lifelong interest in the care of children in difficult situations drew her to explore Jane Haining’s devotion to the Jewish girls in her care.

Publication Details

Publisher: Birlinn Ltd

Publication Date: 11 April 2019

Print Length: 240 pages (Ebook edition)

ISBN (Ebook): 9780857902078

Format: Ebook

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