Raoul Wallenberg: The Heroic Life and Mysterious Disappearance of the Man Who Saved Thousands of Hungarian Jews from the Holocaust

Swedish journalist Carlberg gives Wallenberg, only the second person ever to be made an honorary U.S. citizen, the definitive biography he deserves. In 1944, the 32-year-old Swedish businessman was appointed his country's special envoy to Budapest, where his courage and ingenuity enabled him to rescue thousands of Hungarian Jews from the Nazis. Carlberg builds up to that moment with a detailed, absorbing account of Wallenberg's life, starting with his fatherless childhood and covering his schooling in America. She also provides an unflinching look at Sweden's attitudes toward oppressed Jews after Kristallnacht ("Once again Sweden lived up to its reputation as the golden land of the political middle way or, rather, political cowardice"). Carlberg adds fascinating anecdotes about Wallenberg's life, but the main interest, of course, remains how he rescued people: concocting fake documents and risking death. His exploits are made more poignant by his ambiguous fate following his 1945 arrest by the Soviets on Stalin's order. Carlberg's extensive research, including interviews with surviving members of Wallenberg's family, enables her to craft a narrative that will be eye-opening even for those who know the contours of this heroic story. (Mar.)