New Historical Novel The Last to Leave Explores Not How the Holocaust Ended, but How It Began

Inspired by his family’s true story, author Dan Neuburger examines how antisemitism and hatred become normalized—and the consequences of remaining silent

ALLENDALE, NJ, UNITED STATES, November 3, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — We know how the Holocaust ended. In his forthcoming historical novel, The Last to Leave, author and speaker Dan Neuburger explores how it began—not with concentration camps and mass murder, but with changing attitudes, discriminatory laws, fractured relationships, and ordinary people gradually accepting what once would have been unthinkable.

Scheduled for publication on November 9, 2026, The Last to Leave is inspired by the true story of Neuburger’s German-Jewish family and grew out of nearly a decade of historical and archival research into their experiences between 1923 and 1939. The research began as an effort to understand the early life of Neuburger’s father, Werner, who was orphaned as a young child and ultimately escaped Nazi Germany for the United States at the age of three.

Kirkus Reviews calls The Last to Leave “a compelling and gut-wrenching portrait of Germany’s radicalization and the effects of quiet resistance.”

For generations, the Neuburger family had lived alongside its neighbors in Bavaria, believing the bonds of community and country would endure. But as antisemitism became increasingly embedded in German society and law, long-standing relationships began to fracture. What started with exclusion escalated into fear, isolation and persecution, forcing family members to make increasingly difficult choices about whom to trust, when to act and when it was finally time to leave.

“My father rarely spoke about his childhood,” Neuburger said. “What he did share came in fragments. Through years of archival research, historical records and conversations with relatives, I gradually reconstructed what happened to my family. What struck me was not only where the story ended, but how gradually everything changed.”

That progression is at the heart of The Last to Leave. Rather than focusing primarily on the Holocaust’s final horrors, the novel examines the years preceding them—how prejudice can become normalized, how institutions and laws can legitimize discrimination, and how the silence of ordinary people can allow hatred to spread.

“The circumstances are not the same, and history does not repeat itself exactly,” Neuburger said. “But the forces that allow hatred to take root—scapegoating, dehumanization, fear and silence—are not confined to one time or place. At a time when antisemitism and other forms of hatred are increasingly visible, understanding how a society can gradually come to accept what it once rejected feels especially important.”

At the center of the novel is a question that extends beyond its historical setting: What is the cost of not speaking out? Rooted in Neuburger’s family history, the question asks readers to consider their own responsibilities when they encounter prejudice, hatred and injustice. The story reflects a central lesson of Neuburger’s research: persecution does not emerge overnight; it develops through a succession of choices—including the choice to remain silent.

Neuburger is also bringing those themes to audiences through When History Echoes, a presentation based on his family’s story and the research behind the book. Using historical records, family documents and photographs, he explores how antisemitism became normalized in Germany and invites audiences to consider what that history can teach us about recognizing and responding to hatred today.

A former CEO and board director, Neuburger has spent much of his career focused on leadership and responsibility. Through The Last to Leave and his speaking programs, he now brings those themes to a deeply personal story, connecting the choices people made nearly a century ago with questions that remain relevant today.

The Last to Leave will be published November 9, 2026. The paperback will be available through Amazon and major booksellers, and the eBook will be available on Kindle. Additional information is available at TheLastToLeave.com.

About Dan Neuburger
Dan Neuburger is an author and speaker whose work explores historical memory, moral choice and the responsibility to confront hatred and intolerance. His debut historical novel, The Last to Leave, grew out of approximately a decade of research into his German-Jewish family’s experiences during the rise of Nazism and his father’s early childhood in Nazi Germany. A former CEO and board director, Neuburger now uses storytelling to connect lessons from history to the challenges of the present day. He lives in Northern New Jersey.

Dan Neuburger
Preferred Alliance LLC
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn

Media gallery