Reflecting on the experiences of then 20-year-old violin student Clare Galambos, this biography unfolds in 1944 Budapest amidst the harrowing first days after the Nazi occupation. The account details how Galambos managed a difficult journey home only to be transported to Auschwitz Birkenau with the rest of her town’s Jewish population. Galambos’ time spent in slave labor is illustrated along with her return to Hungary after the war and her eventual departure for New Zealand. The recollection concludes with the subject’s significant contributions to the country’s music, touching on her career with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Drawing on memoirs, interviews, and historical research, this is an inspiring portrait of wartime survival and artistic achievement.