Author Donna Solecka Urbikas, Guest Blogger, Shares "How My Past Illuminates the Political Issues of the Present"

How My Past Illuminates the Political Issues of the Present

By Donna Solecka Urbikas, Author

See My Review!

The whole time that I was growing up I can distinctly remember my parents’ conversations about Communism and World War II and how that war had devastated our family.

First it was my mother and my half-sister’s deportation from Poland to a labor camp in Siberia and their eventual escape and refuge in India, by way of the Middle East.  

Then it was my Polish officer father’s imprisonment in a Soviet prisoner-of-war camp and how he barely escaped being one of the 22,000 officers and intellectuals murdered by the Soviets in the Katyń Forest Massacres.  

After his release from prison, my father fought with the Polish Army against the Germans in the Middle East and Italy.  My parents first met in that whole turmoil and again years later in England after the war, afraid to return to what was then Communist Poland.  I was born in England and we came to America when I was a young child.

The talk of war was a constant in my life as was the evils of Communism which my parents witnessed during the war and what they learned from our family in Poland during those repressive Communist years.  We were political refugees, displaced persons, traumatized immigrants, and we wanted nothing more than to live in peace and have a place we could trust to be our safe and prosperous home.  

America Provided that...

America provided that and we were thankful by assimilating, becoming US citizens, working hard, getting educated, and contributing to our communities, both Polish and American.

Watching the daily news these days of other political refugees seeking asylum, being killed as collateral in what seems a never-ending war in the Middle East, being denied entry as refugees to other countries, including the US, being targets of brutal discrimination brings back those childhood memories and our struggles trying to find refuge and to assimilate in what was for us a foreign country.

My father rightfully predicted that “there will always be war in the Middle East.”  I found that ominous from my young vantage but today, I regret that his prediction has held true during the course of over 70 years since World War II ended.  

Yet most of those people do not want war, surely not the women and children being murdered. 

Yet most of those people do not want war, surely not the women and children being murdered.  They want only what we wanted.  It was always said in our family and among our Polish friends that people in America really don’t know war because no bombs ever fell on anyone’s head on American soil, no one ever lost all their possessions, no one suffered disease and hunger.  

We have a sense of outrage and devastation from the 9/11 attacks but magnify that a hundred, a thousand fold, maybe more, and maybe then Americans will appreciate the struggles going on in the Middle East and in other oppressive countries.

During the course of writing my book, I came to realize that if we are not engaged in war, we are preparing for one, or dealing with the consequences of one.  My father always said war is the result of the battle over resources, be they land, water, food, people.  With our increasingly crowded planet, with the loss of species habitat, destruction of valuable ecosystems, increasing climate change, and the growing disparity between rich and poor, we are on a course of eventual destruction of our own species, due in large part to war.  

It is only through our political will that we can reverse this process before it is too late.

~~~

Donna Solecka Urbikas was born in Coventry, England, and immigrated with her parents and sister to Chicago in 1952. After careers as a high school science teacher and environmental engineer, she is now a writer, realtor, and community volunteer. She lives in Chicago with her husband.

Donna Urbikas, thank you so much for sharing this article 

at Book Readers Heaven!

Come On! We're Traveling to Poland Today! Yes, Carole Roman is Our Tour Guide!

If you were me and lived in Poland, you
would find yourself in Central Europe
in a country you called Pokska, but the
rest of the world called it the Republic
of Poland. People from Poland are called
Polanie. The name Polanie means people
living in open field.
The Kingdom of Poland was founded
in the year 1025.
The Polish constitution was written on
May 3, 1791, making it the first in Europe
and second in the world.
~~~

I was excited to visit Poland! I found I knew very little about this country. Or, of what I knew, I had not known of the connection to Poland. It is so wonderful to have the opportunity to teach your children about these countries, while young, with Roman's "Child's Introduction to Culture Around the World. Do give your children to learn about other countries and, hopefully, help bring our world's residents closer together...

Warsaw is the capital city which is built on the banks of the Wisla River, located in the central eastern part of Poland.

There is a legend that Warsaw got its name from a fisherman named Wars, who fell in love with a mermaid who lived in the river. Her name was Sawa. Because of this legend, there are many statues of mermaids in the city. There is a mermaid on the official city seal...

If You Were Me and Lived in...Poland
A Child's Introduction to Culture Around the World

By Carole P. Roman

Illustrated by Kelsea Wierenga

As you may have guessed, I think this series is a wonderful learning experience for all children...and we adults who are willing to admit we still need to learn about the world's cultures...

Of course, a fan of classical music like me had enjoyed Chopin's music for many years, not even thinking about where he was born...Shame on Me... Now I know about a number of great tributes to their most important and famous composer from the 1800s, including black stone benches spread around the city where you can stop during your tour, sit and relax, and even press a button to hear a sample of the Master's music! How cool is that?! I'd love to have the opportunity to visit this country!

And, of course, to meet some of the children...

If you are a boy, your parents might have chosen the name Marek, Filip, or Jakub. They could have picked the name Weronika, Ewa, or Karolina for your sister...

One part I especially appreciated was the inclusion of simple store-bought items, but provided in Polish...And then the writer asks the reader to match the words with their English version. A Great idea for beginning to learn another language. I think I got the match right...let me know if you do!

Now I want to share what I would most like to see: The Wielicza Salt Mine...

Your favorite vacation would always be to visit the Wielicza Salt Mine located on the outskirts of Krakow. Salt was mined there continuously since the thirteenth century up until 2007. It was one of the oldest companies in the world. Now it is a great tourist attraction. In the olden days, salt was essential for curing meat and valuable for trading. What makes this place special is the unique underground city completely carved from rock salt by the miners who worked there over hundreds of years. There is a chapel that is said to have the best acoustics of any other structure in Europe. That means when music is played there, it bounces off the walls to surround you in sound. Ancient sculptures stand side by side with new and modern carvings that have been added.

~~~

There's lots more to learn about Poland--like Copernicus, Children's Day, and more about what the children do for fun and exercise, and home life!

The color scheme for this particular book is sure to attract readers' attention. They are bright, brilliant and eye-pleasing...and the features of the characters and places has been exceptionally well done...Kudos to Kelsea Wierenga! This was a favorite for me, just because there was so much new to learn... What country have you most enjoyed visiting with our tour guide Carole Roman?

Do encourage your children to become totally involved with this series and look forward to each new country. For many of us, it is one of the only ways to visit abroad...and starting your children learning about the world is bound to help in moving forward into living and getting older!  Highly recommended!

GABixlerReviews

U. of Wisconsin Publishes My Sister's Mother: A Memoir of War, Exile and Stallin's Siberia by Donna Solecka Urbikas

It too becoming a mother myself with all its selfless transformations to even begin to understand my mother. I cam to realize that the turning point in her life, that fateful day of her arrest and deportation in the winter of 1940, became my fate and had directed the course of my life and that of my children, as her parenting affected me more than I cared to admit. Though I didn't recognize it then, I was writing my mother's and sister's story in an attempt to capture their mysterious closeness, to become a part of it, to satisfy a longing that seemed to never be quieted in my mind...
~~~

I was fascinated with the title of this book, not being able to comprehend the background that might cause such a choice. Yet, when reading the book it becomes so clearly the perfect name to document the story. Urbikas, the author, writes of a part of her mother's and sister's lives that she never knew. At first she was a little jealous of their close connection. Later it led to a curiosity that could not be curtailed and she began the research necessary to write this extraordinary book. 

My Sister's Mother falls into the memoir genre; however, it turns out to be much more...it is a family saga that starts in one part of the world, moving into another one where, tragically, the family creates an environment so close to what they had once owned, that readers immediately realize how much they missed their homeland, where they would have returned if possible.

My Sister's Mother:

A Memoir of War, Exile, and Stalin's Siberia

"My mother," my sister continued, "was a hero."I reeled back from the comfortable embrace of our mutual recollections and thought to myself, what do you mean my mother? Wasn't she our mother?

By Donna Solecka Urbikas

Advanced Readers Copy

Mira was the first daughter of Janina Slarzynska during her first marriage. Donna was born through another marriage and at that time her step-sister and mother were so close that Donna recognized the difference.

The Preface sets up the story:

This book is a nonfiction account of my family's experiences in pre-World War I Poland and during the years prior to and during World War II in Poland and the Soviet Union, the Middle East, India, and Britain, as well as the Unites State following World War II.

Before the fall of Societ-style Communism in Poland in 1989 and in the Soviet Union in 1990, the atrocities committed by the Soviets in the prisoner-of-war camps such as those that my father, a Polish Arms officer, witnessed or in the labor camps to which my mother and half-sister had been deported, were essentially unknown. It was my aim to bring those events to light when I first began writing their story in English in 1985...

Obviously there was much research and, as possible, interviews. Janina had always told stories of the past, so much so that  Donna sometimes didn't pay attention...until she was older and realized that she had begun listening and wanting to know more...Earlier discussions, from Donna and others, at first, were too naive and her lack of knowledge agitated her mother... Then,  by the time she was interviewing her mother, her mental faculties were oftentimes lost and/or too traumatic for her to respond. 

She included a time when her mother had initiated the discussion as she often did...  "Oh, nothing. It's nothing," she replied. She sounded nonchalant, but I recognized that she was waiting for an invitation to go on with her story.
"Now Mother, if you're going to say something, then finish telling us," my sister insisted. My sister, who by then was about thirty, always seemed to say the right thing in this mysteriously quiet, confident manner. I admired her composure, her coiffed hair styled nearly into a French twist, her impeccably tailored clothes.
"Well, I was just thinking about that time I had to go dig potatoes in Siberia," my mother began. "Do you remember, Mireczko?" she asked, using an endearing form of my sister's name.
I noticed my mother was poking at her portion of potatoes on her plate with a fork. My sister nodded knowingly toward her. Then they both fell silent as I waited for the rest of the story that I had heard dozens of times before, but nevertheless wanted to hear again. In spit of all the repetition, I was easily engaged by my mother's storytelling. She could make any mundane story come to life with her lulling voice, timely pauses, and expressive face. My father and I stared at her, waiting to hear more.
The conversation we were having reminded me of similar ones my parents often had with their friends. One time, my parents invited several new American friends to our Wisconsin farm during one of our vacations there, and as usual the conversation turned to the War.
"Why couldn't you just fight them or refuse to go? asked one guest naively.
"Wasn't Poland a free country then?" asked another.
My mother grew very grave, narrowing her full, arched eye brows and wrinkling her forehead, making herself look old and anguished. I sat still, bracing myself for an outburst and anticipating the embarrassment I expected to feel in front of out new guests.
"Free? Do you think you know what freedom is?" she asked, her voice rising. "I know what freedom really is, because I know what it's not!"

~~~

Poland had had a very brief period as a free country... How much more devastating it must have seemed to to have had freedom, only to lose it again!

How tragic it would be to have other countries come in and claim their property and everything they had worked for... Yes it has happened to others, but each story is unique... Picturing Janina trying to chop wood in the cold forest of Siberia, just putting in time until she could return and make sure her daughter was still alright, cannot easily be forgotten.

We find the youngest daughter having and enjoying that freedom in America, while the past is still haunting her mother and even her sister who, when, parties were held to match her with a husband, had refused to marry any of them... If you love solving mysteries, I think you might be able to imagine why Donna became determined to find out more about her sister's mother and, in turn, find out more about herself... I think she has succeeded in her desire!

A side note was interesting as the author mentions she was among the first who began to use creative nonfiction before it was formally accepted and now in the book, it allows an emotional connection of the family to be established as the saga moves forward.

Historical war novel fans should definitely check this out. Obviously, those from Poland, especially who came to America, will want to take this opportunity to initiate memories from their past. Whether similar or not, this is a memorable story documenting a family's trials and losses as they faced those invaders who came to conquer, not caring about any of those who were affected, in so many different and varied ways. The emotional impact of this story will leave you in deep thought which will not easily leave you. Be prepared.


GABixlerReviews

The trip to the railway station was short. With the rising sun, the icy horizon emerged in the distance. The old black steam locomotive stood waiting for its reluctant passengers, spewing out white vapor in short bursts. The engine snorted like a race horse at the starting gate, and its billing white fog engulfed the train's engineers in a cloud that seemed to levitate them. For a brief moment, Janina thought of trying to escape in the commotion of the transfer to the train, but there beside her was Mira clinging to her hand... People choked back tears. Shouts and laments echoed through the cramped boxcars: "Ojczyno, Moja Ojczyzna (Country, my country." And then, almost as if by command, people broke into a chorus of...

The singing soon died out and only the occasional wail of the locomotive's whistle broke the silence and the children's cries. Mira joined in the sobbing as she cuddled at Janina's side. The farther they rode away from Poland, the heavier the mood became among the deportees....

~~~

Donna Solecka Urbikas was born in Coventry, England, and immigrated with her parents and sister to Chicago in 1952. After careers as a high school science teacher and environmental engineer, she is now a writer, realtor, and community volunteer. She lives in Chicago with her husband.

Once We Were Brothers by Ronald H. Balson Outstanding Drama Easily in my Top Ten 2013 Favorites!

http://www.history.ucsb.edu/faculty/marcuse

"Stanislaw did not move. 'I am not a Jew,' he announced.
"'And I am not a Christian,' said my father. 'And now that we know what we're not, why don't you come in and have a cup of tea.'
"So they sat in the parlor and talked. Stanislaw cried. He had no way to care for his son. He had lost his job as a woodcutter in the forest outside Zamosc and he'd been evicted from the workers' compound at the lumber company. He had no place to live and no money. Otto's mother had abandoned them and run back to her family in Leipzig, Germany. 'My son is freezing,' Stanislaw said. 'I cannot keep him warm.'
"There were newspapers stuffed in the soles of Otto's shoes to keep out the snow. Stanislaw cursed his German wife who had run off. Even if he could find a job, what was he supposed to do with Otto? He'd been told that my father had helped some people get back on their feet.
"It took my mother but a second to see that Otto needed dinner and a bath. She took him by the hand and walked him straight into the bathroom where she filled the tub with hot water. Afterward she asked me to sit with him at the kitchen table where she fed him roast and potatoes.
"Otto and I were about the same size, so we gave him clean clothes. I remember that night like it was yesterday. He sat at the table, staring straight ahead, eating two helpings of everything. And never said a word.
"My mother returned to the kitchen with the news that Otto would be staying with us for a while...Otto was to live with us and share my bedroom. I was less than thrilled, but my mother had laid down the law."
"How long did Otto live with you?" Catherine said.
"For the better part of six years... At our home, Otto received equal portions and was given equal responsibilities. Beka and I had chores, so Otto was given chores, too. My mother knew that taking on responsibilities would give him pride and self-worth.
"She did everything to treat him fairly. When I got new clothes, so did Otto. When we took our winter vacation at Uncle Joseph's and I got new boots, Otto did too. I think my parents became resigned to the fact that Otto would grow to manhood in our home.
"Beka and I attended school at the Jewish academy, but Stanislaw, in one of his few erly, said he thought it best that Otto go to the public school. I don't kow whether Stanislaw ever went to church, but Otto was baptized a Catholic...
"And you shared your room with Otto?"
"I did, and eventually Otto and I became fast friends. We were the same age, we have similar interests and enjoyed the same activities, although Otto was much stronger than I--he was the athletic type. I was more of a bookworm. My Grandpa Yaakov had horses on his farm and we would ride on Sundays. We would pretend to be American cowboys. Tom Mix, Gene Autry," he said with a slight grin..."

~~~

Once We Were Brothers

Ronald H. Balson

Readers of this novel will become involved with finding, proving, and prosecuting a possible war criminal, now living in Chicago. That part of the novel is dramatic, action-oriented and full of suspense as to whether the man, now going under a different name, with great wealth and societal acceptance, is really Otto Piacek, a man once known as... 

But the real story that you will fall into...and be controlled by...is the story told by Ben, who once lived as brother with that same man when he had been hungry and needed food, when he had been cold and needed clothing... Otto became a part of and treated equally in Ben's family during the Depression in Poland... 

His becoming part of the Nazi Germany occupation changed that little boy. 

Ben now sought...

"Chicago, Illinois, September, 2004
"Ben Solomon stood before his bathroom mirror fumbling with his bow tie. He was eight-three years old and getting dressed for Judgment Day. Years had come and gone since he had last worn his tuxedo, but then, Judgment Day was a black tie affair.
"He uttered a Polish phrase to the man in the mirror and reached into his pocket to reexamine his pricey ticket.
"Lyric Opera of Chicago. Opening Night Gala...

"Once more he checked his appearance in the mirror. He asked Hannah if he looked all right. Was he dapper? He wished she were there to answer.

"Underneath his sweaters, in the bottom drawer of his bureau, lay a cardboard cigar box. Setting the box on the bureau top, he lifted the lid and removed a German PO8 Lugar, World War II vintage, in mint condition, purchased at an antique gun show for $1,250. Another hit to his savings account. He stuffed the pistol in his belt beneath his cummerbund.

"Five forty-five. Time to walk to the corner, flag a southbound taxi, and join up with the glitterati at the 'undisputed jewel of the social season."

~~~

"...The city owes you a great deal, Elliott. You're a priceless resource."

"Maybe not so priceless, John." And the two of them laughed.

"While they continued to exchange flatteries, Ben Solomon quietly wound his way through the crowd toward the Grand Benefactor. He was oblivious to the music. He heard no conversations. He saw only his target. Making his way across the floor, he declined a flute of Champagne from a seventeenth-century Italian peasant girl and felt for the Lugar in his belt. 

"He paused until the mayor and his wife had moved on to the next grouping and walked directly to Rosenzweig, his

heart pounding like a pile driver.

"What did you do with all that jewelry?" he said inches from Rosenzweig's face.

"Excuse me, sir?" said the esteemed donor with a smile, unsure if this was part of a staged repertoire. Perhaps an opera joke?

"But there was no sign of frivolity. "Just curious," Solomon said, "I asked you what you did with the jewelry--you know, the watches, diamond bracelets, wedding bands. You have a whole chest full. Don't you remember?"

..."I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about, sir."

"In a flash, Solomon drew the polished Lugar and pressed the barrel hard against Rosenzweig's forehead...

"Recognize this gun, Otto? Should be real familiar to a Nazi officer," Solomon said, waving the crowd away with his left arm. "Look at me, Otto. It's Ben Solomon. Here we are, together again, just like when we were kids. Never thought you'd see me again, did you, Hauptscharfuhrer Piatek?"

~~~

I consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to receive an ARC of this novel, Once We Were Brothers, which is due out early this month. As you can see, it became one of my favorite books read this year. In fact, I also have the opportunity for a Giveaway, so be sure to express your interest as a comment here or on my interview with the author... Actually, you may have already heard of the book--it was first self-published and sold, word-of-mouth over 120,000 copies. It has been picked up by St. Martins, one of my favorite publishers, so be sure to look for the latest version in case there were any small changes...

Ben Solomon. What can I say but that you will be enthralled with his memorable story. In fact, another character in the book, Catherine Lockhart, was so affected by he and his story that she wound up losing her job over him. Her law firm had refused to allow her to represent him, after being coerced by the opposition! She quit! I loved it! Two other devoted friends, Adele and Liam also totally supported Ben, knowing that he was telling the truth, believing him even when they had not yet found proof...

But, as usual, I get ahead of myself with books I'm excited about! So, back to how the book begins... Ben is now in his 80s and out for blood...I'll let you find out whether that's figurately or literally. In any event, he had seen a picture of a man now calling himself Elliott, who was a prominent resident in the Chicago society. He knew immediately that he was actually Otto Piatek, a man who had been a Nazi officer and involved with the activities related to prisoners of war in Poland...

He had also once lived with Ben's family, sharing Ben's bedroom as a brother...

Ben did do a foolish thing--he'd taken a gun to confront Elliott during a major opera performance! And, of course, had been arrested... Adele and Liam had already met Ben. It was Liam, who also served as an investigator for her, that recommended Ben meet with Catherine for representation.

Almost immediately she was stressing that her calendar did not allow for her taking any clients! And readers will immensely enjoy how Ben starts telling his story, with Catherine continually interrupting, asking for specifics, evidence, etc. Ben calmly continues to let her know that his story is, indeed, part of the evidence. What he knows is that if he can develop passion in Catherine--that she will become committed to helping him. And, of course, Catherine does exactly that, spending hours and hours listening to Ben tell what happened all those years ago...

And Readers will have total access! Can't wait until you tell me he pulled you in too! By the way, Ben is Jewish, so tells much about the Holocaust. But the story is much more about Poland and one location in particular there in that country...

http://www.poland.travel/en-us/news/zamosc-the-pearl-of-renaissance
"In the early 1930s, I was a child growing up in southern Poland, in a town called Zamosc. I had a warm and loving family.
My father's name was Abraham. My mother's name was Leah. God rest their souls. We lived in a three-story home in the Jewish quarter of the city."
"...Zamosc was the jewel of prewar Poland, a gingerbread city built by an Italian architect in the sixteenth century and modeled after the Italian city of Padua. So colorful, so magical it was, you would swear you wode up in Renaissance Italy," Ben said.
..."There were linen doilies on polished tables, Miss Lockhart. Each piece of furniture in our home was special. It had significance. Not like today, when women buy groups of mass-produced generic furniture from warehouse sales on credit terms. Each of my mother's pieces was a treasure to her. Some were heirlooms, passed to her from her parents and their parents, to be passed on to her children and their children. Do you understand what I'm saying? Her home was a reflection of who she was..."
"Before the war, Zamosc was a multicultural city--Greeks, Armenians, Scots, Hungarians, Russians, Italians. And so there were Greek neighborhoods, Russian neighborhoods, Jewish neighborhoods. But we all got along. The mystery of other cultures was something we were taught to respect. In those days, Zamosc was about forty percent Jewish...
"Zamosc was also blessed geographically. The surrounding countryside was like an impressionist's canvas, with thick forests, clear rivers, and rolling hills. Farmlands lay to the north and east. And in the middle our little pastel village. All in all, Zamosc was an idyllic place to live. That was before the Germans decided we were a subspecies to be exterminated like a colony of ants..."
~~~

I'll let Ben share his story as you read...

While Catherine and Liam put together a civil suit, seeking an equivalent value for money and jewelry that Otto had stolen during the war, Ben keeps ensuring them that everything will work out--in the meantime, stopping to talk to his dead wife, or to pause in memory of a specific incident. Would he be able to handle a court case and be accepted as rational and a good witness?

This research activity is exciting to watch as identification, false papers, government records are all sought out and compared. They thought they had a good enough case and proceeded to plan for trial...

I am going to wholeheartedly recommend this novel to you, if you want not only a great legal novel, but care about how people treat each other--and applaud when the bad guy faces judgment!

GABixlerReviews

Ronald H. Balson is an attorney practicing with the firm of Stone, Pogrund and Korey in Chicago. The demands of his trial practice have taken him into courts across the United States and into international venues. An adjunct professor of business law at the University of Chicago for twenty-five years, he now lectures on trial advocacy in federal trial bar courses. Travels to Warsaw and southern Poland in connection with a complex telecommunications case inspired this novel.

Related articles

• Once We Were Brothers by Ronald H. Balson 10/10

Book Readers Heaven Welcomes Ron Balson, Author of Once We Were Brothers! With Giveaway!

The gripping tale about two boys, once as close as brothers, who find themselves on opposite sides of the Holocaust.

Elliot Rosenzweig, a respected civic leader and wealthy philanthropist, is attending a fundraiser when he is suddenly accosted and accused of being a former Nazi SS officer named Otto Piatek, "the butcher of Zamosc." Although the charges are denounced as preposterous, his accuser, Ben Solomon, is convinced he is right. Solomon persuades attorney Catherine Lockhart to take his case, revealing that the true Piatek was abandoned as a child and raised by Solomon's family only to betray them during the Nazi occupation. But has he accused the right man?

Once We Were Brothers is Ronald H. Balson's compelling tale of two boys and a family who struggle to survive in war-torn Poland and a young love that incredibly endures through the unspeakable cruelty of the Holocaust. Two lives, two worlds, and sixty years converge in an explosive race to redemption that makes for an enthralling tale of love, survival, and ultimately the triumph of the human spirit.

Welcome! I'm so happy to have the author of Once We Were Brothers, Ronald H. Balson, at Book Reader's Heaven today. The author has graciously provided for a giveaway of his book, which is out this month, so those interested should feel free to leave a comment with contact information!

Ron  I think you already know that your book is touching many lives. In fact, I have over one thousand visitors from Poland last month, so I'm looking forward to giving those individuals a chance to learn about your book!

I am honored.  Thank you. 

Ronald H. Balson is an attorney practicing with the firm of Stone, Pogrund and Korey in Chicago. The demands of his trial practice have taken him into courts across the United States and into international venues.

An adjunct professor of business law at the University of Chicago for twenty-five years, he now lectures on trial advocacy in federal trial bar courses.

Travels to Warsaw and southern Poland in connection with a complex telecommunications case inspired Once We Were Brothers, his first novel.

I understand that you first self-published your book. How did you decide to go that route--and then what happened to have St. Martin's picked it up?

           

I submitted it through an agent to several publishers and was rejected several times.  Becoming impatient, my son and I formed our own publishing company.  We sold the book through our website, various bookstores, Barnes and Noble and Amazon.  After we sold 100,000 copies, St. Martins offered to publish a new edition, which is coming out on October 8th. 

You mentioned you traveled to Poland for work and got interested--but do you also have any personal interest in what happened historically? In Poland? During the War?

            

None of my family was personally involved in the Holocaust.

Ben Solomon, by the way, is such an endearing character. Few would not agree that he had a right to seek revenge... Do you believe this desire runs through most individuals who were affected by the Nazis?

I can’t speak for them.  My character was...

Are there real-life examples of others trying to regain their losses from that time? What would you do if you discover a similar situation in your own family's background?

There are real life stories of people who sought the return of property or money taken from them.  With very few exceptions, those lawsuits are now barred.  There are cases, mentioned in the book, where people have brought suit to recover art works.

  

My mother would always clarify to me that "we were Americans" rather than German immigrants. I never asked but wondered if German-Americans must have felt shame (I know I do) for the actions of Nazi officers... Are you able to have any sympathy toward those German officers who tried to change their names and get away from the condemnation they would face?

I guess it would depend on what the German officers did during the war.  If they were active participants in the Nazi persecution, I would have no sympathy.  If they tried to change their names and sneak into the country under false identities to escape prosecution, I have no sympathy and think they should be deported for trial.  If they were just soldiers, I guess it would be different.  People forgive the Japanese, the Vietnamese.

Yes, I agree... You had Ben working with a lower-level lawyer rather than with the U.S. Attorney. Was there a reason behind that decision?

Ben thought that the U. S. Attorney’s office would not take on a case against such a prominent man without conclusive evidence.  He sought a civil lawyer (not a lower level) rather than the Justice Department.

Oops! I was thinking of "level" referring to hierarchy of legal system, but excuse my own confusion... 

You also had Ben's father tell Otto to go to the job his mother had arranged--and then later Otto seemed to blame that decision for what he'd done. Can you share a little of your thinking on these twists in your novel?

I leave that to the reader.

Now that's an interesting response... I would think most writers have a specific thought in mind and want the readers to catch it...LOL  

Because of my reading recently a book by Declan Finn, A Pius Man, I picked up your comments about meeting with the cardinal in Poland and his commenting that the Pope was fearful of antagonizing Hitler... yet later a local Father was helping with credentials, etc., to help the Jews out of the country. Could you clarify how you perceive the present-day feelings for Catholics and other faiths are today? 

            

There were many who helped the Jews at great personal risk.  Yad VaShem recognizes many of them as the Righteous Among the Nations.  As to the present day feelings of other faiths, I assume they all condemn the Holocaust and its perpetrators.

You had Ben believing that the Nazis were demons. Do you see the supernatural involvement in the Holocaust?

            

Ben does.

OK, you've convinced me that Ben took control of your book, just like he took control over Catherine's life and actions...LOL! 

You indicated that the Nazi persecution didn't limit itself to race. "Religion, national origin, alternative lifestyles, persons with disabilities--all were targets." Would it be safe to say that any individuals within those categories were included in the "count/number" for Jews...or is there information about those groups as well, if researched? 

            

No.  The count for Jews was six million.  Gypsies, Polish Intelligentsia, Polish Christians, Blacks, people with alternative lifestyles totaled another five million.

Wow! I had not known that additional number...Certainly makes me happy that writers such as yourself are incorporating this important information within enjoyable fiction novels so that more individuals have an opportunity to learn through them...

Do you truly believe "The Holocaust was not God's will. It was the will of those who had become infused of the devil...It is why we must remain diligent and relentlessly pursue men like Piatek. Evil is contagious. Much like a pathogen. It must be snuffed out at the source."?

            

Those are Ben’s views. 

You know, I'm beginning to think Ben and I have much in common, while the writer of this terrific novel is...a lawyer... No offense, Ron...That's a compliment for creating such wonderful characters that I wanted to get to know them better...LOL  Readers be sure to check out my review in a separate article! 

Thank you for your time! 

You’re very welcome.

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