Trapped in the horrors of World War II, a woman and a child
embark on a journey of survival in this page-turning true story
that recalls the power and the poignancy of Schindler’s
List.
Michael Stolowitzky, the only son of a wealthy Jewish family in
Poland, was just three years old when war broke out and the family
lost everything. His father, desperate to settle his business
affairs, travels to France, leaving Michael in the care of his
mother and Gertruda Bablinska, a Catholic nanny devoted to the
family. When Michael''s mother has a stroke, Gertruda promises the
dying woman that she will make her way to Palestine and raise him
as her own son.
Written with the invaluable assistance of Michael, now seventy-two
and living in New York City, GERTRUDA’S OATH re-creates Michael and
Gertruda’s amazing journey. Gripping vignettes bring to life the
people who helped ensure their survival, including SS officer Karl
Rink, who made it his mission to save Jews after his own Jewish
wife was murdered; Rink’s daughter, Helga, who escaped to a
kibbutz, where she lived until her recent death; and the Jewish
physician Dr. Berman, who aided Michael and Gertruda through the
worst of times.
GERTRUDA’S OATH is a story of extraordinary courage and moral
strength in the face of horrific events. Like Schindler’s
List, it transcends history and religion to reveal the
compassion and hope that miraculously thrives in a world immersed
in war without end.
From the Hardcover edition.