Gift of Life

by Henri Landwirth, Walter Cronkite (Foreword), John Glenn (Afterword)

This is a memoir of a philanthropist and Holocaust survivor who started two charitable Give Kids the World foundation and Dignity U Wear charity. Landwirth is Jewish and lived in a ghetto in Krakow, Poland, during the Nazi Regime. Between the ages of 13 and 18, he was shuttled between Nazi death camps and labor camps. His father was killed and buried in a mass grave near Radom. At the end of World War II, Henri was marched into the woods to be shot, but a Nazi soldier spared his life and told him to run. "I never knew what my life would be like," he says. "Frankly, I didn't know if I would live." Landwirth, originally a native of Belgium, left Europe after the war, arriving in the United States with only US$ 20 in his pocket. Soon after settling into New York, he received what he thought was a welcome letter from the president. It was a draft notice. He served in the U.S. Army, learning English along the way, and used his GI Bill benefits to take a course in hotel management. He went on to earn a job at a New York hotel, working in every capacity available. In 1954, he moved to Florida and managed the 100-room Starlite Motel in Cocoa Beach near Cape Canaveral. During these early days of U.S. space exploration, the original Mercury Seven astronauts lived at the Starlite Motel, giving Landwirth the opportunity to build friendships with the astronauts, as well as with network news anchor Walter Cronkite. During the 1970s, Landwirth founded the Fanny Landwirth Foundation in honor of his mother. The foundation's work resulted in the construction of a senior citizens center and a school in Orlando. He also created a scholarship program for underprivileged children in Israel. The foundation's work continues today.

Genres: Nonfiction, Holocaust, Memoir, History, Biography

254 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Claire Kopp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this book 5 stars, not from a literary standpoint, but because of the amazingly inspirational story of the life of Henri Landwirth. What an incredible man, who has made such a difference in the lives of terminally ill children and their families. The book has a forward by Walter Chronkite and and afterward by John Glenn. Mr. Landwirth is a Holocaust survivor, and the first part of the book describes his memories of being in the concentration camps as a teenager.
Later in life, Landwirth becomes the founder of a non-profit organization in Florida called 'Give Kids the World', where any family experiencing the tragedy of a terminally ill child can come and experience the joy and happiness that children dream of.
I would never have heard of Landwirth, or Give Kids the World, if it had not been for the daughter of a friend who spent time volunteering for GKTW last year. Thank you Kim!
Definitely a worthwhile read!!!

Please check out GKTW website: http://www.gktw.org/about/henri.php

[Jillian Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had so much potential, but it felt so bogged down. The editing team for this book did it a disservice.

[Diego Parada Herrera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tres biografías en una: la de un sobreviviente del holocausto nazi, la de un empresario inmigrante en Estados Unidos y la de un filántropo que le ha dado la oportunidad a miles de niños de cumplir sus sueños. Sin duda, grandes lecciones de vida de una persona que aprendió a dejar el odio y amar a quien más lo necesita. Una lectura obligada para cualquier emprendedor social o cualquiera que quiera cambiar el mundo.

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Three biographies in one: a Nazi Holocaust survivor, an immigrant entrepreneur in the United States and a philanthropist who has given the opportunity to thousands of children to fulfill their dreams. Undoubtedly, great life lessons of a person who learned to let go of hate and love those who need it most. A must-read for every changemaker or social entrepreneur.

[Jean Cripps · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone else has posted, the five stars here are not for literary merit or editing…but simply for the amazing story of Henri Landwirth’s life. My family had the great (though one could also say unfortunate) fortune of being guests at Give Kids the World, and I was just crying reading the final chapters of the book of alllllllll the goodness and generosity that went into making a place like GKTW. It truly is a special place for families to be families, and I am so grateful and moved by all the individuals and corporations that have given of their finances, talents, strengths etc to make a place like this a reality.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

The inspiring story of Henri Landwirth. We had the privilege of serving at Give Kids the World recently with a group from our church and it is an amazing, magical place!

[Katelyn Fugate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't usually read biographies or autobiographies but after hearing about and seeing Give Kids The World, I had to know how it came about. Learning that the author, Henri Landwirth, was a Holocaust survivor made me want to read Gift of Life even more. While reading the book, it seemed impossible that all the different aspects of his life could happen to one man. What a life! And how he has given so much back to others.

The book is a must-read in my opinion. As a side note - his poems in the first and last sections brought me to tears.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been reading Gift of Life by Henri Landwirth, founder of Give Kids the World Village. GKTW Village is a magical place where families of children with life-threatening conditions can enjoy a week long vacation without worrying about finances, transportation, cooking, or cleaning. At times when I’m reading, I’m a complete mess and my heart actually hurts. At other times, I am moved to sheer elation. In the beginning, I was completely appalled by the hatred and inhumanity Mr. Landwirth faced during The Holocaust. Suddenly, near the end, I’m in disbelief that one person had such determination to change the world and make such an impact. I can’t believe how much joy he’s provided and continues to provide for children and families. Henri Landwirth’s philosophy has impacted my life in ways I didn’t know were possible and renewed my faith in people. I am unable to put the book down. It’s wonderfully written. We stayed at the Village before I read the book. You can feel the love and magic everywhere you go and now I know why.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is more than an autobiography, it's a journey of love.

Henri Landwirth founded the Give Kids the World Foundation. They help ill children and their families enjoy being children again.

Mr. Landwirth was inspired to start the GKW Foundation when, as a hotel owner/manager, a families hotel reservation was cancelled because their daughter died from cancer. The family's trip to Orlando was going to be a last wish fulfillment for their dieing daughter. But arrangements to meet her needs took to long to be put in place. I never wanted that to happen again. And the begining of the GKW Foundation was started...

It is heart-melting how many people and corportaions made this dream a reality. Now in Kissimee FL there is a the GKW Resort, where families can go to celebrate life.

[A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! This book is non fiction. It is the story of the life of Henri Landwirth. He begins the book at age 13. A normal Jewish boy in Europe...then proceeds to tell the story how he and some of his family survived the holocaust. He avoids any gruesome details but still tell you the facts. He goes on to describe life after the holocaust, moving to the United States, becoming a friend of many famous people such as Walter Cronkite, establishing a career in the hotel business and becoming quite a successful person. He is the founder of the area in Disney called "Give Kids the World." A great book.

[Jennine Dipaolo · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1996 my daughter was granted a wish, from the Make a Wish Foundation.
We were guests at Give Kids the World Village. What an incredible place!!! I did not know the story of , Henri Landwirth. When I picked up this book, I did not know what to expect. I thought it would simply be the story of an nice man , who did nice things. I couldn't have been more wrong. This book had me in tears, from beginning to end. What a truly remarkable life this man has lived. From the holocaust to a life of ultimate philanthropy.
This is a great read , and a book everyone can learn from.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could have met this man! This is a story of the true American dream coming true. To suffer and experience so much as a child, that no child or any human should go through, and end up with such compaction and love is a miracle. I’ve had the I’ve had the pleasure of visiting the village, Give Kids The World, unfortunately, it was during the pandemic when they were unable to grant wishes, however, it was still a magical place to visit. It’s amazing how one little girl’s unanswered Wish become an 89 acre Village, granting thousands of Wishes a year for terminally ill children.

[Caitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing, the part about Give Kids The World, thank you for making it posible for my brother to go to Disney world, you have been through a lot and, Henri Landwirth is one of the best people i have ever read about

[Mediaman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a man with an amazing life story to tell, from surviving the Holocaust to being there for the start of the American space program to becoming a millionaire by owning hotels to creating an amazing non-profit organization. There are a number of great chapters here that detail his life. But there are many more chapters that leave out many details and spend too much time promoting sponsors. While it's nice that the late author is grateful for all the businesses that helped him, too much of the latter parts of the book become a way for him to acknowledge donors instead of telling stories.

The book is not very well written and it would be nice to have a wordsmith turn this man's life into a well-told story. I'd recommend the non-profit organization run by the author's children hire someone to revise it. At the beginning there needs to be a chapter or two that tells of the man's accomplishments, so we know why we are reading the book and what his successes are. Instead it starts with his difficult upbringing and the horrendous teen years in concentration camps. He goes into great detail about what he experienced, including the loss of family members, and it gets pretty depressing to get through when told with nothing redemptive in the first 65 pages. It was honestly hard to want to continue reading.

Once he comes to America he changes from a hard-hearted survivor in New York City to a young man of great energy, but we don't really see why that change occurred. Once he marries and ends up in Florida (going there for his honeymoon, they decide to just stay!) He skips through his life fairly quickly and ends up in Cocoa Beach running the only hotel during the construction of the nearby space program. These are the most fascinating stories that explain how the astronauts and engineers worked and played together. Eventually he became part of the Holiday Inn chain and became rich as he took part ownership in hotels.

There are many stories left out, as even Senator John Glenn admits in the afterward. We learn almost nothing about his first wife and young kids, then virtually nothing about his second wife and stepkids. Glenn says there are many untold stories and it's obvious in reading the book that either Landwirth didn't remember, wanted to avoid his personal life, or was too interested in just stating workplace facts. For example, he moves to Lakeland, Florida where he turns the Holiday Inn into a success by signing an agreement to house the Detroit Tigers. Even though he is there for years we get no more details than that he started a popular restaurant. Nothing about family or struggles or specifics. Soon it's on to Orlando and the same pattern is repeated--some sketchy outline about a few hotels he was involved with but not enough information or stories to flesh it out.

His greatest accomplishment is his charity work and Give Kids the World. He again gives the facts and not enough stories, with too many acknowledgments of the freebies donated by friends or corporations. After Landwirth retires he gets bored and starts another charity that provides returned store clothing to homeless people. But he doesn't explain why, when asked by a homeless man to help with providing shelter to those that have none, the millionaire turns him down. So this guy with a huge bank account and a multimillion dollar foundation named after his mother refused to provide homes but would give away used or returned socks? There may have been a reason but he doesn't explain.

His gifts appeared to be the ability to draw the best out in people around him so they would contribute to the higher good, and to come up with creative promotional ideas to attract interest. The man also likes to brag about his accomplishments, and at times overstates the impact of things he was involved with (such as saying a restaurant he took over became "the most popular restaurant in the area"). But his heart was in the right place and he lived a life that contributed greatly to the good of others. It's certainly an inspirational book worth reading, though in the end you'll wish a better writer would have put together a stronger narrative with more stories.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you have a two year old grandchild that cancer has made its prey, and you live every day wondering, and wailing, devastated that life could be so cruel, everything changes. Because we had no support from my extended family, I believe that it brought my own children closer together. Some of the outside world even seamed itself together for her comfort. Give Kids the World has been a pure and endearing part of this unforgettable journey. We remember every step we took on the grounds of this place, every splash our grandchild made in the pool, every meal she took, every smile she wore, every spark of her enthusiasm she threw our way during our visit to this magnificent place. All in honor of her.

I have since walked the grounds as an "alumni", locating her paver stone and weeping uncontrollably over the star she signed at the age of 3 as it hung so majestically inside the castle. Her small fingerprint was still etched on its glass. This place is hallowed ground as I consider that she continues to live in the arms of those who love her. For 20 minutes I wept outside the gates of this magnificent place, before entering for the second time. It was just an alumni visit, but I remembered the fear we all shared. And this place, this place, for no reason other than the relief it gave this beautiful child by handing her unconditional happiness and peace for just a while, stands as a shrine of comfort. It was a compassionate break for her in the unfairness of life at its worst.

I bought this book to see what was inside of the mind that made this refuge, the compassion, the experiences, the epiphanies. I felt the author of this book had to have this conversation with me. So he did through this work. I am not sure how someone could interpret this book if they have not been to Give Kids the World in the throes of life's most ruthless of all fates. I only know what this means to someone who has lived it. It is mezmerizing. It makes sense. If you understand these words and the experience, read "Gift of Life" for the sentiment. It is truly a gift.

[Prabhat sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gift of Life by Henri Landwirth, J.P. Hendricks- This book is a memoir of a philanthropist and Holocaust survivor who started two charitable foundations. He started the Give Kids the World foundation and
Dignity U Wear charity. Henri Landwirth (March 7, 1927 – April 16, 2018) was a hotelier, philanthropist, and a Holocaust survivor. He was the founder of “Give Kids The World” and “Dignity U Wear”. Landwirth was born into a Jewish family in Antwerp, in northern Belgium, in 1927. His father was a diamond-cutter. During World War II, Henri and his family were separated and were prisoners in the Nazi death and labor camps. Henri spent the years between ages 13 and 18 in Nazi camps, including Auschwitz and Mauthausen. Both of his parents were killed in the camps, but Henri and his twin sister, Margot, survived. After the war, Landwirth made his way to America. Landwirth was drafted during the Korean War, and used the G.I. Bill to take a course in hotel management while working the night desk at Manhattan's Wellington Hotel. He first worked in New York City and then in 1954 became manager of the Starlite Motel in Cocoa Beach, Florida. In 1969, he opened a Holiday Inn franchised hotel in Orlando. Subsequently, Landwirth co-owned a number of hotels in the Central Florida area, including the hotel that is now known as the Seralago Hotel & Suites Main Gate East. In the 1980s Landwirth started offering free hotel rooms to terminally ill children for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. After a child died before travel arrangements could be made, he made a “vow that no child in need would ever be failed again,” and in 1986, Landwirth founded Give Kids “The World”, a non-profit resort that provides vacations to children with critical illnesses and their families. Landwirth wrote a memoir, Gift of Life in 1996. Landwirth died on April 16, 2018 at the age of 91. This book is an inspiring book for readers of all ages.

[Tristan Cockerell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gift of Life
This book was very special to me because it gave a lot of meaning to the word “giving". This book talks about the journey of Henri Landwirth. He tells how he went from his first job to how he came to build the village in Florida called “Give Kids the World”. This village is a vacation destination for families of terminally ill children. They get to spend a week entirely free of charge and free of their usual worries.
I read this book because over the summer I am volunteering there. I have only gone to the village twice since I wrote this and I have to say, It is the nicest most friendliest place in the world. Every person there is there to help or be helped. When I first drove through the gates to start my first volunteering service I was greeted with a warm welcome. I think that Henri Landwirth wanted to create the feeling of a large family when he built the village. But creating the village wasn’t a simple task. The whole process is explained in the book. The most significant is when the author says:
“My whole life, I’ve never been afraid of failure, because every time I fail, and I have failed more than once, it tells me a lot about myself and I learn a lot from the failures.
(Landwirth 171)” This quote talks about how when Mr Landwirth knew he was going to fail he knew how to get back up and keep working. Then he learns how he failed and uses that to drive his motivation. What gets you motivated? What obstacles did Mr Landwirth have to clear to reach his goal? What were some failures that were the hardest to recover from?
I recommend this book to people who want to give back to the community. This book taught me all about pushing and succeeding. It taught me how to deal with tough situations and get back up. This book is the life story of Henri Landwirth and how he came to be the founder and creator of Give Kids the World.

[Marcosbookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gift of Life
This book... this life story... My wife bought me this book as my family and I stayed at Give Kids the World in 2014 during my youngest sons dream wish to DisneyWorld. The Give Kids the World Village is truly a place for terminally ill children to go and leave behind their radiation and chemotherapy treatments, it allows the parents to put aside the constant thoughts of their child battling a life threatening disease, the disruption to a family life that was once ‘normal’. They are allowed to be a family again if only for a few days. Reading this book brought back many memories (both happy and very sad) and increased my appreciate so much more for the devotion Henri Landwirth had to creating a place for sick children.

From labor and concentration camps of Nazi Germany and losing both parents to the Holocaust.
From living a year after the war with only vengeance in mind.
From coming to America as an uneducated immigrant who could not speak English.
From being at the start of Cape Canaveral with his experiences with the Mercury Astronauts.
To building a dream called Give Kids the World.
The book is written almost like a diary and to me it’s a 5 star book not because of the literary standpoint, but due to the inspirational life that Henri Landwirth lived and how he truly devoted his life to making a difference in this world for all children.

[AllyRose Caruso · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give this book three stars because of the way it is written. It tells the incredible story of Holocaust survivor Henri Landwirth and everything he accomplished in America in terms of personal success and the charities he founded. However, the book itself, though it is co-written, is not very well organized. There are some continuity errors which leave the reader slightly confused about what happened when—particularly in regard to Henri Landwirth’s personal life. The writing itself is mostly very short sentences which can make it seem jerky and take away from the flow. I first read this book in fifth grade and easily understood everything then if that says anything about the style. There is also some language in regards to the women working at his restaurants/hotels/bars which focuses on how beautiful they are as opposed to other parts of their character and as a woman in 2020, strikes me as slightly problematic though I know it’s a result of the rhetoric of his time. However, overall Henri Landwirth truly was an incredible man and as someone who has worked closely with a charity which sends dream children to Give Kids the World, it was interesting to read the personal story behind how all of that came to be.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me ball my eyes out at this moment:

“In no instance was this more clearly demonstrated than the day the Israeli and Palestinian families arrived together at the Village. We had received a request from Hospice and The National Association for Home Care to bring in two families simultaneously. One was from Israel, the other from Palestine. Culturally, their countries had been at war almost incessantly.

The families arrived together and on the first day stayed pretty much to themselves. The next day, they began spending time together. By the time their vacation with us was over, the families had become best friends.
Hate was transformed into love. Their children suffered the same. They cried the same way, fought against the common enemy of disease, and were experiencing the same struggle. Children have no hate, only goodness.
Through them, a cultural divide dating back centuries, began to narrow.”

[Jodie Sadowsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing details in Henri’s story. Though the writing wasn’t polished, Henri’s legacy and story are a complete gem. Incredibly inspiring narration of his life in three parts - surviving five years in work/death camps as a teenager during the Holocaust, his career in the hotel business near Cape Canaveral and friendships with the astronauts, and his creation of Give Kids the World Village to serve children visiting Orlando through wish foundations. Henri recently passed and I am so grateful he took the time in his very busy days to leave us his story. May his memory be a blessing.

[Valerie Wurdeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing autobiography - the life of Henri from Holocaust survivor to world-wide philanthropist. I was fortunate to meet his daughter, Lisa, and learned about his book. Henri led a wonderful life and was able to turn his pain into giving of his time, money, and resources making the lives of others better. I hadn't heard of Give Kids the World, but I did know about Dignity U Wear (and have even volunteered there) and his daughter's Art with Heart. What a great legacy Henri and his family are leaving behind.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspirational and honest, this humbly-written memoir gives insight into the life of a very generous man.

Henri Landwirth's description of surviving the Holocaust was almost too much for me to read, but I'm so glad I did. Because from there it only got better. From his friendships with astronauts at the beginning of NASA, to his networking with global corporations to build Give Kids the World, this is the story of what not giving up looks like.

[dejah_thoris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Landwirth's memoir is very interesting. I would not have read it on my own, but it's not bad. The Holocaust section is hard to read in one sitting. (I read it in 90 minutes. Not recommended.) The middle section about building up Florida and helping the astronauts celebrate was very jolly. The final section when Landwirth founds his charity, Give Kids the World, is very moving. Worth reading if you enjoy American rags-to-riches philanthropist biographies.

[Kirsten Loran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing and inspirational! My son is a Wish kid and we stayed at Give Kids the World in October 2018, which was when I learned about Henri Landwirth, and bought this book. It is written almost as though he is talking to you. His voice is very well preserved. The book is broken into a few sections and the format is explained at the beginning and then at the start of each section. They separate the parts of his life, which were all very different.

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most incredible TRUE stories I’ve ever read. If you have trouble finding this book for yourself, try looking for the title love and hate. A young Holocaust survivor, with numerous near-death experiences, is able to move on with his life while still showing great love towards ALL people and the work that he does. This book will really make you wonder how someone is able to forgive and choose love instead of hate.

[Sarah Drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may not be the best written book, but it sure is inspiring and an incredible story about an incredible man! To live through all he lived through as a child and still come out of it as a compassionate,caring human being who started one of the world's greatest charities is absolutely incredible! Give Kids the world is amazing, and everything thing they do is for children! Henri lived and breathed for the children at give kids the world.

[Lia Brewster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful and powerful story about a young man that suffers in the holocaust, come out as a survivor. This man grows up to do some pretty incredible things such has move to Florida to become a part of the space history and then to create a charity that has grown so fast and making a difference in peoples lives everyday. I encourage you to ready this amazing story about a man and his dreams.

[kesseljunkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henri Landwirth is one of the true angels sent by God to make a difference in this world. This book is far from perfectly written but I cannot give it less than a perfect score. It flows as a memoir, snippets of memory glanced from a storied life. It’s deeply affecting and gloriously moving. I wept openly at points. An amazing life and well worth reading.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the journey that took Henri from a concentration camp to a successful businessman to a philanthropist. Give Kids The World Village holds a special place in our families heart and it was a great experience to read the story behind the man that built this dream.

[Samantha Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A poorly written book about an incredible life lived. Henri makes no claims to be an author, so I surely didn’t expect this to be a literary win. It was absolutely worth the read to learn more about the founder of GKTW and all the events that led him to creating our favorite place on earth.