In the 1990s, I became fascinated with my uncle’s World War II stories and began taping his memories. Soon I knew I had found a fascinating untold story of Jewish refugees who became silent heroes. More than a decade spent researching, interviewing Ritchie Boys, and turning the true story of my uncle into fiction became an odyssey of discovery that resulted in Immigrant Soldier, The Story of a Ritchie Boy. I wanted to tell this story because it was different from any other Holocaust story I had read. The Jewish hero is not a victim, but a young man who gradually grows from a frightened and frustrated teenager, looking for a place to belong, into a confident US Army intelligence officer who struggles with the conflicting emotions of hate and forgiveness.”
I have become somewhat of an expert on the secret heroes known as The Ritchie Boys. After self-pulishing 5 books, I have learned from my experiences as an indie-publisher and have gained insight into this long and complicated process. Always an educator, I am happy to share what I have learned along the way. I hope that soon I will again (after covid) be able to visit libraries, veteran's organizations, and book groups to share my knowledge of the Ritchie Boys.
Immigrant Soldier, The Story of a Ritchie Boy, based on the true experiences of a refugee from Nazi Germany, combines a coming-of-age story with an immigrant tale and a World War II adventure. On a cold November morning in 1938, Herman watches in horror as his cousin is arrested. As a Jew, he realizes it is past time to flee Germany, a decision that catapults him from one adventure to another, his life changed forever by the gathering storm of world events. Gradually, Herman evolves from a frustrated teenager, looking for a place to belong, into a confident US Army intelligence officer. The reader is swept along as the hero experiences fear, romance, loyalty, disappointment, friendship, horror, and compassion in his quest for an understanding of hate and forgiveness.
Immigrant Soldier is a solid historical work laced with well-researched and often little-known information about World War II. The early chapters reveal Herman’s struggle to flee his homeland, while the book’s sunny California passages reflect the young immigrant’s overflowing hope. The army training and wartime portions of the book follow the hero’s adventures as he becomes a Ritchie Boy and later works directly with the famous General George Patton.
Immigrant Soldier has received the following awards:
• Independent Publishers Bronze medal award (2015) in the military/wartime fiction category
• Eric Hoffer Award (2016), finalist in general fiction
• National Indie Excellence Award (2015), finalist in the Military Fiction category
• An Indie Bragg Medallion.