Overview

Belgium, 1941. Rosa and Charles Russ give their newborn son, Jean-Pierre, to their non-Jewish friends for safekeeping; they are not aware that the couple is involved in espionage for the British, putting their baby in grave risk. In the home where they’ve placed their son, soirees are held for high-level Nazis who believe that the baby they bounce on their knees is Christian. The alcohol flows along with German secrets. In April 1944, Rosa and Charles are arrested and sent to Auschwitz. Both endure barbaric treatment in multiple camps. One parent succumbs a mere month before the end of WWII. The other survives to reclaim Jean-Pierre. This stranger’s appearance, he recalls, is the worst day of his life. Thoroughly and meticulously researched, The Journey of a Hidden Child traces the Holocaust trajectories of Charles and Rosa, as well as Jean-Pierre’s years as a hidden child. It is a story of unimaginable sacrifice and courage, testifying to the strength of the human spirit and the ability to build a new life from scratch.

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9789493276543

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The Story of a Hidden Child is a vivid, gripping portrayal of a Jewish family's attempts to survive the unspeakable horrors suffered throughout the Holocaust. The book is fortified by thorough historical research that provides rich, edifying context. More broadly, this book punctuates the timeless, enduring presence of deep-seated evil in our society, including the seemingly unimaginable ways it can take form. This book is a powerful warning to Jews and other persecuted peoples-especially during these increasingly uncertain times-that apathy, inattention, and denial are wholly alien to our courage and our survival. More broadly, this book punctuates the timeless, enduring presence of deep-seated evil in our society, including the seemingly unimaginable ways it can take form. This work is a powerful warning to Jews and other persecuted peoples-especially during these increasingly uncertain times-that apathy, inattention, and denial are wholly alien to our courage and our survival. -Myles Martel, Ph.D. Harry Pila unraveled astonishing mysteries when he investigated his parents' lives. The result is a deeply sensitive and impressively researched story of selflessness and bravery. The Journey of a Hidden Child is a powerful record of sacrifice and resistance in the face of terror. -Keren Blankfeld, journalist and author.

The Story of a Hidden Child is a vivid, gripping portrayal of a Jewish family's attempts to survive the unspeakable horrors suffered throughout the Holocaust. The book is fortified by thorough historical research that provides rich, edifying context. More broadly, this book punctuates the timeless, enduring presence of deep-seated evil in our society, including the seemingly unimaginable ways it can take form. This book is a powerful warning to Jews and other persecuted peoples-especially during these increasingly uncertain times-that apathy, inattention, and denial are wholly alien to our courage and our survival. More broadly, this book punctuates the timeless, enduring presence of deep-seated evil in our society, including the seemingly unimaginable ways it can take form. This work is a powerful warning to Jews and other persecuted peoples-especially during these increasingly uncertain times-that apathy, inattention, and denial are wholly alien to our courage and our survival. -Myles Martel, Ph.D. Harry Pila unraveled astonishing mysteries when he investigated his parents' lives. The result is a deeply sensitive and impressively researched story of selflessness and bravery. The Journey of a Hidden Child is a powerful record of sacrifice and resistance in the face of terror. -Keren Blankfeld, journalist and author.

Author Information

Harry D. Pila was born in Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium on March 15, 1941. Due to the deterioration of life for Jews in Nazi-occupied Belgium, he was given to Gerard and Germaine Decraene, a childless Gentile couple at the age of 6 weeks. Unbeknown to Harry's parents, Gerard was a double agent working for the U.K. Harry's parents, who were active in the underground, feared that if they were caught by the Gestapo, it would not only be the end for them, but also for their son. They were, in fact caught, and his father was killed towards the end of the war. His mother survived Auschwitz and was reunited with Harry in at the end of WWII.In November 1954, Harry and his mother emigrated to Fort Worth, Texas, following his stepfather Max. He continued his studies, graduating from the University of Texas, Austin with a BA in Foreign trade in 1966.He got married to Susan in 1962, and the next year their son Jay was born. Harry and Susan share 4 grandchildren. The youngest girl is currently serving in the Israel Defense Force which makes him very proud. He has always felt that if Israel had existed in the 1930s, there never would have been a Holocaust.Harry has been active over the years in various organizations including the International US chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club while residing and working in Taiwan from 1970 to 1981. More recently, he has been active in the Holocaust Council of Metrowest, New Jersey and various other organizations and charities. He resides in New Jersey and Florida. Before devoting her career to Holocaust research and writing, Robin Black held positions as an elementary school teacher, a children's librarian, and a caterer. The Journey of a Hidden Child is her third book.

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