This book is written by Harry's son, Scott, but he uses his father's tone. He interviewed his father and had over thirty hours of material to work with. Harry was also very open about sharing his experience with the Holocaust or Shoah as it's referred to in this book.
Harry and his two brothers end up in a few different concentration camps together, and they vow that's the way it's going to stay. They're either going to make it through the war together or they're going to die together. They are dedicated to this plan, and they take great risks to make sure it happens. They also use their skills as watchmakers to make themselves useful and get themselves out of a jam.
There are about 277 pages to Harry's story. After that are a few appendices with some background of the specific Jewish movement that influenced his family. I skimmed over those, but I did read Appendix E, which was the Testimony of Robert Persinger, the Army tank commander who was present at the liberation of Ebensee. Then there's a glossary, but for the most part, key words are explained when they come up in the text.
I was reading on a Paperwhite, so I was unable to see the maps and diagrams very well. It didn't bother me, I just wanted to mention it. I never realized how important being a watchmaker could be, but it was everything to these three men. And beyond that, their reliance on each other and dedication to staying together is something I admire.
Something that struck me and continued to stay with me as I read through the journey of these men was these words: "Pessimism is a terrible sickness. You destroy yourself. You have to have optimism all the time." The men in this book did experience low points, but they had the strength of their brothers to get them through. And they did. I highly recommend this book, and I'm not sure why it doesn't have more exposure. It's worth a read. Good Book!
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