Sunday, February 19, 2012

For Maria, by Bruce Judisch (OakTara)

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Great news! (Well, for me, anyway...) J I've heard from my editor and For Maria, the sequel to Katia, is scheduled for publication in May of this year. Here's what the story's about:
December, 1939: The Gestapo haul Izaak and Maria Szpilmann away to the Ravensbrück concentration camp, leaving their twin infant daughters behind to die. But the twins do not die. Rescued by a neighbor couple, Gustaw and Ròsa Dudek, they escape occupied Poland to Salzburg, Austria. They are not heard from again.

Today: Maria Szpilmann has survived Ravensbrück, Auschwitz, and Bergen-Belsen. She is now grandmother to Madeline Sommers, a young journalist who, despite the odds, passionately clings to the belief that the lost twins are still alive. She makes it her single-focused mission to find and reunite them with her failing grandmother before it’s too late.

For Maria took a year and a half of research-intensive, emotionally exhausting work—work that has changed this author in ways he's still discovering. It is offered in honor of those survivors of the Kindertransport, children who, from 1934-1945, were rescued from the clutches of the Nazis and spirited away to foreign lands to await reunions with their families. Most of those reunions never took place. Some of those survivors the author as had the unlimited joy of befriending. Others he wishes he could.

But most of all, the book is dedicated to the 1.5 million children who did not escape The Shoah, what most of us know as the Holocaust. May their memories be preserved.
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11 comments:

Joanie's Trendy Quilts said...

Congratulations on finishing another book and on its way to be published!

Lynnette Bonner said...

Sweet! Congrats! Will look forward to it. :)

Kelly Irvin said...

Congratulations, Bruce. That's great news. I look forward to reading it!

the mccann clan said...

Wonderful news! I'll be sure to let all my friends\book club who've been asking know the date! :)

Bruce Judisch said...

Many thanks to all of you. This was a labor of love--difficult, but the love overcame the difficulty. :-)

Alison Pickrell said...

Bruce, This sounds like a very important book and the struggle sounds personal. Good for you for getting this story out there. Alison P

Bruce Judisch said...

Thanks, Allison. Great to hear from you, and I appreciate your sentiment. It was indeed an adventure to write. :-)

Mavis Duke Hinton said...

Congratulations, Bruce. I know the story will be fabulous and will touch he hearts inSubstance endsff all of its readers.

Bruce Judisch said...

Thanks, Mavis. Appreciate the kind words and hope they are realized. :-)

Jennifer Light said...

Oh yay!!! Another book for me to read! I need to finish reading Katia before I read your newest one...wish there was a way to show sheepishness through the screen. Mr. Bruce, from what I have read so far, I really enjoy your books! I'm looking forward to this newest addition from a great author who is also a friend & mentor in the faith.

Blessings,
Jennifer

Bruce Judisch said...

Hope you enjoy it, Ms. Jennie. And no sheepishness needed; it's not like you don't have a life outside my books. :-) ;-)