Henry: A Polish Swimmer's True Story of Friendship from Auschwitz to America

Everyone who reads Henry becomes a witness.--Jack Mayer author of Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project and Before the Court of Heaven2018 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award - Silver for Biography2018 Best Published Nonfiction - Arizona Authors Association2017 Gold for Adult Non-Fiction - The Wishing Shelf Book Awards (UK)This incredible true story is both a witness to the Holocaust through Polish eyes and the story of how Henry Zguda a Polish Catholic swimmer survives Nazi concentration camps Auschwitz and Buchenwald by his wits humor luck and friends. At times humorous always gut-honest this account fills a huge gap in historical accounts of Poles during World War II.May 30 1942 Kraków Poland. German SS guards arrest Henry Zguda on a dark narrow street for one reason only: he was Polish at a time Germany swore to destroy all of Poland. Two weeks later he arrives at Auschwitz and is now Prisoner #39551. In March 1943 he is transferred to Buchenwald near Weimar Germany. There he is labeled Prisoner #10948May 3 1945 Dachau Germany. Near death Henry writes home for the first time in three years: Beloved mother I am alive.Katrina Shawver met Henry in 2002 when she wrote for the Arizona Republic and after one meeting offered to write his story. They soon became close friends and friendship remains a theme throughout. Relevant history is woven throughout the account resulting in a unique perspective of both Jewish and Polish suffering in Nazi-occupied Poland. Henrys story is backed by meticulous research and original documents and photos many in print for the first time. If you are a discerning adult looking for an intelligent read this book is for you....a top must have acquisition for any collection strong in Holocaust survival accounts.-- D. Donovan Senior Reviewer Midwest Book ReviewHighly recommended.--James Conroyd Martin author of The Poland Trilogy and The Boy Who Wanted Wings