The Contract

Who Am I? Where Do I Belong? Should I Hide Or Reveal My Identity? What If Wehave Another Holocaust? How Can I Continue To Live Clandestinely?Anguish Hardship And The Courage To Survive Flow Through Joseph Kutrzeba'S Veinsas He Grows Up Under Nazi Occupation In Poland. From A Prominent Polish-Jewishfamily Joseph Is Barely Fifteen Years Old And Yet Is Driven To Participate In Theresistance Movement Of World War Ii'S Warsaw Ghetto. During One Of The Nazi'Snumerous Raids Joseph Is Packed Into A Cattle Car Bound For The Treblinka Gaschambers But He Manages A Hair-Raising Escape From The Moving Train. Followinghis Turbulent And Dangerous Wonderings An Idealistic Young Priest Introduces Himto The Catholic Vernacular; Ostensibly To Help Him Disguise His True Identity.Following Escape After Miraculous Escape Joseph Is Finally Liberated By U.S. Troopsin Germany. Just Weeks After Coming To America He Is Drafted And Ends Up In Thebattle Zone Of The Korean War. On His Discharge Joseph Graduates From Yale Andlater From Nyu. Still His Entire Life He'S Tormented By The Gnawing Unremittingquestion: Who Am I?This Beautifully Lyrical Memoir Describes Joseph'S Persistence And Bravery As Hestruggles To Understand His True Self.