When Katrina Shawver met the eighty-five year old Henry Zguda, he possessed an exceptional memory, a surprising cache of original documents and photos, and a knack for meeting the right people at the right time. Couched in the interview style of Tuesdays with Morrie, Henry relates in his own voice a life as a champion swimmer, interrupted by three years imprisoned in Auschwitz and Buchenwald as a … Auschwitz and Buchenwald as a Polish political prisoner. With a pragmatic gallows humor, and sense of hope, he showed the author how to truly live for today, preferably with a shot of good Polish vodka. Henry’s path of resiliency and power of connection are as relevant today, as they were in World War II.
Henry reminds us that no single class of people was safe from Hitler’s reach or imprisonment, and no country suffered more under Hitler and Stalin than Poland. This bridge to history and view of the Holocaust through Polish eyes is supported by extensive research, and features more than 70 original photos and rare German documents. Ultimately, Henry is the story a strong young man, who survives by his wits, humor, friends, and a healthy dose of luck. This book is for the discerning adult looking for an intelligent read that examines World War II, the Holocaust, and the true meaning of friendship then and now.
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This book won the 2018 Arizona Nonfiction Book of the Year, and it was well-deserved. The author met Henry through her job as a newspaper columnist. She interviewed him for an article, and she knew after that first visit that his story belonged in a book.
In addition to Jews, Hitler wanted to eradicate the disabled, Jehovah’s Witnesses and many more groups of people he believed were less-than. Henry spent several years in German concentration camps during WWI as a political prisoner because he was Polish. He survived partly because he was Catholic and strong-willed, and partly because of luck. He witnessed, endured and persevered through unspeakable horrors, torture and near starvation. Many people had asked him if they could write his story, and he had always said no – until Shawver.
For whatever reason, Henry and Shawver clicked. He opened up to her during many weekly conversations, which she recorded and transcribed. She also conducted extensive research, both locally and abroad. She expertly weaves together Henry’s stories (in his own words and voice), with important historical context and her personal reflections about Henry and the Holocaust. Henry’s light heart and positive attitude shines through on every page. The resulting book is at turns gripping and humorous, heartbreaking and inspiring. Highly recommended.
I heartily recommend the haunting true story of a Polish athlete’s experiences before, during, and after the Holocaust. Katrina Shawver, a good friend and long-time correspondent with the Arizona Republic, has penned a fascinating and moving collection of a man’s memories of some of history’s most tragic events and how they shaped a long and joyful life.
Author Katrina Shawver writes with the awe of a child listening to an enticing fairytale at the feet of a great story teller. But, Henry: A Polish Swimmer’s True Story of Friendship from Auschwitz to America (koehlerbooks, 2017) is not a fairytale. From her long interviews with the elder Henry, Shawver delivers the reality of Henry’s world during World War II as a journey of discovery. It is a history many people still don’t know well.
More than 70 years after the WWII, we learn Henry’s plight from Olympic level swimmer in Poland to German Nazi camp prisoner. Having almost died many times from starvation, disease, hard labor, he survived to become a congenial and sought-after physical therapist to Hollywood stars in America. He never let his loss of health or mental anguish keep him from finding joy in life, especially with his beloved American wife, Nancy.
Henry’s story is backed by authentic documents reprinted throughout the book, Shawver’s meticulous research, including a trip to Poland, to Auschwitz. Her own reactions to learning Henry’s horrific story are what makes this non-fiction book additionally interesting. She has no agenda other than reporting truth with her professional journalist’s intellectual curiosity, and her commitment to her new friends, Henry and Nancy. Completely a naïve American, Shawver is neither Polish nor Jewish, so that Henry’s story resonates with both her and her readers. Henry is not Jewish either but has many encounters with other prisoners who are Jewish, thus his story is another witness account of the Holocaust.
Shawver almost becomes the daughter Henry could never have, as the brutality of the Germans disrupted his life. She has made a huge contribution to the saga of WWII Poland’s history with Henry’s true story. It is through Henry’s generous sharing of those painful memories and Shawver’s excellent writing that wins over the reader.
Wow. People throw around words like “heroic” and “indomitable spirit” – and then you read a tale like Henry’s and learn what they really mean… This is an incredibly moving tale (to say the least), and equally interesting and moving is the origin story behind the tale. It started almost as a bit of a throwaway – a local journalist stumbles onto a tidbit about a local human interest story (a Holocaust survivor). But it turned into something that clearly deeply affected both of them – and their families –
in ways that were heart-warming and charming in equal measure.
This is the story of a man’s survival. But it’s also the story of a world trying to find its way – told through not only Henry’s personal history but also through the history of Poland, Germany, World War II and the aftermath that each of them faced. The book alternates between personal memoir-like narratives and historical interludes that add a depth and context to the reminiscences. Henry’s voice is clear as a bell and rings just as true. The history is also well-presented and voiced. The back and forth is usually easy enough to distinguish; the two personalities (historian and subject) have very distinct voices. Occasionally, it took me an extra paragraph to figure out that Henry’s actual memory had stopped and the narration had picked back up. It might have helped if there had been more clear-cut indications when the narrator shifted – but that may also have been an issue with the ebook version I read. Regardless, the tale was well presented and articulated on both sides, and if Ms. Shawver’s portions of the book are slightly less interesting it is not through any fault of their own, but rather because Henry’s tale is so far beyond compelling and his memories so startling in both their starkness and their occasional burst of lightness and humor.
It never ceases to amaze me that people can find joy and laughter in even the darkest moments; Henry’s story embodies this in spades. It also never ceases to amaze me how much “history” leaves out. It truly is written by the victors – which often means details (large and small) that don’t comport with the victoriously desirable tale are ignored or overlooked (if not outright overwritten). I am no Holocaust or middle-European scholar, but I have read more than my share of books (fiction and non-fiction) on both topics. Yet there were so many tidbits that I gleaned from this book that I had never known before – despite my own Polish-German heritage and my readings in these areas. As such, I think that the book offers not only insight into one man’s personal journey, but also some long overdue portions of history – from the constant back-and-forth that has been Poland’s struggle for national independence to the realities of life inside the German-operated camps of WWII (who knew, for example, that prisoners were allowed mail and packages and paid company scrip?)…
This is, of course, often an immensely difficult read. Survival is, after all, a messy business – particularly at the hands of fanatics (of any stripe). Still, it IS a survival tale – and well-worth the effort as a result.
My review copy was provided by the author. This in no way colored my review.
A true story of a Polish survivor of the Holocaust which reveals the story of a non-Jew interred in Auschwitz.
HENRY: A POLISH SWIMMER’S TRUE STORY OF FRIENDSHIP FROM AUSCHWITZ TO AMERICA by Katrina Shawver is a memoir/biography that had me turning the pages and finishing this memorable read in just two sittings.
Katrina Shawver was trying to come up with a new story for her column in ‘The Arizona Republic’ when she heard about a former Polish swimming star who survived the death camps of WWII Germany. After her column ran, she knew she had to continue meeting with Henry and tell his entire story. He had an amazing cache of original documents and pictures with stories for them all. This book documents Henry’s story in his own words and the author interjects her own research that verifies Henry’s stories.
Henry tells his story to Ms. Shawver over many taped meetings. With gallows humor and always a sense of hope, Henry recalls his youth and capture by the Germans as they rounded up all Polish young men after their invasion. Henry was a strong young man who was a champion swimmer and water polo player for the Krakow YMCA team at the time of his arrest. Catholic and a proud Pole, Henry was sent to Auschwitz 1 as a political prisoner.
There are several instances when Henry should have died, but he always seemed to know someone who would find him at just the right time to help him survive. Henry knows he was incredibly lucky. From Auschwitz to Buchenwald, Henry details camp life. Even with all the killing and death, there are stories that sound absurd to the situation, but were small moments to forget where and what they were living through so that they could hope and survive for another day.
I have read many stories of the camps from Jewish survivor stories, but this book is through the eyes of a Polish political prisoner. I learned that they could and did send and receive mail, that there were underground activities ongoing in the camps and that the prisoners were segregated from the Jewish prisoners. Buchenwald held mainly German communists, criminals, Jehovah Witnesses, gypsies and the 1000 political prisoner Poles sent from Auschwitz until almost the end of the war.
Henry survives to live under communist rule in Poland because he returns home to his mother. After she is gone, he and a friend have the chance to escape to freedom in the west and they take it.
You will not be able to resist Henry. He is an ordinary young man who survived and lived an extraordinary life. If you are like me and devour books about WWII, this one should definitely be on your list.
Thanks very much to Koehler Books and Net Galley for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review. I could not have enjoyed it more.