Trapped in the horrors of World War II, a woman and a child embark on
a journey of survival in this page-turning true story that recalls the
power and the poignancy of Schindler's List.
Michael Stolowitzky, the only son of a wealthy Jewish family in Poland,
was just three years old when war broke out and the family lost
everything. His father, desperate to settle his business affairs,
travels to France, leaving Michael in the care of his mother and
Gertruda Bablinska, a Catholic nanny devoted to the family. When
Michael's mother has a stroke, Gertruda promises the dying woman that
she will make her way to Palestine and raise him as her own son.
Written with the invaluable assistance of Michael, now seventy-two and
living in New York City, GERTRUDA'S OATH re-creates Michael and
Gertruda's amazing journey. Gripping vignettes bring to life the people
who helped ensure their survival, including SS officer Karl Rink, who
made it his mission to save Jews after his own Jewish wife was murdered;
Rink's daughter, Helga, who escaped to a kibbutz, where she lived until
her recent death; and the Jewish physician Dr. Berman, who aided Michael
and Gertruda through the worst of times.
GERTRUDA'S OATH is a story of extraordinary courage and moral strength
in the face of horrific events. Like Schindler's List, it transcends
history and religion to reveal the compassion and hope that miraculously
thrives in a world immersed in war without end.
