In December 1938, a young Englishman canceled a ski vacation and went
instead to Prague to help the hundreds of thousands of refugees from the
Nazis who were crowded into the city. Setting up a makeshift
headquarters in his hotel room, Nicholas Winton took names and
photographs from parents desperate to get their children out of danger.
He raised money, found foster families in England, arranged travel and
visas, and, when necessary, bribed officials and forged documents. In
the frantic spring and summer of 1939, as the Nazi shadow fell over
Europe, he organized the transportation of almost 700 children to
safety.
Then, when the war began and no more children could be rescued, he put
away his records and told no one. It was only fifty years later that a
chance discovery and a famous television appearance brought Winton's
actions to light.
Peter Sís weaves Winton's experiences and the story of one of the
children he saved, Vera Gissing. Nicky & Vera is a tale of decency,
action, and courage told in luminous, poetic images by an
internationally renowned artist.