Author Mildred Janzen to Answer Questions About Her Book, "Surviving Hitler, Evading Stalin: One Woman’s Remarkable Escape from Nazi Germany"

Author Mildred Janzen will hold a book discussion and will be signing copies of her book, "Surviving Hitler, Evading Stalin: One Woman’s Remarkable Escape from Nazi Germany," at Cloud County Tourism in Concordia on Saturday, June 11th at 10 am.

The book tells the story of the peaceful farm life of a teenage girl in Germany abruptly upended when World War II comes knocking at her family's door.  One month before her sixteenth birthday, Mildred Schindler and her family are captured by Russian Soldiers.  Having already survived life in Hitler's Nazi Germany, they now face the terror of a new enemy—Stalin's Red Army. 

Driven from their home, Mildred and her family become refugees along with a sad, slow-moving caravan of other families who have suffered the same fate.  Cleverly disguised by her mother, Mildred avoids being taken to a work camp until one morning when authorities arrive unexpectedly.  Her father has already been taken by Russian soldiers, and now she is taken from her mother and brother.

In the book, Mildred, now a resident of Ellsworth, Kansas, recounts in meticulous detail her treacherous journey and the roller coaster of raw emotions she experiences —fear, regret, loneliness, humility, perseverance, and defiance.

Susan Nickerson, daughter of Mildred, says this memoir provides a unique perspective of Mildred's road to resilience and her fortitude against all odds to forge a life filled with love and laughter.

Mildred's odyssey of making her way home and finding her family in a war-torn countryside takes many riveting twists and turns.  The discovery of a secret, hidden document offers hope for a brighter future.

The book is available for purchase at Cloud County Tourism or can be requested through interlibrary loan from the Frank Carlson Library.

Prior to Mildred's visit to Concordia, a local book club invites you to join them when they discuss "Surviving Hitler, Evading Stalin" on Tuesday, May 24th at 7 pm at the Cloud County Event Center.  Tonya Merrill tells us more.

The event on June 11th is being sponsored by Cloud County Tourism, Daughters of the American Revolution - Nathan Edson Chapter, and Concordia First United Methodist Church.