Author Description

A coming-of-age story set against the rise of fascism, the collapse of democracy in Slovakia and Hungary, the attempted genocide of the Jewish people, and the eventual conquest of the Allied Forces over Nazi Germany, ESCAPE TO THE TATRAS tells the story of one child’s remarkable journey encompassing the essence of life before and throughout World War II. During the terrifying years of deprivation, deportation, and imprisonment of Jews, many of whom were sent off to Nazi labor and extermination camps, the Štaub family (mother Irene, father Frici, and their young son Oskar), citizens of Prešov, Slovakia, fled for their lives in order to hide from the brutal Slovakian forces and their German operatives. Young Osi, who witnessed it all, found the courage and resiliency to cope with challenges far beyond his years. Written seven decades later with the precision of unfailing memory and the pain of personal experience, Oscar (Osi) (Staub) Sladek tells an unforgettable story of resilience and personal triumph.