Max's War: The Story of a Ritchie Boy (Hardcover)

As the Nazis sweep across Europe, teenage Max flees Germany for Holland, then flees again to Chicago when Hitler invades in 1940 — leaving his parents behind. When he learns they were murdered at Sobibor, Max enlists, trains as a secret “Ritchie Boy” in interrogation and counterintelligence, and is deployed to carry out dangerous missions in occupied Europe.

After the war, Max returns to his Bavarian hometown as part of the denazification program, walking streets that are achingly familiar and forever changed. There, he reunites with someone from his past — and has to decide whether it’s possible to rebuild a life after everything has been taken from you.

Inspired by Libby Fischer Hellmann’s own father-in-law, a real Ritchie Boy who interrogated German POWs. A complete standalone in the Saga Series.

Reviews:

•       “Hellmann expertly marries heaps of historical detail with a thoughtful illustration of the dangers of nationalism. This ranks with the author’s best work.” — Publishers Weekly

•       “Meticulously, enviably researched... it’s a story everyone should know, everyone should read.” — John Lawton, author of the Joe Wilderness series

•       “Intense and suspenseful... gripping.” — BookLife Reviews, Editor’s Pick