Lizzi & Fredl: A Perilous Journey of Love and Faith by Dr. William Stanford

Book Description
Austria, 1938. Europe trembles under the shadow of Hitler and the spreading threat of Nazism. Though some Austrians welcome the idea of belonging to the Fatherland once more, many more fear such a day. The Steiners are one such couple that dreads that ultimate day.They have carved out a successful life for themselves in Vienna. Twenty-seven-year-old Fredl is an accomplished master jeweler, while twenty-six-year-old Lizzi is a professional dressmaker. When Fredl receives papers ordering him to Munich, Germany, to serve the Nazis in their war preparations, the couple knows they have no choice: they must leave Austria. As Hitler and his troops gain force in their homeland and annex Austria, Lizzi and Fredl endure a harrowing flight to France, uncertain whether they will ever see their country again. But France holds no safety for them. Fredl is captured by French Nazi sympathizers and must outwit his captors to survive in Vichy-controlled concentration and labor camps. Separated from Fredl, Lizzi evades arrest and relies on her guile and chutzpah to search for her beloved husband. What follows is an incredible seven-year odyssey filled with danger and endurance. From their long, arduous journey to Paris to Fredl's unbelievable rescue from a train bound for a Nazi death camp, Lizzi and Fredl delivers a remarkable true story of courage, faith, and overwhelming love.

My thoughts
“Lizzi & Fredl: A Perilous Journey of Love and Faith” by Dr. William Stanford chronicles seven years in the lives of his parents from Vienna, Austria where they escaped the clutches of Hitler’s reign and relocated to France. Unfortunately, Fredl is imprisoned by French Nazi sympathizers and although Lizzi eludes capture, she still has to try and survive with little money or food. I applaud Dr. Stamford for capturing the experience of his parents before it was too late and detailing here for the rest of us to read. It is truly a remarkable tale of two regular people caught up in the chaos of WWII. I tried to have my grandmother (who lives in Germany) record her life but she does not want to relive her past. Thank you, Dr. Stanford for sharing your parent’s story.