The Hamsa edition by ES Kraay Literature Fiction eBooks
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Bronisław Czech is a dashing Polish highlander born in 1908. His father teaches young Bronek the secrets of the Tatra Mountains while his father’s friend, The Captain teaches the boy to ski. He learns well and represents Poland in three Winter Olympic Games, which teach him as much about life as about the sport he loves. He is honored to lead his team and carry the Polish flag into the stadium at Germany’s 1936 games in Bavaria. With him always is the hamsa, a good luck charm he receives as a boy in 1923 from a young Jewish girl. When Germany invades Poland in 1939, Czech’s mountain skills make him a valuable asset to the Polish resistance and a target for Hitler’s SS. From the majesty of Europe’s greatest mountains to the shores of America and back, from the height of Olympic glory to the depths of human cruelty and suffering, The Hamsa spans four decades of one man’s struggle to preserve his dignity in the face of ‘the final solution.’
The Hamsa edition by ES Kraay Literature Fiction eBooks
Very well written, with heart and soul. Having visited some of the locations, I found the reading fascinating as in "I've SEEN that place!" Heartwarming story on how love, respect, honesty is still possible in a crazy mixed-up world and people are capable of living a good, principled life in the midst of the most trying and challenging circumstances. And sports champions are such not only because of the prowess in their field, but because they are honestly GOOD people and do their best not just to compete but to bring out the best in others. I also feel proud to know the author from his youth in the Berkshires of Massachusetts. I especially appreciated the characterization of the protagonist as honoring the person who gifted him with the hamsa and was not ashamed to sport it in his sporting events, despite the bigotry that was rampant in his society. The pic is of a sign in Strzyzow, Poland, on a street dedicated to the the protagonist of this beautiful story.Product details
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The Hamsa edition by ES Kraay Literature Fiction eBooks Reviews
This book started out great but then with the hero's constant failures it turned unrealistic. The ending was very disappointing.
A well written story, even for our time.
It was a very somber book, but written with much feeling and showing the inner feelings and survival fortitude during the worst of times.
Rarely do I cry at the conclusion of a book. The Hamsa kept me spellbound from beginning to end. From the thrilling first-person experiences of a top-notch skier to the dangerous, clandestine activities of a member of the Polish Resistance during the horrendous years of Naziism, I was spellbound. The tears flowed freely however, as I followed his pathway to death in the "final solution."
Gene Kraay has given us a wonderful account of the personal trials and triumphs of Bronislav Czech during the rise and reign of Hitler's tyranny. If you are an avid reader of history, as I am, you can often get overly focused on the "Big Picture" and the de-humanized facts of these major events. Gene has given us a chance to look at an intriguing side story that we all would have missed completely, yet helps us walk away marveling at one man's perseverance to his principles and morality. While this novel gives you great insight to this historical period it goes one better by giving you insight to the human soul. You cannot fail to be personally moved by this gripping narrative--Do yourself a favor--read it and pass the word on!
I write historical fiction, but I usually don't like to read it. Maybe because I know the tricks too well and that knowledge spoils the effects that the writer is trying to produce. But I must say, E.S. Kraay has made a believer out of me. The Hamsa is great stuff--vivid, moving, completely convincing and, best of all, it's about something (which too often historical fiction is not.) Mr. Kraay has pulled off the most difficult stunt of all to start with historical reality - meaning real characters like Bronislaw Czech, his hero, who did real things at real times but about whom we in the present know very little - and to craft from these elements a wholly original (but vividly believable and, we hope, true to life) narrative that breathes reality into and brings illumination to the acts and moral crises lived through by his protagonist and his contemporaries. Mr. Kraay is a former fighter pilot and All-American athlete and he brings to bear the wisdom and knowledge gained in these experiences in delivering scene after riveting scene of "Bronek" Czech's Olympic career in 1930s Europe during the rise of Nazism and the playing out of Hitler's "final solution" (including a terrific section at the '36 Berlin Winter Games). And when the moral and dramatic payoff comes as WWII overwhelms all pre-war life on the continent, sweeping up our hero Bronek in its all-devouring maw, we readers feel his ordeal in our guts. Thanks, Mr. Kraay, for opening a window for me on a world and an era I would have known very little about--and for creating an unforgettable character and saga in Bronislaw Czech's life and death.
As I've matured, the further from my memory the Holocaust lessons I learned in school have drifted. Not a topic that I often associate with reading for pleasure, but I was so enamored by E.S. Kraay's last effort, "The Olympian A Tale of Ancient Hellas" that I would not miss the opportunity to read his sophomore effort. While the inevitable conclusion to the book left me once again pondering how Hitler could make the choice to outcast and mass murder people based on race, religion, or creed, I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to watch the protagonist, Bronislaw Czech grow from a young highlander from Zakopane into a brave warrior for the Polish underground. The book's title indicates there will be a religious or spiritual undertone to the story, and there certainly is. The highlanders in general hold firm to their moral compass, from Bronek's grandmother to the young man himself, and certainly with The mysterious Captain. The hamsa itself refers to the hand of God charm often worn by Jews for good luck, and while Bronek himself is a catholic, he wears proudly albeit secretly the hamsa which was given to him as a boy by the beautiful Amalia, all the way through his life.
Through three Olympic games, Czech served his country proudly under the tutelage of The Captain, who was his father's closest mate and a lifelong highlander. From his early years it's clear that Bronek is made of special stuff with a positive outlook on life and an underlying understanding of human nature, human compassion, even when thrown into the pits of hell in his later years. While we watch Bronek compete in Olympic competition on the ski slopes and finding notoriety through his role in moving pictures, we also witness the transition in his mindset regarding athletic competition. He grows to realize that while each time he begins a competition his aim is to win, he loves the mountains and skiing with or without medals.
The emotions that this book evoked from me ranged from physically crying (has not happened often while reading), to laughing aloud, to internal reflection upon my own morals. Sparking a reaction is why people often times write, and Kraay has successfully accomplished that feat, to which I applaud him. The imagery created paints a very clear and vivid picture of each place visited throughout the story, leading the reader to long for a spell in Zakopane! This is a work of fiction, and while I'm not a scholar in history, neither do I know much about the Nazi regime, but the book itself seems to be very well researched.
The book is decent sized at 451 pages, and I can't help but think the author could have split the tale into two volumes and extended the story by 200 pages easily. That doesn't go to say that any portion of the story as is was rushed, only that the flow was very enjoyable and the book doesn't seem like it's as long as the pages would indicate. It's been a few years since I first read "The Olympian" by Kraay, so I was anxiously awaiting this arrival, and the resulting story certainly justifies the wait. It's difficult to avoid comparisons between an authors works. Is "The Hamsa" better than "The Olympian?" Tough call and a matter of personal opinion, but it's apples and oranges. Both stories have fantastic character developments and include characters we all know and love while being written in a very nice manner. The writer tells stories which flow well and teach lessons beyond what's at face value.
Bottom line, E.S. Kraay has succeeded greatly in his follow-up to "The Olympian" with an emotional and spiritual journey from the innocence of the Polish highlands through the depths of hell in a Nazi prison camp. The reader feels a part of Bronek's journey from start to finish, and can relate to the relationships he acquires, both good and bad. The loyalty of Raphael, the leadership from The Captain, the hatred towards Feldman, and love towards Amalia. Relationships are central, and they're all well developed. Bravo and five stars to Kraay again!
Very well written, with heart and soul. Having visited some of the locations, I found the reading fascinating as in "I've SEEN that place!" Heartwarming story on how love, respect, honesty is still possible in a crazy mixed-up world and people are capable of living a good, principled life in the midst of the most trying and challenging circumstances. And sports champions are such not only because of the prowess in their field, but because they are honestly GOOD people and do their best not just to compete but to bring out the best in others. I also feel proud to know the author from his youth in the Berkshires of Massachusetts. I especially appreciated the characterization of the protagonist as honoring the person who gifted him with the hamsa and was not ashamed to sport it in his sporting events, despite the bigotry that was rampant in his society. The pic is of a sign in Strzyzow, Poland, on a street dedicated to the the protagonist of this beautiful story.
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