Zaidy's War

There are jaw-dropping moments (no spoilers here) in Martin Bodek's multi-layered tribute to his grandfather, the kind of stories that become mythic. Zaidy's War begins with an easy-to-read, almost breezy account of a terrifying time, informed by the author's youthful admiration of his grandfather's WW2 experiences coupled with an adult understanding of what it actually meant. Included here are chilling details of a Nazi killing center gleaned from the first-hand accounts by other family members. When the narrative abruptly ends, about halfway through the book, I admit initial disappointment. What follows are transcripts of interviews with Zaidy that, surprisingly, I found fascinating. Hearing Zaidy (Benzion) in his own voice gave me a deeper understanding of his character, the nature of being a Hasidic Jew, and the work it takes to transform the wandering recollections of an elderly person into a cogent narrative. Later charts and lineages are easy to ignore, but don't. When you realize that the author's 10th great-grandfather is the Ba'al Shem Tov, a Jewish mystic and healer regarded as the founder of Hasidic Judaism, you recognize the heft of Bodek's heritage. - Bettie Denny

This is an amazing story of survival, determination and resilience!! A must read for everyone ð?'ªð?�»ð?'ªð?�» Kudos Martin on an amazing recall of your Zaidy's life. - David Mishler

Martin Bodek has written an unusual and heartwarming tribute to his beloved Zaidy, his maternal grandfather, Benzion Malik. This cleverly constructed account of Zaidy's unlikely survival during six long years of war is well structured and absorbing. The first part is a chronologically consistent biography of Zaidy's extraordinary journey from his call up in 1939 to the Romanian army, his subsequent pressed service into slave labour for the Hungarian and German forces and finally conscription into Soviet forces until the end of WWII. Chronicling the horrors of war and the many personal losses Zaidy suffered is just the first part of the story. The tale is leant authenticity in the next section detailing the transcripts of several interviews the author conducted with his grandfather in old age. The consistency of an old man's failing memory, prompted by his daughter and grandson serves to underscore the accuracy of Martin Bodek's account. Finally, the appendices bring to life the extended family and their tribulations in the notorious Nazi death camps. The book highlights triumph of the human spirit and the life of a remarkable man who survived to live an honorable life of decency and to raise a large, faithful and loving family. Absorbing and well worth reading. - Helen J. Mays