A Ship in the Harbor

In this powerful and absorbing sequel to Mother and Me, the author recalls his flight from the Nazis in Hungary with his resourceful and determined mother.

This is the second volume of a true story about Julian, an eight-year-old Jewish boy, set during World War II, who is waging his own personal war while he and his self-absorbed socialite mother flee the Nazis. Having been raised by a devoted Catholic governess who has all but converted him to Catholicism to save his soul, Julian is deeply confused about, and resents, his Jewish identity.

In this dramatic sequel to Mother and Me, Julian, and his mother, Barbara, survive German bombs and Soviet occupation, and, in the winter of 1940, having been abandoned by their treacherous guide, escape to Hungary in a daring and dangerous trek over the Carpathian Mountains. Once in Hungary, Julian’s mother is embraced by her large social circle. Her attempts to sell her jewelry lead to her becoming the mistress of a wealthy Russian Count, who hides mother and son in style on his impressive country estate. The Count turns out to be less than honest and Barbara and Julian must return to Budapest where the Nazis await.

Praise for Mother and Me, a ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year

“Julian Padowicz paints a vivid picture of [his] childhood in this fictionalized memoir set in pre-WWII Poland.” —Jewish Book Council

“His story is an engrossing one . . . his lively dialogue brings to life . . . the many people they encounter on route to their eventual escape.” —Publishers Weekly