KirschstoneBooks Logo4 6219


  • marina photo1 lg cropped
  • gallery 3
  • gallery 2
  • gallery 1
  • gallery 4

KirschstoneBooks Logo4 6219

KirschstoneBooks Logo4 6219


 

Editorial Reviews

"Flight of Remembrance is not only filled with the horrors of Germany during the war, but includes many snapshots and paper memorabilia to really bring the story to life. Everyone thinks of Germans as the “bad guys” but Kirsch’s book is a great example that the truth is always much more complicated; that the Germans were real people, too, and struggled to survive against all odds and with fear of their own lives.

Rolf was a well-educated individual, and his struggles to feed and take care of his family is evident on every page, and you can only imagine if his family struggled so much, how much more the average person did – and that is actually the real beauty of “Flight of Remembrance”, because Rolf is the average person. It’s the smallest details that Kirsch shares with the readers that make this a memorable read. A great read for anyone who is interested in reading more about Germany, both before and after the war.

—Anastacia Zittel for Reader’s Favorite

 

"Against despair, few have the courage to rise up and reclaim peace. Flight of Remembrance is a memoir of World War II throughout Europe and America...Marina Dutzmann Kirsch recounts the journeys of her parents as they tried to break through the war that was consuming their countries and leaving little more than scorched earth. Her story is a romance of uncertain times, a read with plenty to ponder and consider. Flight of Remembrance is a strong pick for any memoir or military history collection."

—Midwest Book Review, Small Press Bookwatch

 

"Flight of Remembrance is well-documented and includes a prolific Foreword, “In War's Vortex,” written by Dr. Angelo M. Codevilla, Professor Emeritus, Boston University. Everyone should know about this time in world history, and the author makes heartfelt connections for readers to this dark era."

–J. A. Kaszuba Locke, Bookloons Reviews

 

"A true account of the plight of the author’s parents, Rolf and Lilo, who survived World War II destruction and brutality in Lativia, Poland and Germany...a vivid and inspiring story. This well-written record of horrific events experienced by Rolf and Lilo and their touching love story set against a backdrop of rapacious Soviet and Nazi cruelty, provides a vital reminder of the cost of freedom. Fresh insight is revealed through Rolf’s father’s assignment as chief inspector of V-2 rocket production, and Rolf’s forced service in the Luftwaffe."

"the Mindquest Review of Books" by Lightword Publishing

 

"World War II was a devastating event in our history and for all countries involved. Despite its dark side, something beautiful came out of it as well. A family story like Marina Dutzmann Kirsch’s...is a beautiful piece of family heritage. As I was reading the book, I tried to put myself in the characters' shoes and I noticed I wasn’t scared and I never felt hopeless. A certain strength came over me, a bond, that only a family has and offers to its members. I believe that this certain power can make people invincible and even at times when they go through hell, they see the light and have the strength to follow it.

The story is captivating and the characters are very real. We chronologically learn the story first from Rolf and then later from Lilo, although this book is about a lot more than two people meeting and surviving the war. It’s also a world history book, thanks to its punctual geography references, and it offers a different point of view to North-American readers from the losing side of the Second World War.

In an interview that we conducted with her, Marina spoke about her inspiration to write this book:
"My family's story from the losing side of the war is as much about finding meaning, living a life of faith, and cherishing a dream as it is about surviving a war that incinerated the hopes, dreams, and lives of 50-70 million people worldwide. And although it narrates a family's quest for survival against the odds, it's also a love story."

—thecrazymind interview

 

Flight of Remembrance documents a family caught in the midst of two adversarial countries—Latvia and Germany. Russia is invading Latvia, their home for many years. That means probable extermination because the father, a man of accomplishment, is known for his outspoken, anti-communist views. Their alternative to likely death is the unknown—they can repatriate to Germany because the mother is German and her son was also born there. But if they immigrate, it means certain conscription into the German army for the men of the family.

They opt for the tenuousness of displacement and repatriation to Germany as their only chance for survival. It is "out of the frying pan into the fire." But they are guided by a father with a driving and prescient sense of how to keep his family alive, and how to keep his children from getting lost to the dictatorial circumstances of war in a totalitarian society. Throughout the book, we see the strength that comes from love, faith, and a commitment to family.

Ultimately, Flight of Remembrance is a very personal, historically accurate account of what the human spirit can achieve even while running the gauntlet of a society in decline. It describes with precision how brutal wars by dictators victimize the citizens who are forced to fight as well as those who are caught in its crosshairs. The author confronts head-on the very difficult choices made by her father and grandfather. We see where the constant pursuit of competence commandeers luck. We see how an unshakeable long-range vision trumps hellish circumstances. And we see a family always acting with the sure belief that if you keep sowing the seeds of survival, they will eventually blossom. Ultimately, in the midst of the ravages of war, this is a love story. Here is a book where readers can visit the ultimate dilemma—the spider's web that Hitler created for all those he touched—and work through these issues of survival for themselves.

–Maggy L. Graham, Words & Pictures Press

 


 

Readers Speak

This was a moving, heartfelt, and deeply personal account of of Marina Kirsch's parents' and grendparents' struggle in Nazi Germany during WWII and the courage and faith that helped them survive great difficulties. You were left wanting to cheer when told about their ultimate arrival in the US in the 1950s. Photographs—wonderful!

—Lois Robblee, Peabody, MA

I very highly recommend this book to anyone who had family in Europe during the war. Through Marina's story, I learned pieces of my own family's untold history. She tells the Dutzmann family story so clearly, without melodrama, that I gained an appreciation of the courage and hope of every person in any part of Europe who was there. Everyone should read this book. It is a story of survival against all odds that we all need to know.

—Helgi Reunne, Clearwater, Florida

Thank you for speaking at Christ Lutheran in Lincoln, NE. It was delightful to get to meet you and hear your story. I purchased a book from you that night and have just finished it.  You are a wonderful writer!  I thank the Lord that your family survived and that you were willing to spend the time to write this incredible story of survival from the German point of view.

—Jill Jank, Lincoln, NE

...a fantastic book. Americans can learn by this...I had no idea of how much upheaval people in other countries went through for a long period of time. We here in the U.S. have not had other countries like Russia or Germany move in and take over and causing so much horror, deaths, upheavals. WWII did not end for many Europeans like it did for us on V Day. We went back to normal, they didn't. Can't say all I felt from the book on this note, but thank you for writing and sharing it!

—Mary Berg Gage
Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan

I could not put down the book—it reminded me so much of things that I had experienced or at least heard from people who experienced worse than I. I was born in 1934 in Vienna, Austria, and my mother and we three little girls had to flee the Russians with just what we could carry in April of '45. Your book is a great service to history. Very few Americans understand what it meant for regular people (those who were not Jews or otherwise persecuted) to have lived in Germany at that time.

—Diethild Harrington, Westborough, MA

Thank you for writing such a frank, informative, warm and educated book about the war years, the Nazi regime and the heroic part that your family took part in...I celebrate that your family was able to not only survive but to ultimately thrive and to share their gifts in the United States...

—Pam Seed, Gilford, NH 

"I was riveted by the story and the history!"

—Kara J. Lee, Claremont, NH

"Comprehensive and sensitively told."

—Jill Edson, Claremont, NH

"Amazing story—well told and illustrated with incredible photos."

—Sharon Wood, Claremont, NH

"It made the history of World War II really come alive!"

—Kim Keene, Newburyport, MA

I am a German reader who read Flight of Remembrance from the first to the last page in a few days (without an English/German dictionary because the words I didn’t understand became understandable due to the sentences). My wife and I are both WWII kids, and when we discussed certain chapters, tears were running. In the past, when we met Americans in our Baltic Sea home or in the States, we never spoke about WWII. But we changed our opinion since reading this book and we are now recording our own eye-witness experiences from the war. This book is worth buying and reading. You won't regret it!

Manfred and Roswitha Boeddecker, Bavaria, Germany

“What a wonderful story of love and evidence of God's protecting hand upon this family time and time again throughout events in a time of war, but yet with hope for a future. The story was beautifully written with many family photographs to connect the reader...to the Dutzmann's lives. This is a wonderful account of finding love and devoting your life to each other. With much strength and courage this family persevered through the devastation of war, and in God's timing, was able to have the fulfillment of a new beginning.”

—Priscilla L. Huff, Adult Services Librarian, Wakarusa Public Library, Wakarusa, Indiana

“My father...was an officer in the Red Arrow Division of the American Army. He died on March 31, 1945, while fighting in France. I never knew my father, since I was conceived the night before he left to go overseas...Your book opened my mind and soul to the other side, with the grief, hardship, and struggles that the German citizens experienced...Thanks again for writing such a poignant, true story of love and war. I hope to see your book made into a movie soon!”

–Douglas Weber

“The power of family and faith in time of conflict...This is a compelling story of one family's struggle to remain united in the midst of the destruction, terror and persecution that engulfed Europe during WW2. Despite forced separations, physical deprivation, and other seemingly overwhelming obstacles, the Dutzmann family not only survives but does so with dignity and optimism. The story is told through a combination of scholarly research, intimate memories and family artifacts...It is a story which too often goes untold and is lost as the "greatest generation" dies. Ms. Dutzmann has captured the story of her family's experience in a book for future generations.”

–Bob McBroom

“Marina Dutzmann Kirsch presents the big picture of the development of the V2 rocket while not neglecting such childhood memories as the children's book, Der Struwwelpeter...EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS TIME IN WORLD HISTORY. THIS BOOK IS AN EXCELLENT PLACE TO BEGIN!”

–Martha J Pritchard

"Engaging overview of how one family's fascinating history weaves together with a time that became a landmark in human history. Images and story, a pleasure..."

–Phyllis Edgerly-Ring

"Interesting, poignant, and of particular interest to me as a grandchild of German-Americans and a child of a WWII veteran."

–Susan Edwards

“This book is totally involving... the narrative itself just pulls the reader along and the words come vibrantly alive! Written in a superb style of writing that could only have been accomplished through endless research, writing and rewriting plus a great measure of talent, perseverance and dedication. We fell in love with the courageous mother of Lilo--the woman that neither hell nor high water nor Russians nor family could hold back from reaching her goal of helping others and experiencing adventure! The author's riveting writing enables readers to share in the rare and delicious highs and the terribly frightening lows of that time before she was born. Her writing is a wonderful gift of filial piety like few will ever know, and through it, she has unearthed a treasure trove of characters for readers to enjoy.”

–Vivian Bittinger

“I felt so many emotions while reading this astounding book...Marina shares in a very beautiful and loving way, her family's plight. Her style of writing flows, embraces, reveals, and heals. A story like this should be recommended reading in school, so our young people would see life as it was during that dark night of the universal soul.”

–Charlene Potterbaum

Flight of Remembrance is very personally written and researched from diaries of those who suffered through the other side of World War II. It would make a terrific movie. What impressed us the most was the strength and courage of the family who had so few choices available to them at the time...The part of the book that brought us to tears was the number of kind and selfless acts of ordinary people who helped this family survive. It shows clearly that individual efforts of friends and even strangers, while small compared to those events occurring in history, actually do count for so much in the lives of others.”

–Peg McIntosh and Bob Evans

“A valuable read for persons interested in the reality of ordinary citizens in a war zone. Set in Latvia and Germany prior to and during WWll, it is a facinating read for anyone who reads history.”

–Diedrich

“An inspiring love story of a family torn by the vagaries of war. A wonderful love story with a happy ending.”

–Robert Schmidt

"A well written story of two people, whose hopes and dreams, were shattered by the events of WWII. Their will to survive, and love for each other, helped them to survive against overwhelming odds. Once I started reading this book, it was hard to put it down."

–Herb Wedler

“What an amazing story! I can't begin to imagine the amount of time that was spent in writing this story about the Dutzmann and Wassull families before, during, and after World War II. Flight of Remembrance shares common threads with other wartime accounts: doing what was necessary to stay alive, fleeing repeatedly from the Russian army advancing from the east, and searching for loved ones who had become separated from them in late war and post-war years. This truly is a story of love, courage, hope, inspiration, and God's protective hand during desperate times. Stories like this need to be told so that people will never forget what happened during that war.”

–Lois Rearick

“I am so grateful to the author for writing this book! I met the Dutzman family a few years ago and have enjoyed these beautiful people. Being able to read more about their past is a real blessing. I treasure time with them, in the book and in person.”

–Maxine Leiler

“I couldn’t put it down! Not only was I interested in the historical background, but found myself increasingly absorbed by the people, their plight, their courage, their resolve... It was interesting to me that Ernst was such an accomplished person with his work involving Wernher von Braun and the development of rocketry. But also Rolf acquired two degrees, one each in aeronautical engineering and... mechanical engineering, and did so under such difficult circumstances. I don’t very often get emotional about a story, but tears came to my eyes, not once, but twice during the reading of this story. The first time was when Rolf & Lilo were able to get married under very trying times in Nazi Germany, and after having suffered many days and months apart. Then tears again came to my eyes when they got the necessary clearance to immigrate to the United States. This is a very moving story and I would recommend it to anyone interested in that period of the history...during those trying times in Latvia, Poland and Germany in the 1930s and 1940s.”

–Wayne Simpson

“Wonderful book...I thoroughly enjoyed every page! The author was attentive to details as if she had been right there! Fascinating, lively, informative without losing the personal touch... Hard work, thorough research and excellent photos all made this well worth reading. I didn’t want to stop...!”

–Caroline Chaffers

“Beautifully done, amazingly well designed, impressive. BRAVO is all I can say, and congratulations!”

–Jane Bernhardt

“Mesmerizing...I couldn't put it down. This would make such a riveting movie...I will always cherish this book!”

–Donna Nadeau

“Words cannot describe how wonderful this book is. The perspective is so unique and I felt like I was right there. I laughed out loud at times, cried at times, and spent the rest of the time with a furrowed brow, letting myself get pulled in deeper and deeper. I think a lot of people, especially my generation, take so much for granted and this book is a perfect reminder that we should remember to always be thankful to God for what we have. I loved this book so much that instead of just posting about it on Facebook or telling my friends about it I plan on gifting a book to each of them on their birthdays.”

–Dominique DiAndrea

“This book is a compelling and informative chronicle of a family's ordeal throughout the totality of World War II. From the very beginning, the reader senses the adversities that the protagonists Rolf and Lilo are about to face, and it makes the book difficult to put down...The saga would make a riveting and thought provoking film.”

–Gene Ryan

“I am up to Chapter 6 and can't put it down! It is so riveting and the writing and description are so great! As an American with German ancestors, I can feel for...people being torn by war and just trying to stay alive, not to mention figuring out their allegiance to which country, etc. It made me cry at the end when they were embraced by the people who sponsored them in America.”

–Shelley Fardelman

“This incredible memoir is one I have shared with friends and family and suggest you do the same. It captures your imagination and touches your heart. What a gem! Once I started reading this book, I could not put it down. I was engaged in the background, the historical content and of course, the love story and emotional roller coaster ride of the families involved in this period of time during WW II. Kudos to Marina for capturing and sharing this love story with all of us. May there be a sequel!”

–Michelle Ruscito

“This book was so interesting and enjoyable...It really put me in the WWII world in a very personal way.”

–Gail Stopher

“Good insight of the dynamics when good people must choose the lesser evil to stay alive and together.”

–Gayle F. Sargent

“What an amazing story. I can't begin to imagine the amount of time that was spent in writing this story about the Dutzmann and Wassull families before, during, and after World War II. Flight of Remembrance shares common threads with other wartime accounts: doing what was necessary to stay alive, fleeing repeatedly from the Russian army advancing from the east, and searching for loved ones who had become separated from them in late war and post-war years. This truly is a story of love, courage, hope, inspiration, and God's protective hand during desperate times. Stories like this need to be told so that people will never forget what happened during that war.”

–Loves to Read, Fremont, CA

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Marina Dutzmann Kirsch
Kirschstone Books
5 Hudson Drive, Kensington, NH 03833
978-270-3523
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.kirschstonebooks.com

Flight of Remembrance Honored as Award-Winning Finalist
in The 2012 USA Best Book Awards

World War II Memoir from “the other side” receives national book award.

Kensington, NH, November 16, 2012: Flight of Remembrance: A World War II Memoir of Love and Survival, written and published by Marina Dutzmann Kirsch of Kirschstone Books, Kensington, NH, has been announced an award-winning finalist in the “Non-Fiction: Narrative” category of The 2012 USA Best Book Awards sponsored by USA Book News.

Jeffrey Keen, President and CEO of USA Book News, stated that this year’s USA Best Book Awards yielded over 1500 entries from St. Martin’s Press, Harper Collins, Hyperion, McGraw-Hill, and many other mainstream and independent publishers.

Written by the daughter of the protagonists, Flight of Remembrance provides a window into the palpitating heart of wartime upheaval under Hitler and the Nazi regime through the experiences of Rolf, a young Latvian aeronautical engineering student of Baltic German descent who escapes from Latvia to Germany in 1939 before the first Soviet takeover, and Lilo, the young woman he meets in 1940 Berlin. Supported by photographs and authentic letters, the book follows Rolf ’s technical aspirations and involuntary military service amidst dire wartime conditions and alien surroundings, as well as the increasingly desperate circumstances of Lilo during the destruction of Berlin and the dreaded approach of Soviet troops. But Flight of Remembrance is first and foremost a poignant love story that plays out against a panorama of worldwide chaos and destruction. A synchronistic chain of events lends powerful testimony to the potential lying dormant in life’s most terrifying adversities, confirming that love and hope can rise even out of the ashes of catastrophe and ruin.

The book includes a foreword by veteran author and Professor Emeritus of International Relations at Boston University, Dr. Angelo Codevilla, over a hundred World War II era photographs, a map of northern European locations and family journeys, three appendices, a bibliography and an index.

On the brink of her family’s odyssey to the New World in December of 1951, the author, Marina Dutzmann Kirsch, was born into the postwar Old World in Zurich, Switzerland. More than fifty years later, her “Journey of Remembrance” to research, record, and relive the experiences of her family during the tumultuous years of World War II included unearthing facts about her grandfather’s role as chief inspector of V-2 rockets at the top secret installations of Peenemünde and Mittelwerk and completing a “Pilgrimage of Remembrance” to the Mittelbau-Dora Concentration Camp Memorial in Nordhausen, Germany to donate family documents and pay respect to the inmates who died there. She has also re-established ties with Wakarusa—the tiny farming community with a big heart in northern Indiana that sponsored her family to immigrate to the US. The author welcomes all opportunities for book presentations and interviews.

Flight of Remembrance is available in quality softbound and Kindle eBook versions. For more info, a 40-page excerpt, and a downloadable media and press kit, visit the publisher’s website at ww.kirschstonebooks.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Marina Dutzmann Kirsch
Kirschstone Books
5 Hudson Drive, Kensington, NH 03833
978-270-3523
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

www.kirschstonebooks.com

 New World War II Memoir Provides Insight into
Life, Love and Survival under the Nazi Regime

Flight of Remembrance: A World War II Memoir of Love and Survival, written and published
by Marina Dutzmann Kirsch of Kirschstone Books,
relates the story of her family’s flight from Latvia to Germany before the Soviet takeover of 1940 and their experience of World War II tragedy and devastation in Latvia, Poland and Germany, ending in immigration to the USA.

Kensington, NH — As World War II recedes into distant memory, great attention is being rightfully focused on the remaining Allied World War II veterans and their stories. But what of those who served on the other side? For Rolf, the main protagonist of Flight of Remembrance, a young Latvian aeronautical engineering student of Baltic German descent, who was forced out of dire necessity and the threat of execution to flee his homeland in 1939 before the first Soviet takeover, the only nation that would accept him was Nazi Germany. What was it like to take refuge in the Third Reich only to discover that the hoped-for haven was a dictatorship every bit as cruel, heartless and sadistic as the one he escaped? Would he survive the dangerous and turbulent years to come? Would his personal principles and high ideals remain intact? What were the everyday challenges and realities that women faced during and after WWII and what was it like to be at the epicenter of the most devastating conflict of all times in which an estimated 60 million people worldwide lost their lives?

Flight of Remembrance seeks to answer these and other questions by providing a window into the palpitating heart of wartime upheaval under Hitler and the Nazi regime through the lives of Rolf Dutzmann and Lilo Wassull—two people fatefully positioned “on the other side.” While the account chronicles Rolf’s pursuit of his technical dream against daunting wartime odds, it is first and foremost a poignant love story that plays out against a panorama of worldwide chaos and destruction. It is also a story of the seen and unseen forces that coalesce to keep Rolf and Lilo alive after they meet in 1940 Berlin. The subsequent chain of cataclysmic events includes Rolf’s draft into the Luftwaffe and his father’s assignment as chief inspector of V-2 rocket mass-production; the bombing of Berlin; the destruction of their homes; their numerous desperate, cross-country escapes from the bombing, the advancing Soviet troops from the east and other Allied forces from the west; the POW camp hardships; and the deprivation of the postwar years.

Written by the daughter of the protagonists, the book includes a foreword by veteran author and Professor Emeritus of International Relations at Boston University, Dr. Angelo Codevilla, who states, “The Dutzmann family’s story grips me: as a student of war, as someone whose childhood memories are of privation in war-torn Italy, and as a family man grateful for never having had to conjure up morsels of food and lumps of coal day after day, and for never having had to stand in front of officials who held my family’s life in their hands.” The book includes a preface, over a hundred World War II era photographs, a map of northern European locations and family journeys, three appendices, a bibliography and an index.

Despite the immeasurable evil, suffering and desolation of World War II, a synchronistic chain of events lends powerful testimony to the potential lying dormant in life’s most terrifying adversities, as well as an uplifting reminder that even out of the ashes of catastrophe and ruin, love and hope may rise like the proverbial phoenix.

On the brink of her family’s odyssey to the New World in December of 1951, Marina Dutzmann Kirsch was born into the postwar Old World in Zurich, Switzerland. More than fifty years later, her “journey of remembrance” to relive, research and record the experiences of her family during the tumultuous years of World War II included unearthing facts about her grandfather’s role as chief inspector of V-2 rockets at the top secret installations of Peenemünde and Mittelwerk. In September 2011, she made a “pilgrimage of remembrance” to the Mittelbau-Dora Concentration Camp Memorial in Nordhausen, Germany to donate family documents and to pay tribute to the memory of the inmates who perished there. Other documents from the family archives have been donated to the Space History Division of the Smithsonian with more photos and documents to follow in the future. Marina is also reaching across the decades to reconnect with Wakarusa (a Potawatomi Indian word for “knee deep in mud”)—a tiny farming community with a great-big heart in northern Indiana that sponsored her family to immigrate to the US.

Marina is an active volunteer for the Amesbury Friends Peace Center (Quaker) located in Amesbury, Massachusetts and the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center of Amesbury and Newburyport, Massachusetts, an organization that promotes domestic violence prevention and awareness. Graphic designer and author, she resides with her husband in the peaceful, quintessentially New England community of Kensington, New Hampshire. Her parents, Rolf and Lilo, now age 92 and 90, recently celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary, and Rolf, a retired aerospace engineer, still occasionally leads model rocketry programs for local school children.

Flight of Remembrance may be ordered via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or the publisher’s eStore, all of which can be accessed via www.kirschstonebooks.com. The book will be distributed through Ingram as of mid-February. An eBook for Kindle will be available within a few weeks of this release.

Downloadable Media and Press Kit
An electronic press kit is available at the publisher’s website with additional author photos also available. The author welcomes opportunities for interviews, appearances and reviews.

Author: Marina Dutzmann Kirsch
ISBN: 978-0-9835653-4-5
Publication Date: December 16, 2011
Format: Paperback, 7.44 x 9.69,” 358 pages (a Kindle version will be available soon)
List Price: $18.95
Publisher: Kirschstone Books |
www.kirschstonebooks.com

###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Marina Dutzmann Kirsch
Kirschstone Books
5 Hudson Drive, Kensington, NH 03833
978-270-3523
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.kirschstonebooks.com

Flight of Remembrance Honored as Award-Winning Finalist
in The 2012 USA Best Book Awards

World War II Memoir from “the other side” receives national book award.

Kensington, NH, November 16, 2012: Flight of Remembrance: A World War II Memoir of Love and Survival, written and published by Marina Dutzmann Kirsch of Kirschstone Books, Kensington, NH, has been announced an award-winning finalist in the “Non-Fiction: Narrative” category of The 2012 USA Best Book Awards sponsored by USA Book News.

Jeffrey Keen, President and CEO of USA Book News, stated that this year’s USA Best Book Awards yielded over 1500 entries from St. Martin’s Press, Harper Collins, Hyperion, McGraw-Hill, and many other mainstream and independent publishers.

Written by the daughter of the protagonists, Flight of Remembrance provides a window into the palpitating heart of wartime upheaval under Hitler and the Nazi regime through the experiences of Rolf, a young Latvian aeronautical engineering student of Baltic German descent who escapes from Latvia to Germany in 1939 before the first Soviet takeover, and Lilo, the young woman he meets in 1940 Berlin. Supported by photographs and authentic letters, the book follows Rolf ’s technical aspirations and involuntary military service amidst dire wartime conditions and alien surroundings, as well as the increasingly desperate circumstances of Lilo during the destruction of Berlin and the dreaded approach of Soviet troops. But Flight of Remembrance is first and foremost a poignant love story that plays out against a panorama of worldwide chaos and destruction. A synchronistic chain of events lends powerful testimony to the potential lying dormant in life’s most terrifying adversities, confirming that love and hope can rise even out of the ashes of catastrophe and ruin.

The book includes a foreword by veteran author and Professor Emeritus of International Relations at Boston University, Dr. Angelo Codevilla, over a hundred World War II era photographs, a map of northern European locations and family journeys, three appendices, a bibliography and an index.

On the brink of her family’s odyssey to the New World in December of 1951, the author, Marina Dutzmann Kirsch, was born into the postwar Old World in Zurich, Switzerland. More than fifty years later, her “Journey of Remembrance” to research, record, and relive the experiences of her family during the tumultuous years of World War II included unearthing facts about her grandfather’s role as chief inspector of V-2 rockets at the top secret installations of Peenemünde and Mittelwerk and completing a “Pilgrimage of Remembrance” to the Mittelbau-Dora Concentration Camp Memorial in Nordhausen, Germany to donate family documents and pay respect to the inmates who died there. She has also re-established ties with Wakarusa—the tiny farming community with a big heart in northern Indiana that sponsored her family to immigrate to the US. The author welcomes all opportunities for book presentations and interviews.

Flight of Remembrance is available in quality softbound and Kindle eBook versions. For more info, a 40-page excerpt, and a downloadable media and press kit, visit the publisher’s website at ww.kirschstonebooks.com.

###

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE

 

KirschstoneBooks Logo4 6219


 

Flight of Remembrance Book Presentation and Signing

Thursday, October 17, 2013 at 7:30 p.m.

Emma Andrews Library

77 Purchase Street, Newburyport, MA

Signed books will be available for purchase at $18.00 each.

For more info, 978-358-8097 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Everyone is welcome!

 


  

Flight of Remembrance Book Presentation and Signing

Wednesday, September 18, 2013 at 7:00 p.m.

East Kingston Public Library

47 Maplevale Avenue, East Kingston, NH

Signed books will be available for purchase at $18.00 each.

For more info, 603-642-8333 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Everyone is welcome!


  

Flight of Remembrance Book Presentation and Signing

Tuesday, August 13, 2013 at 6:30 p.m.

Gilford Public Library

312 Potter Hill Road, Gilford, NH

Signed books will be available for purchase at $18.00 each.

For more info, contact Betty Tidd at 603-524-6042 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Everyone is welcome!

 

 


 

 

 

Flight of Remembrance Book Presentation and Signing

 

Tuesday, April 30, 2013 at 7:30 p.m.

 

Riverwoods Retirement Community

 

Boulders Hall, 5 Timber Lane, Exeter, NH

 

Signed books will be available for purchase at $18.00 each.

 

For more info, contact Liz Ford at 603-658-3055 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

Open to residents only.

  


  

Flight of Remembrance Book Presentation and Signing

Wednesday, April 17, 2013 at 6:30 p.m.

Durham Public Library, NH

312 Potter Hill Road, Gilford, NH

Signed books will be available for purchase at $18.00 each.

For more info, contact Betty Tidd at 603-524-6042 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Everyone is welcome!

 

 

Flight of Remembrance Book Presentation and Signing

Sunday, April 14, 2013 at 3:00 p.m.

Boylston Schul-Verein

in the Ratskeller,7 County Road (Rt. 109), Walpole, MA 

Signed books will be available for purchase at $18.00 each.

For more info508-660-2018 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

All are Welcome. Donation requested.

 


  

Flight of Remembrance Book Presentation and Signing

Saturday, April 13, 2013 at 6:00 p.m.

Zion Lutheran Church

235 Pond Hill Road, Wallingford, CT 

Books will be available for purchase at $18.00 each.

For more info: 203-269-6847 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Everyone is welcome!

 


  

Flight of Remembrance Book Presentation and Signing

Saturday, April 13, 2013 at 2:00 p.m.

Durham Public Library, CT

7 Maple Ave, Durham, CT

Signed books will be available for purchase at $18.00 each.

For more info, 860-349-9544 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Everyone is welcome!

  


 

Flight of Remembrance Book Presentation and Signing

Friday, April 12, 2013 at 2:00 p.m.

St. John Lutheran Church

520 Paddock Ave, Meriden, CT

Books will be available for purchase at $18.00 each.

For more info: 203-238-2331 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Everyone is welcome!

   


 

Flight of Remembrance Book Presentation and Signing

Wednesday, February 27, 2013 at 7:00 p.m.

The Hampton Falls Free Library

7 Drinkwater Road, Hampton Falls, NH

Books will be available for purchase at $18.00 each.

For more info: 603-926-3682 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Everyone is welcome!

 


 

Flight of Remembrance Book Presentation and Signing

On Veteran's Day
Sunday, November 11, 2012 at 2:00 p.m.

The Goethe Society Boston

At the Goethe Institut, Beacon Street, Boston

Books will be available for purchase at $16.00 each. 

This event is for members only.

 


 

Flight of Remembrance Book Talk
South Hampton, New Hampshire

Thursday, October 11, 2012 at 10:15 a.m.

South Hampton Public Library

Author of Recently Released World War II Memoir Provides
Insight into Life, Love and Survival under the Nazi Regime

The South Hampton Library in South Hampton, New Hampshire will host a book talk by author, Marina Dutzmann Kirsch, whose recently published book, Flight of Remembrance: A World War II Memoir of Love and Survival, is the true story of her family's experiences against the backdrop of World War II tragedy and disaster in Latvia, Poland and Germany across three decades of European history. The author will address a number of topics such as: why a World War II book about German people and why now, what inspired her to write the book, and what some of the special considerations were that went into researching and recording her family's story. The South Hampton Public Library is located at 3 Hilldale Ave, South Hampton, NH. Books will be available for purchase at $16.00 each.

Everyone is welcome!

Click here to go to a downloadable press kit that includes book cover,
author photo and bio and a general book announcement press release.

 


  

Flight of Remembrance Book Presentation and Signing
Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Tuesday, July 17, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.

RiverRun Bookstore

Author of Recently Released World War II Memoir Provides
Insight into Life, Love and Survival under the Nazi Regime

RiverRun Bookstore in Portsmouth, New Hampshire will host a book presentation and signing by Marina Dutzmann Kirsch, the author of Flight of Remembrance: A World War II Memoir of Love and Survival, the true story of her family's experiences against the backdrop of World War II tragedy and disaster in Latvia, Poland and Germany and spanning three decades of European history. The author will address a number of topics such as: why a World War II book about German people and why now, what inspired her to write the book, and what some of the special considerations were that went into researching and recording her family's story. The event will take place on Tuesday, July 17, 2012 at 7:00 p.m at RiverRun Bookstore located at 142 Fleet Street in Portsmouth, NH. Books will be available for purchase at $18.95 each.

Everyone is welcome!

Click here to go to a downloadable press kit that includes book cover,
author photo and bio and a general book announcement press release.

 


 

Flight of Remembrance Book Presentation and Signing
Dover, New Hampshire

Tuesday, July 10, 2012 at 3:00 p.m.

Langdon Place of Dover

Author of recently released World War II memoir provides insight
into her family's life under the Nazi regime. She will be accompanied
by her parents who were present in Germany during World War II.

Langdon Place of Dover, New Hampshire will host a book presentation and signing by Marina Dutzmann Kirsch, the author of Flight of Remembrance: A World War II Memoir of Love and Survival, the true story of her family's experiences against the backdrop of World War II tragedy and disaster in Latvia, Poland and Germany and spanning three decades of European history. The author will address a number of topics such as: why a World War II book about German people and why now, what inspired her to write the book, and what some of the special considerations were that went into researching and recording her family's story. Her parents, Rolf and Lilo, the main protagonists of the book will be present to answer questions. The event will take place on Tuesday, July 10, 2012 at 3:00 p.m in the parlor of Langdon Place of Dover located at 60 Middle Street in Dover, NH. Books will be available for purchase at $16.00 each. Cash and checks accepted.

Free event. Everyone is welcome!

Click here to go to a downloadable press kit that includes book cover,
author photo and bio and a general book announcement press release.


 

Flight of Remembrance Book Presentation and Signing
Manchester, New Hampshire

Sunday, May 13, 2012 at 10:00 a.m.

Immanuel Lutheran Church

Author of Recently Released World War II Memoir Provides
Insight into Life, Love and Survival under the Nazi Regime

Immanuel Lutheran Church in Manchester, New Hampshire is pleased to announce that it will host a book presentation and signing by Marina Dutzmann Kirsch, the author of Flight of Remembrance: A World War II Memoir of Love and Survival, the true story of her family's experiences against the backdrop of World War II tragedy and disaster in Latvia, Poland and Germany and spanning three decades of European history. The author will address a number of topics such as: why a World War II book about German people and why now, what inspired her to write the book, and what some of the special considerations were that went into researching and recording her family's story. The event will take place on Sunday, May 13, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. at Immanuel Lutheran Church located at 673 Weston Road in Manchester, NH. Books will be available for purchase at $16.00 each.

Free admission includes refreshments. Everyone is welcome.

Click here to go to a downloadable press kit that includes book cover,
author photo and bio and a general book announcement press release.


 

Flight of Remembrance Book Presentation and Signing
Frankenmuth, Michigan

Saturday, April 21, 2012 at 2:00 p.m.

St. Lorenz Lutheran Church
(Near the church offices at St. Lorenz Lutheran School)

Author of Recently Released World War II Memoir Provides
Insight into Life, Love and Survival under the Nazi Regime

St. Lorenz Lutheran Church in Frankenmuth, Michigan is pleased to announce that it will host a book presentation and signing by Marina Dutzmann Kirsch, the author of Flight of Remembrance: A World War II Memoir of Love and Survival, the true story of her family's experiences against the backdrop of World War II tragedy and disaster in Latvia, Poland and Germany and spanning three decades of European history. The author will address a number of topics such as: why a World War II book about German people and why now, what inspired her to write the book, and what some of the special considerations were that went into researching and recording her family's story. The event will take place on Saturday, April 21, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. in the Adult Ed rooms near the church offices at St. Lorenz School located at 140 Churchgrove Road in Frankenmuth, Michigan. Books will be available for purchase at $16.00 each.

Free admission. Everyone is welcome!

Click here to go to a downloadable press kit that includes book cover,
author photo and bio, and a general book announcement press release.


 

Flight of Remembrance Book Presentation and Signing
Utica, Michigan

Friday, April 20, 2012 at 2:00 p.m.

Trinity Lutheran Church

Author of Recently Released World War II Memoir Provides
Insight into Life, Love and Survival under the Nazi Regime

Trinity Lutheran Church in Utica, Michigan is pleased to announce that it will host a book presentation and signing by Marina Dutzmann Kirsch, the author of Flight of Remembrance: A World War II Memoir of Love and Survival, the true story of her family's experiences against the backdrop of World War II tragedy and disaster in Latvia, Poland and Germany and spanning three decades of European history. The author will address a number of topics such as: why a World War II book about German people and why now, what inspired her to write the book, and what some of the special considerations were that went into researching and recording her family's story. The event will take place on Sunday, January 29 at 12:30 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church located at 45160 Van Dyke Avenue (at the corner of Van Dyke Avenue and Hall Road) in Utica, MI. Books will be available for purchase at $16.00 each.

Free admission. Everyone is welcome.

Click here to go to a downloadable press kit that includes book cover,
author photo and bio and a general book announcement press release.


 

Flight of Remembrance Book Presentation and Signing
Wakarusa, Indiana

Thursday, April 19, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.

The Biblical Church of Acts
(former Wakarusa Church of the Brethren)

In commemoration of Holocaust Remembrance Day, the friends of the Wakarusa Public Library are pleased to host a presentation and book signing by Marina Kirsch, the author of Flight of Remembrance: A World War II Memoir of Love and Survival. The book is dedicated not only to her parents for their attitude of "love, hope and optimism amidst adversity," but also to the town of Wakarusa, Indiana, "a small town with a big heart," that sponsored her family to immigrate to the US in 1951. Flight of Remembrance is the true story of her family's experience of World War II tragedy and devastation in Latvia, Poland, and Germany during the most tumultuous decades of the 20th century. The author will address many topics including the extent of the family's wartime and postwar awareness of what came to be known as the Holocaust, the special considerations that went into researching and writing the book, and her family's special memories of their years in Wakarusa accompanied by photographs from the early 1950s. Books will be available for purchase at $16.00 each. The Biblical Church of Acts is located at 210 Union St. in Wakarusa, Indiana.

Free admission includes light refreshments. Everyone is welcome.

Click here to go to a downloadable press kit that includes book cover,
author photo and bio and a general book announcement press release.

 


 

Flight of Remembrance Book Presentation and Signing
Kensington, New Hampshire

Tuesday, April 17, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.

Kensington Public Library

Author of Recently Released World War II Memoir Provides
Insight into Life, Love and Survival under the Nazi Regime

The Kensington Public Library will host a presentation and book signing by Marina Kirsch, the author of Flight of Remembrance: A World War II Memoir of Love and Survival, the true story of her family’s flight from Latvia to Germany before the Soviet takeover of 1940 and their experience of World War II tragedy and devastation in Latvia, Poland and Germany during the most tumultuous decades of the 20th century, ending in immigration to the USA. The author will address a number of topics such as: why a World War II book about German people and why now, what inspired her to write the book, and what some of the special considerations were  that went into researching and recording her family's story. The Kensington Public Library is located at 123 Amesbury Road (Route 150) in Kensington, NH. Books will be available for purchase at $16.00 each.

Free admission. Everyone is welcome.

Click here to go to a downloadable press kit that includes book cover,
author photo and bio and a general book announcement press release.


 

Flight of Remembrance Book Presentation and Signing
Boston, Massachusetts

Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 12:30 p.m.

First Lutheran Church of Boston

Author of Recently Released World War II Memoir Provides
Insight into Life, Love and Survival under the Nazi Regime


The First Lutheran Church of Boston is pleased to announce that it will host a book presentation and signing by Marina Dutzmann Kirsch, the author of Flight of Remembrance: A World War II Memoir of Love and Survival, the true story of her family's experiences against the backdrop of World War II tragedy and disaster in Latvia, Poland and Germany and spanning three decades of European history. The author will address a number of topics such as: why a World War II book about German people and why now, what inspired her to write the book, and some of the special considerations that went into researching and recording her family's story. The event will take place on Sunday, January 29 at 12:30 p.m. at the First Luthean Church of Boston located at 299 Berkeley Street (at the corner of Berkeley and Marlboro Streets in the Back Bay). Books will be available for purchase.

Free admission includes refreshments. Everyone is welcome.

Click here for a press release for this event.

Click here to go to a downloadable press kit that includes book cover,
author photo and bio and a general book announcement press release.