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Counting on America: A Holocaust Memoir of Terror, Chutzpah, Romance and Escape
Counting on America, an uplifting Holocaust memoir, illustrates the escalation of anti-Semitism following Germany's annexation of Austria in 1938 (the Anschluss); and the obstacles Jewish refugees faced trying to reach the shores of America. In response to the Nazi invasion, newlyweds Kurt and Hennie Reiner flee Vienna. Their urgency to find safe haven accelerates when Kurt is imprisoned in Dachau. He is released but threatened with certain arrest unless he can find a legal way out of Germany. As the couple scramble to obtain visas, they are conscripted for work at Fischamend, an SS monitored farm labor camp. Next, their arduous escape path leads them to Marseille. After France declares war on Germany, Kurt is arrested as a "foreign enemy" and interned in a French prison. When their plan to emigrate to the United States is again thwarted, chutzpah, divine intervention, and their romantic commitment deliver salvation.
Counting on America is especially unique because many of the dramatic events are corroborated with the presentation of scarce and personal documents Kurt Reiner hand-carried from Europe. Told in the first-person, the reader is taken on a journey that allows them to emotionally experience the narrative. Historical context interspersed throughout the story sheds light on the of evolution and implementation of hatred toward Jews during that dark period. While advancing your perspective of the Holocaust, this true story will keep you at the edge of your seat. Ideal for leisurely reading and/or use in classrooms and other academic settings.
Counting on America is especially unique because many of the dramatic events are corroborated with the presentation of scarce and personal documents Kurt Reiner hand-carried from Europe. Told in the first-person, the reader is taken on a journey that allows them to emotionally experience the narrative. Historical context interspersed throughout the story sheds light on the of evolution and implementation of hatred toward Jews during that dark period. While advancing your perspective of the Holocaust, this true story will keep you at the edge of your seat. Ideal for leisurely reading and/or use in classrooms and other academic settings.
282 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 28, 2018
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December 30, 2019Counting on America: A Holocaust Memoir of Terror, Chutzpah, Romance and Escape
By Kurt Reiner and Gary Reiner
Authors Place Press (July 18, 2018)
ISBN-10: 1628654910
ISBN-13: 978-1628654912
278 pages
Jewish Holocaust History, Memoir
Sometimes, we find a memoir that reads like a novel. It captures your imagination, leaving behind a trail of powerful emotions, poignant characters and unforgettable scenes. And sometimes a story is so dramatic and powerful that it simply must be told.
Counting on America is an evocative tale of love, family, prejudice, brutality and redemption. The story begins on Kristallnacht, November 9th – 10th, 1938; the beginning of Hitler’s Final Solution for the Jews of Europe. It ends after the author and his wife are safely established in America, a few years later. In between lies an amazing tale of lies fear, dread and terror.
Forced to flee Vienna by Nazi oppression and the vast incarceration of Jews, Kurt Reiner and his wife, Hennie, are trapped within Nazi-occupied Europe. Lacking visas and foreign sponsors, it seems inevitable that they will be sent to a Nazi concentration camp and eventually, to a Nazi death camp.
Much of this memoir takes place in Dachau, where Kurt faces Nazi brutality, starvation, sickness and death every day. His descriptions are detailed, leaving the reader breathless and bereft of hope. Here, in Dachau, we discover the depths of human depravity. Still, Kurt never gives up, even when his survival seems impossible.
After many months of struggle, Hennie’s effort to convince the Gestapo that Kurt is innocent encounters some good luck. For no apparent reason, other than Hennie’s chutzpah, a Gestapo officer decides to help them. Kurt is allowed to leave Dachau, with the admonition that he and Hennie leave the country within 72 hours. The Gestapo believes that visa arrangements have been completed to allow them to enter Argentina, in the guardianship of a remote relative. But those arrangements were never completed – and some of the documents are forged.
After lying to the Gestapo using false documents, Kurt and Hennie must find their own way out of Europe, confronted with near-certain death on many occasions. When all seems lost, they encounter a Greek woman with contacts in the United States. One such American contact, who has no idea who Kurt and Hennie are, has the potential to sponsor them. Will the scheme work?
The authors, Kurt and his son Gary, provide a refreshing clarity of mind and purpose. Rather than embellish the experience with flowery prose, as is often the case with a novice author or memoir writer, the authors retell the life of Kurt Reiner with straightforward reality. Grounded by a profoundly accurate memory, the book is well-edited and entirely readable. The addition of many pictures gives the reader a deeper sense of perception and vicarious participation.
Starvation, sickness and death are a constant companion. Yet Kurt and Hennie, who have lost everything and fear losing everyone they love, manage to chronicle their passage through the persecution and cruelty of Nazi Germany. Their crime was their faith. That Kurt’s memory is powerful enough to give us this chronicle is miraculous.
Charles S. Weinblatt was born in Toledo, Ohio in 1952. He is a retired university administrator. Mr. Weinblatt is the author of traditionally published fiction and nonfiction, including the popular novel, Jacob's Courage: A Holocaust Love Story. His biography appears in Academic Wikipedia and the Marquis Who's Who in America. Mr. Weinblatt is a contributing journalist for The Examiner and a prolific reviewer for New York Journal of Books. He writes novels and short stories and has had many published articles.
By Kurt Reiner and Gary Reiner
Authors Place Press (July 18, 2018)
ISBN-10: 1628654910
ISBN-13: 978-1628654912
278 pages
Jewish Holocaust History, Memoir
Sometimes, we find a memoir that reads like a novel. It captures your imagination, leaving behind a trail of powerful emotions, poignant characters and unforgettable scenes. And sometimes a story is so dramatic and powerful that it simply must be told.
Counting on America is an evocative tale of love, family, prejudice, brutality and redemption. The story begins on Kristallnacht, November 9th – 10th, 1938; the beginning of Hitler’s Final Solution for the Jews of Europe. It ends after the author and his wife are safely established in America, a few years later. In between lies an amazing tale of lies fear, dread and terror.
Forced to flee Vienna by Nazi oppression and the vast incarceration of Jews, Kurt Reiner and his wife, Hennie, are trapped within Nazi-occupied Europe. Lacking visas and foreign sponsors, it seems inevitable that they will be sent to a Nazi concentration camp and eventually, to a Nazi death camp.
Much of this memoir takes place in Dachau, where Kurt faces Nazi brutality, starvation, sickness and death every day. His descriptions are detailed, leaving the reader breathless and bereft of hope. Here, in Dachau, we discover the depths of human depravity. Still, Kurt never gives up, even when his survival seems impossible.
After many months of struggle, Hennie’s effort to convince the Gestapo that Kurt is innocent encounters some good luck. For no apparent reason, other than Hennie’s chutzpah, a Gestapo officer decides to help them. Kurt is allowed to leave Dachau, with the admonition that he and Hennie leave the country within 72 hours. The Gestapo believes that visa arrangements have been completed to allow them to enter Argentina, in the guardianship of a remote relative. But those arrangements were never completed – and some of the documents are forged.
After lying to the Gestapo using false documents, Kurt and Hennie must find their own way out of Europe, confronted with near-certain death on many occasions. When all seems lost, they encounter a Greek woman with contacts in the United States. One such American contact, who has no idea who Kurt and Hennie are, has the potential to sponsor them. Will the scheme work?
The authors, Kurt and his son Gary, provide a refreshing clarity of mind and purpose. Rather than embellish the experience with flowery prose, as is often the case with a novice author or memoir writer, the authors retell the life of Kurt Reiner with straightforward reality. Grounded by a profoundly accurate memory, the book is well-edited and entirely readable. The addition of many pictures gives the reader a deeper sense of perception and vicarious participation.
Starvation, sickness and death are a constant companion. Yet Kurt and Hennie, who have lost everything and fear losing everyone they love, manage to chronicle their passage through the persecution and cruelty of Nazi Germany. Their crime was their faith. That Kurt’s memory is powerful enough to give us this chronicle is miraculous.
Charles S. Weinblatt was born in Toledo, Ohio in 1952. He is a retired university administrator. Mr. Weinblatt is the author of traditionally published fiction and nonfiction, including the popular novel, Jacob's Courage: A Holocaust Love Story. His biography appears in Academic Wikipedia and the Marquis Who's Who in America. Mr. Weinblatt is a contributing journalist for The Examiner and a prolific reviewer for New York Journal of Books. He writes novels and short stories and has had many published articles.
January 27, 2019
Counting on America: A Holocaust Memoir of terror, Chutzpah, Romance, and Escape; The True Story of Kurt and Hennie Reiner is by Gary Reiner and Kurt Reiner. This memoir was told to Gary Reiner by his father, Kurt. Together, they relived the terror and horrors of Gary’s parents’ escape from Nazi Germany. Remarkably, Kurt had a collection of memorabilia with which to back up his stories. Their path to freedom is filled with people, mostly strangers, who helped them on their way. Many of these people have been recognized for their helping other through the Italian authorities, the US State Department, and Yad Vashem. Still others remain unrecognized except by Hennie and Kurt. This book was written to be used in classes as a text for class discussion. It shows the importance of America to refugees from all over the world. It is easy to read and follow; but on Kindle, it skips over pages and it is difficult to get to specific chapters. I tried it on several Kindle products and fount the same problems. That made it difficult to follow at times.
The book takes Kurt from his home in Vienna with his wife, Hennie to the confines of Dachau after Kristallnacht. He had been picked up on November 10 as he went from his home to the homes of his parents and Hennie’s to check on them. Instead, he found himself in the hands of the SS in the brutal camp. Through the efforts of his wife, Hennie, and her ability to find someone to falsify some papers and her courage to face the Gestapo and lie to them, he was finally released and given seventy-two hours to leave Germany. Leaving meant leaving his parents and hers behind; but they had no choice. Being unable to get a visa to any country, they were smuggled into Italy where they could temporarily stay for two months. Eventually, they found themselves in the US. No part of their journey would have been possible except for people being willing to help those in need, even at the risk of their own lives. Kurt makes his gratitude to these people known. He took nothing for granted.
The book gives the reader a brief introduction into the brutality of Dachau and how it affected the men who were incarcerated here at the beginning of the war. It shows how people were willing to give everything to help others if it meant their freedom. It shows how people were willing to give everything to thwart the Nazis. Although there are a few grammatical mistakes, they do not interfere with the flow of the story. The book is well worth reading and it gives a very good introduction to World War II.
The book takes Kurt from his home in Vienna with his wife, Hennie to the confines of Dachau after Kristallnacht. He had been picked up on November 10 as he went from his home to the homes of his parents and Hennie’s to check on them. Instead, he found himself in the hands of the SS in the brutal camp. Through the efforts of his wife, Hennie, and her ability to find someone to falsify some papers and her courage to face the Gestapo and lie to them, he was finally released and given seventy-two hours to leave Germany. Leaving meant leaving his parents and hers behind; but they had no choice. Being unable to get a visa to any country, they were smuggled into Italy where they could temporarily stay for two months. Eventually, they found themselves in the US. No part of their journey would have been possible except for people being willing to help those in need, even at the risk of their own lives. Kurt makes his gratitude to these people known. He took nothing for granted.
The book gives the reader a brief introduction into the brutality of Dachau and how it affected the men who were incarcerated here at the beginning of the war. It shows how people were willing to give everything to help others if it meant their freedom. It shows how people were willing to give everything to thwart the Nazis. Although there are a few grammatical mistakes, they do not interfere with the flow of the story. The book is well worth reading and it gives a very good introduction to World War II.
February 13, 2019
How to escape the Nazis?
Why did German (and Austrian) Jews not just emigrate to escape their terrible fates? Kurt and Gary Reiner's thrilling memoir gives us a very clear and detailed answer. From the extreme difficulties Kurt and his wife Hennie had to get through we absolutely understand why so many millions finally were caught and slaughtered. Thanks to very precise and detailed memories, illustrated by many photographs and personal documents, the reader gets a vivid and exact picture of the whole adventure, driven by mutual love, an incredible will to survive, high cleverness, audacity, and many occurrences of luck and happy encounters. It is easy to identify oneself with the characters because the feelings and thoughts are so honestly shared, with a tasteful touch of dry humor.
Based on Kurt's notes and conversations, his son Gary has turned the story into very good English. The book is well-constructed and -presented. To my taste, there are merely two aspects that were over-developed, to some extent: the patriotic praise of the United States and the final historical overview of the Holocaust. The latter already has been abundantly documented elsewhere and could have been replaced with a list of references to other sources of information. The good historical background delivered all along the narration would have been enough.
Nonetheless, this is a pleasant and highly interesting book I absolutely recommend.
Why did German (and Austrian) Jews not just emigrate to escape their terrible fates? Kurt and Gary Reiner's thrilling memoir gives us a very clear and detailed answer. From the extreme difficulties Kurt and his wife Hennie had to get through we absolutely understand why so many millions finally were caught and slaughtered. Thanks to very precise and detailed memories, illustrated by many photographs and personal documents, the reader gets a vivid and exact picture of the whole adventure, driven by mutual love, an incredible will to survive, high cleverness, audacity, and many occurrences of luck and happy encounters. It is easy to identify oneself with the characters because the feelings and thoughts are so honestly shared, with a tasteful touch of dry humor.
Based on Kurt's notes and conversations, his son Gary has turned the story into very good English. The book is well-constructed and -presented. To my taste, there are merely two aspects that were over-developed, to some extent: the patriotic praise of the United States and the final historical overview of the Holocaust. The latter already has been abundantly documented elsewhere and could have been replaced with a list of references to other sources of information. The good historical background delivered all along the narration would have been enough.
Nonetheless, this is a pleasant and highly interesting book I absolutely recommend.
July 13, 2025
I so wish all people could read this book. Wow. This couple had so much perseverance. And luck. I am sad for them though. They lost their young married life to evil. Well written. I haven’t read any book with so many documents ! Love seeing the real thing from that time period! Bless their families.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews