Maria asked Georgia Hunter:

Like others, I too went hunting for more info. about the people who inspired this story. I was saddened to learn that Genek died so young. I wondered about the long term impact of the trauma your family endured during the war and holocaust survivors in general. I also wondered whether it hastened Genek’s death or that of other family members following the war. Could you speak to this?

Georgia Hunter Dear Maria,

Thanks for your thoughtful question. Genek's death was not directly related to his wartime experiences, although we can't know for sure whether the conditions and lack of medical attention during those years had an indirect effect on his health. And in general, the family was so focused on building their new lives after the war that impact from their wartime experiences was not evident. They certainly had painful memories, but somehow managed to maintain positive attitudes for their fresh starts far away from the battlegrounds and killing fields.

In case you haven't seen it, there's a little more background about the family members, as well as my research, on my website (georgiahunterauthor.com), which you can search by name, if you are interested!

Warmly,
Georgia

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