The Engineers

Through the darkness of the A Jewish family’s incredible survival storyA memoir 80 years in the making

How did two Polish-Jewish engineers defy the horrors of the Holocaust? Henry Reiss meticulously describes their decisions and their journey as the threats shifted with the progress of war.

From the depths of discrimination in prewar Poland to the heart-wrenching choices made under Soviet and then German occupation, a world of fear, disguise, and unwavering determination in the face of danger is revealed. Their survival depended upon them engineering their own salvation. Henry’s memoir reveals how Hitler’s genocide was ignored or sometimes even facilitated because of local fear, hate, jealousy, or necessity. The relationships between Ukrainians, Poles, Jews and Russians in Galicia were clearly complex then and remain so now.

Yet amidst this darkness, Henry’s appreciation for the beauty of nature and the human spirit shines through. With his gift for description, he effortlessly paints a tapestry of surroundings and emotions. The Engineers is an immersive, exciting and deeply resonant memoir.