Rita Teper Schwartz was just 10 years old when Hitler's Nazi troops marched into her hometown of Vienna, Austria. Immediately, her life changed and this young girl repeatedly found herself confronting adult, life-threatening situations. The story of her family's escape from the Nazis' murderous clutches has more twist and turns than a modern-day soap opera. This narrative describes her harrowing journey smuggling across the Belgian border, where her family's 18-month wait for papers to immigrate to the United States ended just as Hitler was to invade Belgium. This book not only talks about Rita Teper Schwartz's immediate family, but discusses her extended family as well. Some traveled to safety to the United States, while the Nazis murdered others, and one managed to survive internment in two concentration camps. Pictures and a family tree of her extended family are included, as well as government issued documents: such as a work permit, passport, several identification cards, a U. S. immigration identification card and citizenship papers. This book is not only a glimpse of one family's terror and suffering inflicted by the cruelty of Nazi oppression, but is also an inspiring story of escape and survival.About the Author: Sidney Schwartz earned a Bachelor's degree in history from the University of Bridgeport, and a Master's degree in educational media from Boston University. He currently resides in northern New Jersey, and is a retired middle school history teacher and school librarian. 
 Rita Teper Schwartz was born in Vienna, Austria, and experienced the anti-Semitic repercussions when Hitler annexed Austria. This book relates her powerful experiences in leaving Europe and emigrating to the United States. She eventually married her husband, Harry Schwartz, and helped operate a chicken farm, for many years. She also worked in a cosmetic factory, and became a bookkeeper. Now that she has retired, she does volunteer work at a synagogue and a library.