My heartfelt thanks to my cadre of readers and their invaluable advice: Cindy Pogrund, David Pogrund, Linda Waldman, Richard Templer, Richard Reeder and Benjamin Balson. And, as always, my deepest gratitude to my patient and tireless wife, Monica, who reads each and every page as they come out of the printer. She has read and edited the story a thousand times and has always stayed positive and encouraging. I’m a fortunate man.
ALSO BY RONALD H. BALSON
The Girl from Berlin
The Trust
Karolina’s Twins
Saving Sophie
Once We Were Brothers
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
RONALD H. BALSON is an attorney, a professor, and a writer. His novel The Girl from Berlin won the National Jewish Book Award and was the Illinois Reading Council’s adult fiction selection for the Illinois Reads program. He is also the author of Karolina’s Twins, The Trust, Saving Sophie, and the international bestseller Once We Were Brothers. He lives in Chicago. You can sign up for email updates here.
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Epigraph
Part I
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four: Lublin
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen: Föhrenwald
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Part II
Chapter Twenty-Six: Albany Park
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Part III
Chapter Thirty-Seven: Lublin
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two: Föhrenwald
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five: Albany Park
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Eight: Lublin
Chapter Forty-Nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-One
Chapter Fifty-Two
Chapter Fifty-Three
Chapter Fifty-Four
Chapter Fifty-Five
Chapter Fifty-Six: Föhrenwald
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Chapter Fifty-Nine: Albany Park
Chapter Sixty
Chapter Sixty-One
Chapter Sixty-Two: Föhrenwald
Chapter Sixty-Three
Chapter Sixty-Four
Chapter Sixty-Five: Albany Park
Chapter Sixty-Six
Chapter Sixty-Seven: Föhrenwald
Chapter Sixty-Eight
Chapter Sixty-Nine: Albany Park
Chapter Seventy
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Also by Ronald H. Balson
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
First published in the United States by St. Martin’s Press, an imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group
ELI’S PROMISE. Copyright © 2020 by Ronald H. Balson. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Publishing Group, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271.
Cover design by Michael Storrings
Cover photograph of family © LeeAvison/Trevillion Images
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-1-250-27146-4 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-250-27147-1 (ebook)
eISBN 9781250271471
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First Edition: 2020