About the Author

Michael Kesler, with a doctorate in chemical engineering, worked over fifty years in the petroleum industry. Since his retirement in 2006, due to glaucoma-induced loss of vision, he has focused his work on his World War II experiences. His notable Shards of War appeared on the list of bestselling eBooks in Europe for several months. Since then, he has lectured and presented annual events to raise public awareness of East European Jewish civilization before the Holocaust.

Reviews

Throughout the ordeal, Michael Kesler seems to have made all the right choices. Yet as his compelling memoir shows, even the best choices were often accompanied by a deep sense of shame and guilt."- From the Foreword by Professor Glenn Dynner, Sarah Lawrence College

"This moving memoir, beautifully told, recounts the author's return – physical and spiritual – from the hell of war and genocide to a life resurrected and remade. It is also an important reminder of the fate of over 200,000 Jews who fled to the Soviet Union during the war, as well as of their difficult, often harrowing way back."- Omer Bartov, John P. Birkelund Distinguished Professor of European History, Brown University

"I was really taken with many portions of this book that were extraordinarily affecting emotionally. I think specifically of the author's return to Dubno at the end of the war and seeing the destruction of the Jewish community and the fate of his parents. What also impressed me were the successful life experiences of the Holocaust survivors in the US, Michael Kesler's especially."- Manus Midlarsky, Moses & Annuta Back Professor of International Peace and Conflict Resolution, Rutgers University

"This book provides a poignant account of Michael Kesler's survival, perseverance, and pursuit of a brighter future as Word War II ended in Europe and the early years of its aftermath. Historical commentaries provide insightful contexts for the story Michael Kesler tells."- Ted Kesler, Ed.D., Associate Professor, Queens College, CUNY