Thrown Upon the World
From the minds of George and Charles Kolber, Thrown Upon the World recounts the tumultuous true story of two families whose lives intersect in World War II Shanghai.
In 1938, the Kolbers, affluent Viennese Jews, fled their country after its annexation by the Nazis for Shanghai, one of the few places in the world that accepted Jews. Meanwhile, the Japanese invasion upended the lives of the politically powerful Gan Chen family. Abandoning their estate in Zhenru, they also sought refuge in Shanghai.
Now in China, Walter Kolber, a handsome violinist, soon meets the beautiful Chao Chen, a gifted pianist, at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. After a forbidden romance blossomed, Chao Chen discovered her pregnancy, and the lovers married in secret. With their newborn son, they left Shanghai in 1946 for a Displaced Persons Camp in Linz, Austria. As Chao Chen grappled with language and cultural barriers, the family experiences poverty, racism, and mental anguish. Walter abandons Chao Chen, taking three sons (including George and Charles) to the United States, quickly giving them up to foster care.
Interweaving historical events, archival material, and personal interviews, Thrown Upon the World reads like a novel. Available in hardcover and paperback through Archway Publishing, a division of Simon & Schuster.
Article in New Jersey Jewish News.
Radio Interview on Joan Hamburg radio show with George and Charles Kolber
“An incredible and simply fascinating account, Thrown Upon the World: A True Story is one of those real-life tales the stuff of which blockbuster television miniseries are made. A simply riveting and memorable read from beginning to end, Thrown Upon the World will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community and academic library collections.”
– From Midwest Literary Review
Available on Amazon.