Max's War

As the Nazis sweep across Europe, Jewish teen Max and his parents flee German persecution to Holland, where Max finds true friends and a life-altering romance.

But when Hitler invades, Max escapes to Chicago, leaving his parents and friends behind. When he learns of his parents' deportation and murder, Max immediately enlists in the US Army.

After basic training he is sent to Camp Ritchie, Maryland, where he is trained in interrogation and counterintelligence.

Deployed to the OSS, Max carries out dangerous missions behind enemy lines. He also interrogates scores of German POWs, especially during D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge, where, despite life-threatening conditions, he elicits critical information about German troop movements.

Post-war, he works for the Americans in the German De-nazification program, bringing him back to his Bavarian childhood home of Regensburg. Though the city avoided large-scale destruction, the Jewish community has been decimated.

Filled with sadness, Max roams familiar yet strange streets, replaying memories of lives lost to unspeakable tragedy. He doubts he can ever forgive the Germans. While in Regensburg, however, he reunites with someone from his past, who, like him, sought refuge abroad. Can they learn to forgive and rebuild their lives together?

This epic story about a Ritchie Boy is Libby Hellmann’s tribute to her late father-in-law who was active with the OSS and interrogated dozens of German POWs.