Although writing can at times be a lonely process, it is not possible to complete a book alone. I am therefore grateful for having so many people in my life who were present during the writing of this book.
Many thanks to the archivists at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC, and at the National Archives and Records Administration in College Park, Maryland. Thanks to Simon Hessdorfer of the Bundesarchiv in Bayreuth, Germany, for answering my questions from afar. Thanks to Wendy Gulley, curator at the Submarine Force Museum in New London, Connecticut. Many thanks to Marco Hedler for his valuable research assistance and to Edward Petruskevich, curator of the online Wilhelm Gustloff Museum. Thanks are also due to the many librarians and professors who pointed me in the right direction when it came to tracking down bits and pieces of history.
I am incredibly grateful to Jill D. Swenson and the entire team at Swenson Book Development. Jill, thank you for helping develop the initial book proposal, for helping me shepherd it through the writing process, and most of all, for your friendship and advice.
My deep thanks to my editor at Palgrave Macmillan, Luba Ostashevsky, for recognizing the importance of this story and giving it a home. Your insightful edits helped drive the narrative of this story and kept it on track. I’d like to also recognize Laura Lancaster and the entire team at Palgrave Macmillan, including Andrew Varhol, Victoria Wallis, Allison Frascatore, and Roberta Melville, as well as the art department for their exceptional and bold book jacket design.
My heartfelt thanks go to the survivors and their families for opening their doors to me, both literally and figuratively, for sharing their stories, photographs, diaries, and letters.
For my parents, Marvin and Norma Prince, the words “thank you” will never adequately express how much your encouragement and enthusiasm for what I do means to me.
My children, Nathan and Zoë: Perched upon my soul, you are my laughter and light.
Pierre: From the start you knew this was not going to be an easy book to write. I am blessed to have you by my side. You are my yesterday, you are my today, and you are my tomorrow.