The Suitcase - by Debbie Taussig-Boehner & Lauren Housman (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

The Suitcase is a tour-de-force, an imagining of the autobiography of an opportunistic Czech playboy, who avoided legal troubles and subsequently, the Holocaust by moving to Shanghai. There, he joined the fight against fascism, and later continued that struggle in London while his family was murdered in the camps. This narrative, written in the style of a bygone era, will transport readers to a world far different, yet eerily similar to that of the 21st century.

This is the true story of Vladimír George Taussig, a veteran of the Great War whose unfortunate decisions in his native Prague forced him to flee to Shanghai where he fell in with high society-until the Japanese invasion, the beginning of World War II, encroached on the Shanghailanders' rollicking lifestyle. On the other side of the world, his family's lives began to disintegrate when Czechoslovakia was occupied and the horrors of the war reached their doorstep.

From dancing on Shanghai's Bund, to mingling with radio stars in New York City, to speaking out against fascism across Britain, this tale, pieced together from Taussig's letters and other memorabilia, is one of passion and tenacity, weakness and courage, impropriety and decency, lies and truths, exclusion and tolerance, and life and death.

Review Quotes

"Thorough research married with autobiographical findings in family archives immerse readers in one man's struggles and successes during the turbulent 1930s and '40s. This informative and entertaining true story, spanning two decades and several countries, is an exceptional read." - Dacre Stoker, International Bestselling Author and Great Grandnephew of Bram Stoker, Author of Dracula

"Combining historical research and constructive imagination, Taussig-Boehner and Housman have replicated from a suitcase full of paper ephemera the eventful life of a Czech adventurer. The central narrative takes the reader across the globe, from Prague to Shanghai to London and New York during the pivotal 1930s and 40s. An engrossing novelization of one man's remarkable life, THE SUITCASE offers a rewarding read." - Dr. Tom Mack, USC Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Author of Circling the Savannah, Hidden History of Augusta

"The Suitcase is a genealogist's dream come true. Taussig-Boehner and Housman have methodically researched, analyzed, and documented every clue and artifact without bias to masterfully and completely fill in the missing pieces of this incredible life story. As readers, we can hear, see, feel, smell and touch as Vladimir did on his adventures due to the captivating detail brought to life on these pages. The Suitcase is an everlasting gift and invites the reader to explore the legacy within each of us." - Keira Murphy, Founder of Jumpstart Genealogy

"A powerful and beautifully written memoir of a family caught up in the Sino-Japanese War and World War II. The canvas is vast, stretching from Prague and Shanghai to London and New York and beyond. We see, in vivid detail, how even those whose lives weren't destroyed by war and Holocaust-those who escaped to safety-were overwhelmed by the turbulent times. The Suitcase is a gripping story of death and life." - Steven Naifeh, Pulitzer Prize-winning co-author of Jackson Pollock: An American Saga and Van Gogh: The Life