Once We Were Brothers (Balson)

Once We Were Brothers
Ronald H. Balson, 2009
Berwick Court Publishing
384 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780615351919


Summary
From Nazi-occupied Poland to a Chicago courtroom Elliot Rosenzweig, a respected civic leader and wealthy philanthropist, is attending a fundraiser when he is suddenly accosted and accused of being a former Nazi SS officer named Otto Piatek. Although the charges are denounced as preposterous, his accuser, Ben Solomon, is convinced he is right.

Solomon urges attorney Catherine Lockhart to take his case, revealing that Otto Piatek was abandoned as a child and raised by Solomon's family only to betray them during the Nazi occupation. But has he accused the right man?

Once We Were Brothers is the compelling tale of two boys and a family that struggles to survive in war-torn Poland. It is also the story of a young lawyer who must face not only a powerful adversary, but her own self-doubts.

Two lives, two worlds and sixty years all on course to collide in a fast-paced legal thriller.

The author, Ronald H. Balson, is a Chicago trial attorney and educator. His practice has taken him to international venues, including small villages in Poland, which have inspired this novel. (From the publisher.)

This book's 2015 sequel is Saving Sophie.

Author Bio
Ronald H. Balson is an attorney practicing with the firm of Stone, Pogrund and Korey in Chicago. The demands of his trial practice have taken him into courts across the United States and into international venues.

An adjunct professor of business law at the University of Chicago for twenty-five years, he now lectures on trial advocacy in federal trial bar courses.

Travels to Warsaw and southern Poland in connection with a complex telecommunications case inspired his first novel, Once We Were Brothers. His second novel, a sequel, Saving Sophie, was published in 2015. (From the publisher.)

Book Reviews
Blending intrigue, court room drama, and facing the struggles of life that drive us for all those involved—the accused, the accuser, and the lawyers. Once We Were Brothers is riveting and unique reading, highly recommended.
Small Press Bookwatch - Midwest Book Review


[W]hen the oral retelling really starts it is a book I could not put down and the writing is superb.  Balson has debuted with an outstanding historical piece of fiction and we hope to see more from him in the near future. Readers will not go wrong by picking up this book.  Four stars.
Chicago Bar Association Record


Extraordinary story. I started on Saturday morning and finished Saturday night, ignoring all of my errands. I could not put it down. The legal scenes are authentic and compelling.
Richard Kling, Professor, Chicago-Kent College of Law


A terrific read and an important portrayal of actual legal work performed by real-life lawyers committed to pursuing those who assisted in Nazi atrocities and then lied to gain US citizenship
Steven Biskupic, former federal prosecutor


If you enjoy a good story, if you like novels, if accidentally learning something significant gives you a charge, buy this book and I PROMISE you that you will be glad you did.
David Templer, Attorney, Miami, FL

Discussion Questions
1. Does it trouble you to think that remnants of the Nazi era may remain? Of the 600,000 SS members, only a few thousand were actually brought to justice. Most escaped. Some to America. Was Ben’s quest after all these years, in spite of Rosenzweig’s civic contributions, justified? Is there a time to move on or forgive?

2. They say that "First impressions are lasting ones." What were your first impressions of the principal characters? At what point did your opinion change? Why?

3. Was there a part of the story that was particularly moving to you, that stayed with you the longest?

4. Did Once We Were Brothers compliment your understanding of the period? Did the story give you a perspective you didn’t have before?

5. Why did the Solomons remain in Zamosc?

6. If the story were to continue, what do think would happen next to each of the characters? How might their lives be affected?

7. From the diaries of survivors, there are many stories of extraordinary heroism, of ordinary people, who in the darkest moments find unbelievable strength and courage. Have you known such people? Where do you think they find such courage?

8. If you had the opportunity to speak to any of the characters at any moment of the story, who would you choose to talk to, what advice would you give and what would you say?

9. Ben was a religious man, as was Catherine. How does a religious person accept the existence of the Holocaust in God’s world? Do you accept Ben’s explanation?
(Questions from the author's website.)

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