The Red Toque

Based on the true story of the Por family from WWII ravaged Slovenia, this historical novel shares the story of six Slovenian children who are followed through adulthood. Raised in a rural setting near the woods, toques, or red knitted caps, were made by their mother to keep the children safe, especially from hunters. But when Hitler's planes rumble over the mountaintops into Slovenia, neither the soft peaks of the Alps nor the red toques can protect them.

One brother goes immediately into battle for their King ending up in a Nazi POW camp; other siblings flee the country, one caught in an attack by Nazi submarines at sea, while romance saves some as does the kindness of Lord and Lady Wedgewood. Two sisters band together to help rescue a Jewish family from Mauthausen, the most brutal of all concentration camps.

Josip Broz Tito, who led the Yugoslav Partisans, does not serve this country well when he is put in command at war's end, resulting in upwards of 125,000 people being murdered simply because they are not communists. Information for this work was drawn from family interviews and captioned photographs, the works of other authors, and the recollection of surviving peers. This book is a tribute to Rositha Por Adams, the late mother-in-law of the author, and a member of the family in this story.

Author Memberships: American Historical Association, American Psychological Association, Authors Guild, and The Society of Slovene Studies. A portion of proceeds from this book supports the Wounded Warrior Project.

Cover photos courtesy of Kim Bova.