Narrow Escape

Theodore Meyer, a reluctant draftee from Aurich, Germany, during WWI was quickly transformed from a farmer into a soldier. In no time he was captured by the Russians as he fought on the Eastern Front. The Russians were quite lax in their supervision of their prison camps due to their involvement in the Bolshevik Revolution. Theo quickly found a way to escape and he took it. His life as an escaped prisoner was very perilous. Determining who to trust and whom to bribe was a constant fear. He was unarmed, malnourished, broke and inappropriately attired for the seasons in the shabbiest of clothes. This book is about Theo surviving a multitude of trials and troubles to get back home.

War changes people and Theo was no exception.  He had come from a life that he controlled. As a soldier, prisoner and then escaped prisoner his life was totally out of control. He was afraid of even looking at himself. Upon his return home he was a very controlling person. He had a wife and six children and they were all very restricted in various ways. As a farmer he was a competitive businessman and again controlled his dealings firmly.  Though Theo was small of stature from a child’s point of view he was quite scary.  He had never been harshlike in nature before the war but taking people’s lives hardened him and he carried that guilt with him to his grave.

During his perilous journey home he connected with other escapees trying to do the same. They formed strong bonds and helped each other when they could. Unfortunately, most of his new friends did not survive the ordeal.

Theo was forced to change and adapt in order to survive. Watch his transformation and read about his experiences in his Narrow Escape.