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from "Windsor author discovers holocaust survivor fabricated tale," Katherine Popowski, The Coloradoan
Windsor author Jean Goodwin Messinger discovered recently that the subject of her popular nonfiction novel “Hannah: From Dachau to the Olympics and Beyond” is not the woman she claimed to be. In fact, the subject of the book, also known as Rose-Marie Pence, is a fraud.
Messinger said this week she was distraught to discover that Pence had fabricated the “Hannah” story. Published in 2005, “Hannah” is the story is of a young girl who was imprisoned at a Nazi concentration camp during World War II, was rescued by American forces, and later became an Olympic skier.
"The problem is none of her story is true," Messinger said. Messinger offered an apology for her role in giving voice to the flawed memoir.
“I regarded this woman as a sister for the years I have known her,” Messinger said of Pence, a Longmont resident until recent weeks. “This revelation is shocking and disappointing to all of us who knew her and loved her, and counted her as a trusted friend.” (more)
So now we know what this book is really about: some nonsense that a "Holocaust survivor" told to a "historian", which enabled both parties to make a fortune when the text was presented to the cult of sobbing, Jew-mourning, German-baiters. From Amazon:
"Germans of all generations have great guilt about the immense and unspeaklable horrors that occurred during the Holocaust. We feel that mankind must forever be reminded of those atrocities. To that end, Ms. Goodwin Messinger has memorialized Hannah's tragic experiences as a child Holocaust survivor. However,the author also brings to light aspects of Hannah's courageous later life. We witness her grit, talent and intelligence as well as her exceptional ability to endure life's tragedies. Hannah is guided by morality, amazing optimism and gratitude, but most of all...courage. Hannah's testimonial is a moral compass for us and for generations to come. I keep this book on my fireplace mantle as a daily reminder. It provides me with a deep attitude of gratitude, and encourages me to make this earth a better place. You simply must read it!"
Hubertus Guenther
Honorary Consul of Germany, Retired
Actually, I believe Mr. Guenther meant to write "Germans of all generations should always have great guilt", because that is what will happen if they "must forever be reminded of these atrocities". In other words, Mr. Guenther wants German babies who are not even born yet to feel ashamed for something they didn't do; he wants them to enter this world wishing they weren't German; Mr. Guenther probably wants another 10,000 ugly monuments of shame being built on German soil, too. He has been enslaved to think that, because of his ethnicity, he owes something that can never be repaid and I'm sure he welcomes the fact that, again because he was born German, he has to give money to Israel. In his mind, this apartheid state, Israel, somehow embodies the spirit of "heroes" like "Hannah", the Jew he clearly seeks to emulate and strives to become. Well, Germany does not need Hannah's "moral compass" of crooked morality. Seems to me Hannah could use a lesson in honesty and earning her daily bread - from the old, proud, Protestant-influenced, German Germany Mr. Guenther wants to destroy. Oh the irony.
Thankfully, someone had the time to respond to Mr. Guenther directly:
Herr Guenther,
With all due respect, it looks like you were duped by the liar Ms. Pense and looking-for-fame author Ms. Messinger. Please read the Colorado Press [story] (sept09) about the unravelling of [Hannah's] tale. I feel sorry for Germans who have to kowtow and placate (and financially support) people like these [...] The war (WWII) is over, 60m people died, and we honor them. The world should move forward to the current and use lessons of the past to fight genocide and other atrocities. A perfect example are the unspeakable crimes of [the Jews in Israel] against the Palestinians. You don't see many western nations outwardly addressing [these atrocities]. Weren't lessons learned in the past?
