The Miracle Typist

The powerful true story of one soldier's long journey home

By: Leon Silver

Narrated by: Robbie McGregor

In the tradition of THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ, a heartbreaking true story of love, loss and survival against all odds during the Second World war.

Conscripted into the Polish army as Hitler’s forces draw closer, Jewish soldier Tolek Klings vows to return to his wife, Klara, and son, Juliusz. However, the army is rife with anti-Semitism and Tolek is relentlessly tormented. As the Germans invade Poland, he is faced with a terrible dilemma: flee home to protect his family – and risk being shot as a deserter – or remain a soldier, hoping reports of women and children being spared by the occupying forces are true.

What follows is an extraordinary odyssey that will take Tolek – via a daring escape from a Hungarian internment camp – to Palestine, where his ability to type earns him the title of ‘The Miracle Typist’, then on to fight in Egypt, Tobruk and Italy. A broken telegram from Klara, ending with the haunting words, ‘We trouble’, makes Tolek even more determined to find his way home and fulfil his promise.

This heartbreakingly inspiring true story is brought vividly to life by Tolek’s son-in-law, Melbourne writer Leon Silver.

‘Incredible, heart-wrenching and inspirational.’ Better Reading

Critic reviews

‘Incredible, heart-wrenching and inspirational.’ (Better Reading)

Moving, Inspiring, Educational

Such an incredible story, this needs to be a movie. The writing took me to the scene of each section of the book as I experienced the war and its aftermath through the eyes of one resilient man. The narration was a bit overdramatic at times but it is indeed a dramatic story so I can't fault him much.