Quiet Hero: Secrets from My Father's Past

Whenafatherrevealshishauntingpast,adaughtertakesanincrediblejourneyofself-discovery...Emmy?award–winningjournalist,TVhost,andNewYorkTimesbestsellingauthorRitaCosbyhasalwaysaskedthetoughquestionsinherinterviewswiththeworld’stopnewsmakers.Now,inacompellingandpowerfulmemoir,sherevealshowsheuncoveredanamazingpersonalstoryofheroismandcourage,theuntoldsecretsofamanshehasknownallherlife:herfather.Yearsafterhermother’stragicdeath,Ritafinallynervedherselftosortthroughhermother’sstoredbelongings,neverdreamingwhatadramaticstorywaswaitingforher.Openingabatteredtansuitcase,shediscovereditbelongedtoherfather—theenigmaticmanwhohaddivorcedhermotherandleftwhenRitawasstillateenager.Ritaknewlittleofherfather’spast:justthathehadleftPolandafterWorldWarII,andthathismanyscars,visibleandnot,boremutewitnesstosomepasttragedy.Hehadalwaysrefusedtoanswerquestions.Now,however,sheheldinherhandstarkmementosfromtheyouthofthemansheknewonlyasRichardCosby,proudAmerican:awornPolishResistancearmband;rustedtagsbearingaprisonernumberandthewordsStalagIVB;andanidentitycardforanex-POWbearingthenameRyszardKossobudzki.Gazingattheseprofoundlytellingrelics,thewell-knownjournalistrealizedthatherfather’sstorywasoneshecouldnotallowhimtokeepsecretanylonger.Whenshefinallydidpersuadehimtobreakhissilence,sheheardofaharrowingpastthatfilledherwithimmensepride...andchilledhertothebone.Attheageofthirteen,barelyevenadolescent,herfatherhadseenhishometowndecimatedbybombs.Bythetimehewasfifteen,hewascovertlydistributinganti-NazipropagandaafewblocksfromtheWarsawGhetto.BeforetheWarsawUprising,heliedabouthisagetojointheResistanceandactivelyfighttheenemytothelastbullet.Afterbeingnearlyfatallywounded,hewastakenintocaptivityandsenttoaGermanPOWcampnearDresden,finallyescapinginadaringplanandultimatelyrescuedbyAmericanforces.Allthisbeforehehadlefthisteens.ThisisRichardCosby’sstory,butitisalsoRita’s.Itisthestoryofadaughtercomingtounderstandafatherwhosepastwastoopainfultosharewiththosehelovedthemost,tooterribletosharewithachild...butonethatheeventuallyrevealedtothejournalist.Inturn,Ritaconvincedherfathertojoinherinadramaticreturntohisbatteredhomelandforthefirsttimeinsixty-fiveyears.AsRitadrewthesestoriesfromherfatheranduncoveredsecretsandemotionslongkepthidden,fatheranddaughterforgedanewandpreciousbond,deeperthaneithercouldhaveeverimagined.