On Thursday, March 31, from 6 to 8 p.m., John Kozak will be at the Vicksburg District Library to talk about his book, his mother and the riveting events he and his family faced in the fall of 1949.
In October of that year, facing persecution, fabricated criminal charges, and a struggle to feed her family, Rose Kozak gathered her two young children for the dangerous escape from Communist Czechoslovakia. Only seven years old at the time, John Kozak would never forget that frightening journey, or the courage and love that sustained his mother, Rose, as she led him and his older sister to freedom. Those memories formed the basis of his book “Through the Eyes of Rose: A Mother’s Flight to Freedom in a Memory Mosaic”, the gripping true story of the family’s escape through the Bohemian Forest and a tribute to his mother.
Kozak will read from his book, hold a question and answer session, and sign copies of “Through the Eyes of Rose”. Vicksburg Library staff are thrilled to welcome Kozak, whom Betsy Myers of the Traverse Area District Library describes as “a terrific speaker…. To hear him speak about their life escaping Communism in Czechoslovakia is chilling, entertaining, and an event that should not be missed.”
After escaping Czechoslovakia, the Kozak family went to West Germany, Switzerland, and finally Michigan, Rose’s original home. Kozak, who earned his B.A. from the Detroit Institute of Technology, is now the president of J. Kozak Sales Inc., based in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. He has told his story to appreciative audiences throughout the state and beyond. Those interested in attending this exciting event can register by calling the Vicksburg District Library at (269) 649-1648 or via email at info@vicksburglibrary.org.