About the Book

A journey out of Freiburg

November, 1938 · Freiburg, Germany

Breaking Free is told by a grandfather sharing a long‑kept story with his seven‑year‑old grandson on a rainy day. In November 1938, Herschel, a Jewish doctor in Freiburg, Germany, is ordered to a ghetto clinic, and his director urges him to take his wife, Sophia, and flee the country at once.

Carrying a secret she has yet to share, Sophia joins Herschel on a dangerous journey through the Black Forest, where they are joined by fellow refugees Misha, Goldie, and their granddaughter, Sarah. With help from brave strangers, a mountaineer named Herr Strup, and his remarkable rescue dog, Prinz, the group attempts a treacherous climb over the snowy mountains into Switzerland as German soldiers close in.

When Herschel is wounded just short of safety, Prinz and fighters from the refugee camp rescue him, and the survivors finally find freedom. Based on true events, the story is a moving testament to courage, faith, and the will to live, ending with a quiet revelation that ties the past to the grandfather telling the tale.

Based on true events