My Father's Words

About the Book

This work is the first-hand account of the oppression and persecution of the millions subjected to the unprecedented dictatorships of Hitler and Stalin. Ranging from the personal humiliation and political ostracism of his family for being peasant farmers, to the grand scale of dehumanizing institutions and methods of both Communism and Nazism, Charles Turk’s My Father’s Words places human faces on the millions of silent victims of 70 years of totalitarian rule in Eastern Europe. However, this story does not end there. Unable to speak or read English, Turk escaped to Austria in 1956 and immigrated to the U.S. as a refugee from the Hungarian Uprising. Crossing the Atlantic Ocean was the easiest length of his personal journey, bolstered only by his faith in God and the wise words of his strict and humble father.

About the Author

Charles K. Turk retired in 1998 after 30 years of full-time service in the English Department of McQuaid Jesuit High School, where he served as Chairman for 11 years. Mr. Turk received his B.A. as a triple major in English, Philosophy and History in 1969 from Canisius College, and has served on the Princeton board of readers for Advanced Placement exams since 1988. He currently enjoys retirement teaching part-time and conducting seminars for high school teachers in the preparation of students for the A.P. English Exam.