Private Lucky

One Man's Unconventional Journey from the Horrors of Nazi Occupation to the Fulfillment of a High-Flying American Dream

By: Melissa Guzzetta, Hendrik C. Gillebaard

Narrated by: Adam Naranjo

Some people are born lucky. Others make their own luck. As a boy, Hank wanted nothing more than to fly like the fighter pilots he admires in the skies over Amsterdam. When the lives of Dutch citizens are turned upside down with the Nazi occupation of Holland, his dreams will have to wait as he witnesses the tragic unfolding of events affecting those around him before finding himself in a fight for his own life. He must go into hiding before his 16th birthday, despite the fact that he is not Jewish.

After the war, his life takes another unexpected turn when he is enlisted by his father in the American army in Germany, where his inability to speak English results in hilarious missteps at every turn. He can roll with the punches if the army will teach him to fly, but when he learns that pilot training stopped with the end of the war, it seems he’ll never reach his goal.

Undaunted, Private Hank evolves into a suave and popular soldier. He learns what it means to be American, arriving in America broke but determined to pursue his lofty goals in a manner only this quirky and very lucky Dutch American would even think of trying, flying by the seat of his pants to some of the highest levels of aviation.

©2015 Melissa Guzzetta (P)2020 Good Luck Publishing

A Moving and Entertaining Journey

A well written true account, at times touching, funny, and entertaining throughout. A portrait of a boy who suffered through the horrors of occupied Holland during World War II, witnessing the crimes Germans perpetrated against Dutch Jews. He grows up to achieve his dream of becoming a pilot, immigrates to the United States, and experiences adventure in places from Brooklyn to Hollywood (including an emergency landing of his plane at an Amish farm pasture). The voice of the narrator conveys much of Hank Gillebaard's optimistic spirit. A driven, decent and amusingly mischievous man, who created much of his own good fortune. I highly recommend giving this book a listen.