Mary Matuja 
Hello America 

Throughout this memoir that describes how a five-year-old girl could charm Nazi soldiers and then later experience the joy of winning scholarships, beauty pageants, and elected office-Mary’s inner beauty will shine through and touch your heart. At the start of WWII young Mary lived with her grandparents in the village of Certizne, Czechoslovakia. She survived WWII by living in the forest amidst exploding bombs, freezing temperatures, and with little or no food. Through it all, her strength and resiliency remained unharmed. At age 10 she was sent to America to live with the mother she had never met. Mary adapted and adjusted, compiling notable achievements throughout her school career. After marriage, she began a life of public service as a councilwoman and member of many civic organizations, giving tirelessly to her community. Mary Matuja tells her story uncommonly well in this engaging memoir…-Michael Bortman, screenwriter of Resurrecting the Champ and Who Will Love My Children?