The Radio Signal ─ A True Story of a Harrowing Escape and a Love That Arose from a World War

Growing up in bucolic Eastern Pomerania during the early years of World War II, young Friedhelm Radandt has listened with his family on the Volksempfänger (people's radio) to the many victory news bulletins. At the same time, Elizabeth Jobs and her family have lived in urbane Warsaw as loyal citizens of Poland who cherish their ethnic German heritage. As the war intensifies, the Radandts continue to hold worship meetings in their home and defy the pressure of local party leaders to send their sons to the notorious school for future Nazi leaders. Meanwhile, across the border, Elizabeth's family must cope with the death sentence from the Polish resistance movement for her father, Ludwig, the researcher and developer of radio tubes. When both families are driven from their homes, each embark on harrowing, yet thrilling parallel escape routes across war-torn Germany. Amid the darkness and rubble, can the light of love emerge? The Radio Signal captures the true story of two separate families who share a vibrant faith that imbues their actions with courage and trust. During the war, neither family knew of the other. Neither family knew that their paths would ultimately cross. Includes discussion questions for book clubs.

Friedhelm Radandt served as a college president for a quarter of a century, first at Northwestern College in Iowa and then at The King's College in New York. After arriving from his native Germany as an immigrant, he earned graduate degrees at The University of Chicago and enjoyed a rewarding teaching career at that institution and at Lake Forest College. Radandt never lost the spark for engaging students in discussing ideas and historical events, drawing often on his and his wife's dramatic and vivid memories of World War II. Now living in the Seattle area in his retirement, Friedhelm has once again returned to his calling as teacher and mentor while imagining his and Elizabeth's college-age grandchildren as readers. It's for them and thousands like them he created the captivating memoir, The Radio Signal.