Winner of the National Seniors Literary Prize (Australia) and the Philpott Prize. “I saw the flicker of flames as the first plane fired its guns and heard the trees above my head splintering as the stream of bullets hit them. Branches toppled down. Cattle panicked. The ricocheting bullets whined around the valley.” On September 1, 1939, ten-year-old Paul Cieslar’s peaceful childhood in the Polish countryside came to an end. German fighter planes roared overhead, and with them came the invasion of Poland and the chaos of war. In No Heil Hitler, Paul recounts his extraordinary true story of survival, faith, and quiet resistance in Nazi-occupied Poland. As Seventh-day Adventists, Paul’s family refused to give the “Heil Hitler” salute or work on Saturday—their Sabbath. These simple acts of faith became bold defiance under the watchful eyes of the Gestapo. Through Paul’s eyes, readers witness the fear, hunger, and moral choices that defined his formative years. In a time when conformity meant safety, the Cieslar family’s courage to live by their beliefs stands as a powerful reminder of human resilience and spiritual conviction. With moments of terror, glimpses of grace, and an unwavering commitment to truth, No Heil Hitler is both a riveting wartime memoir and a testament to the strength of faith in the face of evil.