Melbourne, Fla., February 19, 2009 - If a machine could bend the realm of time, stories typically confined to dusty school books would become living, breathing creatures rich with color and detail. A gifted storyteller has the same ability to transform listeners to another place and time, and in Melbourne, Fla., no one has a sharper memory or quicker wit than Liz Davis.

Davis recounts her experiences matter-of-factly, pausing indulgently to smile at the wide-eyed reactions of anyone listening when she describes her childhood in Nazi-occupied Vienna, Austria or working hand-in-hand with Helen Keller later in life.

Her recollection of family picnics by the Danube River, and watching her parents don their finest for a night out at the ballet paint a sharp contrast to the memories that follow.

"Vienna was a beautiful city with many cultural offerings, but things changed quickly when Hitler came to power," Davis said.

Thrown out of their apartment and forbidden from operating their restaurant supply business, Davis was five years old when her family was forced to take temporary refuge at her grandparents' home.

"We didn't think things could get worse, but they did," Davis said with a sad smile. "They ransacked our house, they went after our crystal and threw it on the ground. We didn't know it at the time, but we were living through the infamous Kristallnacht (Crystal Night), and the idiots didn't even know the 'crystal' they were destroying was just plain glass."

Shaken by the brutality of the Nazis, the Viennese Jewish community lived in constant fear. Rumors began to spread about another night-raid, but this time the soldiers were looking for husbands and fathers, not crystal.

When the Nazis came for Davis' father, her parents were prepared. Warning Liz and her older sister to keep quiet, Davis' mother convinced the soldiers her father was not home while he hid inches away in a large dining closet. Suspicious but temporarily satisfied, the Nazis left, and Davis' family remained intact.

No longer willing to subject their children to such a dangerous environment, Davis' parents shipped the two girls to the United States, thanks to a charitable American who funded the transportation of 50 Jewish children to safety.

It would be years before Davis would see her parents again.

As a young, lonely girl unable to speak English, Davis adapted remarkably well to her surroundings. While her parents remained in Austria, Davis and her sister lived with relatives in Pennsylvania, longing for the day they would become a family again.

"We would go for months at a time without knowing if they were alive or dead," Davis said. "When they finally arrived in America, it was a miracle . hugs, kisses and tears all around."

Despite her traumatic childhood, Davis went on to become a successful student in both high school and college, discovering strengths in writing and communications. As the first female editor of Syracuse University's student newspaper, Davis built the foundation for a future career in public relations, a fledging field at that time.

After college and armed with $75 in her pocket, Davis moved to New York, N.Y. and worked in fundraising for the Jewish Federation of New York before accepting a position with the American Foundation of the Blind (AFA) as public relations director.

The highlight of her career included a stint as press secretary for AFA Spokeswoman Helen Keller.

"She was an incredible woman with a wicked sense of humor," Davis recalled. "I can remember one speech in particular where she was recounting her experiences overseas and said deadpan, 'It was amazing, I read the most risqué books.' Helen Keller or not, I could have killed her!"

Following four years at the AFA, Davis moved to Rome, N.Y. with her husband Howard and raised two children. In 1988, the couple moved to Florida and eventually bought a home in Watersong, a retirement community in Melbourne.

For a woman who lived through more in five years than many people experience in a lifetime, Davis attributes her success to a simple formula.

"Hard work, hard work and even more hard work," Davis asserts. "That's all there is. We came up slowly, but we did come up. We had each other and that's what sustained us."