About the Book:
Here is the story of a lifetime. As a boy in Latvia during World War II, Kristaps Keggi and his family dodged both Soviet Communist and German Nazi invaders, eventually escaping to America on a refugee ship. Arriving in New York City, Kristaps proved to be a quick learner. He began to understand and then live the American Dream. After showing his promise in high schools in Brooklyn and Greenwich, CT, he moved on to Yale College, Yale Medical School, and then, in 1965, to the harrowing war in Vietnam, where he was a fast-thinking, common-sense surgeon in the U.S. Army’s first MASH unit there.
Once back in the States, Kristaps and his wife, Julie, built a family together while he embarked on a career as a pioneer and innovator in the field of orthopaedic surgery, especially hip procedures. His reputation led him to become a teacher and mentor, as well, not only to subsequent generations of med school students at Yale, but also to hundreds of fellows from Russia and other Eastern European countries both before and after the fall of Communism. It’s a powerful and well-told story, an inspiring microcosm of mid-20th-century America and the world at large. Kristaps Keggi tells the story with good humor, a love for a telling anecdote, and great attention to detail. His portraits of those he’s met along the way – a Russian admiral, a Vietnam tentmate, a Yale mentor – are memorable. “My Century” serves as a valuable addition to anyone’s bookshelf of American success stories.