Have you heard of (or seen the movie about) the Monuments Men, the special force of Americans and Brits assembled after Germany’s World War II defeat?
They rushed to recover artwork stolen and hidden by the Nazis. It’s a suspenseful story that has found its way into numerous novels.
The Roses Underneath, set in Wiesbaden, Germany, in August, 1945, explores a less widely-known aspect of this story: the involvement of German civilians in the effort to return stolen art to its rightful owners.
This novel, the first in the Anna Klein trilogy by C.F. Yetmen, reveals the conflicts and complications faced by Germans as they interacted with the American military that defeated the Nazis.
During World War II, Germans had been treated as traitors if they opposed the Nazis.
Now, to gain the trust of Americans (and secure employment to rescue them from destitution), German civilians need to prove their loyalty to the mission of the Monuments Men.
Characters:
I appreciated this novel’s realistic portrayal of its characters, revealing both their virtues and faults. The difficult decisions they faced force readers to consider the choices they would make in such situations.
Anna Klein – the protagonist, she’s torn between love for her idealistic socialist husband and her fear of what will happen to her young daughter and herself as the Soviet Army advances
Amalia – Anna’s intelligent six-year-old daughter who would have preferred to stay with her father in Soviet-occupied Thuringia
Captain Cooper – an American architect working for the Monuments Men, he becomes Anna’s boss; his moral compass and gut feelings guide his actions, frequently causing problems in the military chain-of-command environment.
Emil Schilling – a disillusioned German soldier who lost his fingertips to frostbite in Leningrad, he returns to Germany and scrounges for employment
Frieda Schilling – Emil’s sister who provides daycare for Amalia
Oskar – orphaned German boy Anna discovers hanging around a villa; he resists Anna’s efforts to help him
Ludwig Schneider – German art dealer who tries to hide his thefts of art during the war so he can work for Monuments Men
Gerhard Heinrich (aka Schenk) – former gallery owner whose greed threatens Anna
Madeleine Wolf – best friend of Anna’s deceased mother ; she takes in Anna and Amalia after they walk to Wiesbaden
Strengths:
Exciting story set in an eventful era
Dives deeply into the period and the Monuments Men
Distinct characters with complex motivations and stories
Weakness:
Anna took chances that didn’t seem believable for a cautious woman who’d been living under Nazi rule for years.
Content review:
Contains some profanity and mention of sexual exploitation during and after World War II
Bottom Line:
This novel entertained me with its panoply of characters and plot twists, educated me about the plight of Germans after World War II, and challenged me to think about how I would respond in similar circumstances. I recommend it to readers who enjoy an exciting history-based story with depth of setting and characters.
In my own writing news:
If you’d like to be among the first to read my latest novel, I’m looking for fans of historical fiction to join my team of beta readers and early reviewers. Please contact me here!
Reader,can you recommend books where vanquished people become heroes?
As I write, Poland is playing a heroic role—welcoming, sheltering, and educating refugees from its besieged neighbor, Ukraine.
Much of the world admires this generosity. Is it simply charity on Poland’s part?
Both fiction and non-fiction can help us understand Poland’s attitude.
The non-fiction side:
Experts point to Poles’ sense that they face a common threat from Russia.
Poles viewUkrainians as freedom fighters against Russia, and they relate to that identity.
Poles’ welcome of Ukrainian refugees feels like self-defense—that they’re helping Ukraine struggle against Russia’s invasion.
Why should Poland feel threatened?
Poland’s geography—its proximity to Germany and Russia placed its people and culture in harm’s way for invasion by both powerful armies.
Poland suffered grievously during and after World War II. Not many of us were alive then, but eyewitnesses and historians have provided detailed accounts.
Historical fiction can immerse us in past events and eras through the eyes, ears, and emotions of people who lived or might have lived through those times.
This month, we feature a short discussion and review of The Warsaw Orphan: A WWII novel by Kelly Rimmer. This 2021 publication was inspired by Irena Sendler, the heroic Polish nurse who saved thousands of Jewish children.
Reader, what heroic actions have inspired you?
May the heroic deeds we read about inspire us to act courageously to help those in need!
The Warsaw Orphan, a compelling novel set in Warsaw during and after the WWII German occupation, skillfully weaves together the contrasting lives, interactions, and story arcs of its protagonists:
Elzbieta/Emilia—almost 14
She lives in a comfortable apartment
Her life appears stable, but she must conceal her true identity
Roman Gorka—the teenage son of a Jewish family forced to cram into the ghetto
He works at a sewing machine to make uniforms
He’s idealistic about changing the world, but must pay a heavy price under Poland’s repressive conquerors
Two sympathetic supporting characters immediately emerge:
Sara—a nurse and social worker whose hidden work is smuggling babies and children out of the ghetto
Chaim (aka Pigeon)—He becomes Roman’s best friend and rescues him, time after time
Later in the novel, two other characters’ personal journeys also elicited my sympathy:
Truda—Elzbieta’s adoptive mother
Uncle Piotr—a wealthy businessman who deals with the Nazis to make profits
He supports Elzbieta’s family and sacrifices for them
Author Kelly Rimmer portrays her characters with historical accuracy as complex, fallible people, and readers will identify with their struggles.
A warning: with its many tense scenes and threats to the characters, this novel was difficult to put down.
Content review: This novel describes the violence of war, including sexual violence, and a detailed portrayal of conditions in the Warsaw ghetto.
If you persevere through the difficult moments of this time and place, The Warsaw Orphan will reward you with powerful emotional experiences.
As a reader and a writer, stories of courage and heroism inspire me. I love to spotlight them here, too, each time in a unique time and place. This time, the focus is on Italy’s Resistance in World War II .
Today, I briefly review Courage, My Love, a recent novel set in Italy in the World War II era.
Keep reading for my interview with the author, Kristin Beck.
Imagine living in a time when your every action could have fatal consequences (as for members of in Italy’s Resistance in World War II).
Courage, My Love takes readers on a suspenseful journey, immersing them in the lives of two female partisans in Rome:
Francesca–her leg is crippled by polio, but she won’t let it deter her work for Italy’s liberation
Lucia–the daughter of German immigrants, but she shares and acts on her husband’s ideals in opposing the Fascists and Nazis.
At great risk, both women struggle to free Italy from the control of the Nazis. I worried the Nazis would catch, torture, and execute the protagonists, and I had trouble putting down this novel.
The author seamlessly weaves history, local geography, and period details into a compelling story of courage and sacrifice in the midst of the misery and deprivation of life in an occupied city (and nation).
I especially enjoyed observing the transformation of normal people. They had to choose a side—obey their Nazi occupiers or resist them and risk death—even as familiar landmarks become sites of violence and clear warnings against opposing the Nazis.
Although I knew some basic details of this historical setting, Courage, My Love brought this period to life vividly. I recommend this book to readers who aren’t put off by descriptions of torture and violence within the context of an engaging and heroic story.
Suspense, heroism, a great historic setting—a riveting combination in Courage, My Love!
If you’re a history-lover who’d like to learn more about Rome and organized resistance to Nazis in World War II, here are a few non-fiction books:
The Vatican Pimpernel, by Brian Fleming, about Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, an Irish Vatican official who, at great risk to himself, played a major role in creating and operating the Rome Escape Organization. This group saved over 6,500 people (escaped prisoners of war as well as civilians, including Jews, who were hiding from the Nazis and Fascists) in and around Rome during World War II.
Q: What drew you to focus your novel especially on female partisans in late World War II Rome?
Kristin Beck: As a history nerd, I find myself falling down various rabbit holes all the time, and I tend to do a lot of research about subjects just to satisfy my own curiosity. One day, I stumbled upon an article about female partisans in Italy, and it led me to search for more information. Because I lived in Italy when I was younger, I was especially interested in this bit of history, and I quickly knew that it would lead to a book.
Q: How did you research details of that time and place?
KB: Lots of reading! I was lucky in the sense that I’ve lived in Italy and know Rome well, so it felt natural to develop that setting in my work. For historical details, I relied on a huge stack of books, memoirs, diaries, and historical documents.
Q: Did you discover surprises while researching this novel?
KB: Absolutely! In some ways, surprises happen constantly during research, because there are always fascinating stories and characters tucked into history. One that appears in the book, that was a true story from WWII Rome, is what happened at the Fatebenefratelli hospital. They really did create a fictitious disease, called “Syndrome K,” to scare the Germans away. I loved reading about that.
Q: How much did you have to deviate from history to create a satisfying story?
KB: Not much, actually. This story uses fictional characters, which allowed me to create a satisfying plot and story. However, I tried very hard to place those fictional characters within an accurate depiction of 1943/44 Rome. As a result, many of the tiniest details are correct – I even researched the weather on particular days!
Q: What were the most challenging aspects of writing this novel?
KB: With any historical novel, it can be a challenge to align the plot and character arcs with the historical record. As mentioned, accuracy was very important to me regarding this book, so it was a bit of a juggling act at times to develop two point-of-view characters, the plot, and maintain historical accuracy. I do enjoy the challenge, however!
Q: What did you enjoy about writing this novel?
KB: As mentioned in the previous question, I really enjoy almost every aspect of writing, even the challenging parts. Sometimes a book feels like a big puzzle, and I love seeing it come slowly together, piece by piece.
Q: What do you hope readers will take away after reading Courage, My Love?
KB: Like the characters in my novel, we currently find ourselves living through dark and uncertain times. I hope that readers will be inspired by the courage and resilience of Francesca and Lucia, who represent so many real people who lived and prevailed despite unthinkable circumstances. If my novel can give people some hope, I will be very happy.
Thank you, Kristin, for sharing your research and writing process with us!
