After having read Ludwika: A Polish Woman's Struggle To Survive In Nazi German by Christoph Fischer (my review here)I knew I had to read The Luck of the Weissensteiners.
This novel which has some historical reality is the story of a not very Jewish family and how they managed to survive in Czechoslovakia during the Nazi reign--then the Soviet takeover--to the liberation by the Allies. It is also the story of the other minorities in that country at that time and the fate which awaited them. The family is totally fictional but what happens to them could be all too true. It tells of the people who help them--and those that didn't. All the main characters are fully developed. You will definitely feel the feelings they are feeling and get caught up in their lives.
What I didn't realize when I first started reading this book was that it is the first in a three part series. Now I want to read the next two. Christoph Fischer is an articulate author who knows his craft. His writing will grab you and not let go-You will not be disappointed!
About the Book: (from Amazon)
In the sleepy town of Bratislava in 1933 a romantic girl falls for a bookseller from Berlin. Greta Weissensteiner, daughter of a Jewish weaver, slowly settles in with the Winkelmeier clan just as the developments in Germany start to make waves in Europe. The political climate in the multifaceted cultural jigsaw puzzle of disintegrating Czechoslovakia becomes more complex and affects relations between the couple and the families. The story follows their lot through the war with its predictable and also its unexpected turns and events and the equally hard times after. From the moment that Greta Weissensteiner enters the bookstore where Wilhelm Winkelmeier works, and entrances him with her good looks and serious ways, I was hooked. But this is no ordinary romance; in tact it is not a romance at all, but a powerful, often sad, Holocaust story. What makes The Luck of the Weissensteiners so extraordinary is the chance Christoph Fischer gives his readers to consider the many different people who were never in concentration camps, never in the military, yet who nonetheless had their own indelible Holocaust experiences. Set in the fascinating area of Bratislava, this is a wide-ranging, historically accurate exploration of the connections between social location, personal integrity and, as the title says, luck. I cared about every one of this novel's characters and continued to think about them long after I'd finished reading. -- Andrea Steiner, University of California Santa Cruz The Luck of the Weissensteiners is an epic saga set in wartime Eastern Europe. It follows the lives of two families - one Jewish, one Catholic - and their entwined survival amidst the backdrop of the second world war; first the fascist then the communist invasion and occupation of Slovakia, and the horror of the consequences of war. The reader is transported to a world of deception, fear, distrust and betrayal, alongside enduring love and family drama. The characters are vividly painted in the mind of the reader as we follow their journey across Europe at a time of unimaginable challenge and trauma. Weissensteiners is a magnificent tale of human survival. I wish I hadn't read it already so that I may repeat the pleasure of discovering and becoming lost in the story once again.
Read a Chapter or two here
Purchase the Book here
About the Author: (from Amazon)
Christoph Fischer was born in Germany, near the Austrian border, as the son of a Sudeten-German father and a Bavarian mother. Not a full local in the eyes and ears of his peers he developed an ambiguous sense of belonging and home in Bavaria. He moved to Hamburg in pursuit of his studies and to lead a life of literary indulgence. After a few years he moved on to the UK where he now lives in a small town in West Wales. He and his partner have three Labradoodles to complete their family.
Christoph worked for the British Film Institute, in Libraries, Museums and for an airline. ‘
The Luck of The Weissensteiners’ was published in November 2012; 'Sebastian' in May 2013 and 'The Black Eagle Inn' in October 2013 - which completes his 'Three Nations Trilogy'. "Time to Let Go", his first contemporary work was published in May 2014, and “Conditions”, another contemporary novel, in October 2014. The sequel “Conditioned” was published in October 2015. His medical thriller "The Healer" was released in January 2015 and his second thriller “The Gamblers” in June 2015. He published two more historical novels “In Search of a Revolution” in March 2015 and “Ludwika” in December 2015.
His latest novel "The Body In The Snow" is his first cozy mystery.
He has written several other novels which are in the later stages of editing and finalization.
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15 comments :
Thank you so much for your kind words and blogging about it. I'm so glad you enjoyed the book. Best
Christoph
x
Another great book review Michele! Certainly sounds like a great book; I love reading these period pieces with the struggles to survive and live through WWII.
This sounds like an really good read!! I'll have to check it out thanks for sharing!
I love reading and I have a wide range of what I like. I'm not ashamed of crying or feeling angry.
Sounds like a good book! Will have to check it out.
Nope. Not for me. I find Holocaust stories too much a reminder of the depths humanity can sink to. When I read, I want my escape to feel good.
This sounds really interesting!
This sounds like a great book to read! Thank you for posting🤗❤️💕
Tis sounds like anothe incredibly awesome book to read.These were hard times during the WW11 period and it's very intriguing to read about how the survivors of this war lasted and made it out.
I love reading historical novels. Especially from this era, such a sad time.
Such a sad time for so many people in Europe. Thank you for your review. Looks like a good book.
I would love to read this one. It sounds great.
Historical fiction is my favorite reading genre. Going on my got to read list!
Sounds like a good book, thanks for the review.
This sounds amazing , thank you for sharing :)
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