World War II encompass all of these components. And they also fill the life of the hero in a new book by debut author, Lee Carver, A Secret Life.
From Lee’s website:
Jewish and American blood course through a German aristocrat. A traitor to both armies, he must confess to his nation and his bride, or she will bear another man’s name.
This book follows the story of the latter days of the war from a unique, firmly German, perspective.
Karl von Steuben, son of a well-respected German financial manager, has a secret hidden in his elaborate house and his renowned ancestry. His mother is from an American family. A Jewish-American family.
But the soldiers that collect him from the street don’t ask about that. Nor do they give any attention to the papers he carries. The official documents that claim him more valuable in his father’s financial institution than as a soldier on the front lines. No. The toss him in a training camp, dress him as a soldier, and congratulate him for volunteering to serve the madman known as Hitler.
Lee Carver has created two stories within the bindings of one book. First is the military/historical drama. The pain and tragedy of war—particularly this war. The human element, that can so often be lost in the statistics of the dead and injured, comes alive in the events of Karl’s life and in the lives of his family members. The more the circumstances twist, the more inconceivable the prospect of any sort of happy ending.
And if you’ve seen many of my reviews, you know I’m a sucker for happy endings.
But about halfway through the book, the story takes on new elements. Hope, Love, Grace. The romance that results is tender, though it makes for placing this book in a genre rather difficult. Is it military fiction or romance? Probably Historical fiction would be the best choice.
With vivid descriptions, in depth research, and a plot line that spans years and continents, A Secret Life offers a lasting impact.
Your turn: What stories or memories do you have of World War II?
Marji Laine 
2014/October at 9:42 pm
My stories or memories of WWII? At newly-69, I’m among the oldest in our ACFW chapter. I was born in 1945, the year WWII ended. By the time I had any awareness of the outside world, the worst was over, but the war was still in every newspaper headline. Everyone talked about the war constantly–except for the soldiers.
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2014/October at 10:09 pm
Ha! I guess I should have clarified. What memories or stories have you heard! LOL! I have little stories from grandparents. My grandfather was a stateside air-raid warden – 4F because of his hearing troubles. My other grandfather served overseas, but I don’t know where. His wife worked in a military factory during the war years. She was feisty, so it doesn’t surprise me.
I will say, I’m blessed to look backward on that war and hope I never have to live through something so horrendous!
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2014/October at 4:59 pm
Sounds intriguing. Thanks.
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2014/October at 6:44 pm
Thanks for stopping by, Julie! Have a blessed week!
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