The Center of Gravity
By Patricia Brandon
A young woman is tricked into service as
a food tester for Adolf Hitler in his secret Wolf's Lair, where she will endure
yet another atrocity. A French professor, whose best friend is a Jew fighting
in the Alsatian Resistance, is forced to assist in the Nazi reconstruction of
the priceless Amber Room in the Konigsberg Castle. All hide dangerous secrets.
When their worlds collide, high risk plans for escape are made, with the
unlikely help of the anti-Nazi brother of Hermann Goering. But will the darkest
of secrets remain hidden, or will lives be forever changed when the truth is
finally revealed?
"Evil often initially masquerades
as gray, not black and white..."
Germany would be a great nation now that Adolf Hitler was at the
helm. Look how successful the Olympische Sommerspiele of '36 had been,
and that was only the start.
The signs had been there, of course. Sonne Becker's father had
seen them, but even he did not know how far the Nazis were willing to go to
achieve their aims.
Rainer von Bauchelle and Josef Taffel had been friends for as
long as they could remember. Nothing could change that. Nothing. Not even the
Nazis as they marched into Alsace, France and spread their propaganda of hatred
and division. But while Josef, a Jew, joins the Alsatian Resistance, Rainer
must play a different type of game. He is forced to befriend the enemy, work with them. He does not want to. But, he has no choice.
Hitler had blue eyes. Sonne Becker had always thought them
black, like his soul. But no. They were blue. She would never forget the colour
of his eyes, or what that chance meeting would mean for her. Sonne's life was
no longer her own, and nor it seemed, was her body.
From the early days of Hitler's chancellorship to the
devastating consequences of the Second World War and beyond, The Center of
Gravity by Patricia Brandon is the gripping yet harrowing account of two lives
torn unmercifully apart by the Nazi Regime.
Brandon has penned a deeply moving story of betrayal, deceit,
sacrifice, and loss. This emotionally charged story paints a graphic
portrait of what life was like for those who found themselves as disposable
pawns in a game they never asked to play in the first place. Sonne experiences
the horrors of Hitler's Wolf's Lair, whereas Rainer has to pretend to be
submissive when he really wants to shout out his hatred. But along the way, both Sonne and Rainer
discover that even in the darkest of moments, there is a reason to hope. For
help can come from the strangest and most unlikeliest of places — an SS Officer,
and the brother of Hermann Göring.
Sonne's struggle for survival haunts me. Brandon has taken a
woman with so much promise, with youth on her side, and placed her in a
situation where she cannot save herself nor can she fight. Her fears and her
struggle for survival was incredibly moving. But her suffering does not end
when the war does, nor does it end after the Nuremberg Trials. What happened to
her affects her for the rest of her life. I found myself in tears on more than one occasion.
Rainer's war is a little different from Sonne's. He is recruited
by the Nazis to recreate the Amber Room in
Konigsberg Castle. His acts of defiance are small — unbeknown to anyone
he wears the Star of David, a gift from Josef. But he soon comes to realise
that not everyone who raises their hand and greets with a "Heil
Hitler" is as loyal to the Party as they seem to be. I thought
Rainer's character was masterfully portrayed.
There are several supporting characters in this book, but I
thought the portrayal of Albert Göring was sublime. Albert is one of those
unsung heroes of World War II. Unlike his brother, Albert was not seduced by
the Party — in fact, he despised it. Albert saw through the parades and
the banners and the slogans. He saw the Nazi Party for what they were. Albert
was vehemently opposed to Nazism, and he did everything he could to help Jews
and others who were persecuted escape. Albert has been shoved into obscurity by
the depravity of his brother's crimes, so it was wonderful to read a book that
celebrated his achievements. Kudos, Ms Brandon.
The historical detailing has to be commended. I have tutored
Modern European History for a number of years, and the rise of the National
Socialist German Workers' Party has always been somewhat of a speciality.
Brandon has paid very close attention to the historical sources and eye witness
accounts. I thought her portrayal of Wolf's Lair and the plight of Hitler's
food-tasters was fabulous. The story of these 15 women who were forced to test
Hitler's food before it was considered safe for him to consume is not something
that is often discussed. But
these women faced death every day, and the emotional damage must have been
horrendous. Brandon has shown this in all its horrific detail.
I thought this was an absolutely fabulous book, and there is a
surprising twist at the end, which I didn't see coming. Fans of tautly gripping World War II fiction will undoubtedly enjoy The Center of Gravity.
I Highly Recommend.
Review by Mary Anne Yarde.
The Coffee Pot Book Club.
Pick up your copy of
The Center of Gravity
Patricia Brandon
Patricia Brandon is a winner of a Carrie McCray Memorial
Literary Award and the author of In The Valley Of Achor, her poignant, gritty,
and inspirational story of her first year after facing sudden paralysis of her
legs. She no longer plays tennis (yet!), but is writing, working on guitar and
mountain dulcimer skills, and traveling with friends when she can. She hasn’t
given up in the fight to regain her ability to walk!
Congratulations on your award, Patricia!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Penny! Would love to know what you think!
DeleteCongratulations Pat!! I am so proud of you. You have Always had a wonderful way with words!!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!!
Delete