The following is an introduction to a new book,
From the Ashes
by Marion Kummerow
About From the Ashes (Berlin Fractured Book 1)
From the bestselling author of the 'War Girls Series' comes a nail-biting story
about Berlin sliding into the Cold War.
The Third Reich has crumbled and Berlin is governed
by the four victorious Allies.
Werner Böhm, a German émigré to Moscow, returns to
his hometown with the highest hopes for a better future.
Sent by the communist party to bring freedom, wealth
and happiness to the German people, he’s soon caught in a moral conflict
between loyalty to his party and his ideals.
When the woman he loves is in danger, can he take
the plunge and defy the party line to save her life?
Inspired by true historical events, From the Ashes is the unforgettable story
of a tortured man, torn between his ideals, the iron fist of Stalinism and the
woman he loves.
Excerpt:
“In the
past weeks we have taken control of the city,” General Sokolov said.
“And you
have done this well,” Gentner answered.
Sokolov
sent him a dark stare that clearly indicated he did not appreciate interruptions,
not even when they were meant to bootlick.
Werner had
difficulties containing the tiny smirk threatening to appear on the corner of
his mouth. Apparently, Norbert hadn't studied his new superior well enough. He
caught himself at the thought and felt a twinge of remorse. It wasn't the
wisest course of action to feel superior to his boss. Norbert might not be the
iconic superman everyone touted him as, but he still held Werner's political
fate in his hands. His best move would be to fully and completely side with his
boss and back him up at every occasion.
Sokolov
continued his illustration, tracing the map with a sharp pointer. "The
police headquarters, the newspaper, the city hall, the municipal authority
called the Magistrat, and the university are all in our sector, as you can see.
And this is no accident."
Werner
nodded. A well-thought-out plan.
“Furthermore,
we control the surroundings of Berlin including railway routes, streets and
waterways. We also have the sole functioning power station in our sector. If
the Americans arrive in Berlin...”
He said if, not when, Werner thought.
Stalin had meticulously planned ahead for a time after Hitler's downfall. Being
the first ones to reach Berlin had been the key piece for all the others to
fall into place. Swiftly installing communist in every position of the future
city administration -- which was the task of Gentner's group -- would ensure
the Western imperialists wouldn't get a foothold in the German capital.
It was a
brilliant maneuver and once again Warner had to admit that the Great Old Man
Stalin truly was a genius. He was up to every trick and always one step ahead
of the rest of the world. That was one reason why everyone loved, admired, but
also feared him.
My Book Review:
In From the Ashes, Marion Kummerow tells an excellent story including a star-crossed romance.
I thoroughly enjoyed all her characters, even those who behaved atrociously.
The plot kept the suspense and tension level high.
I found that the
historical context of this book filled in a lot of gaps in my understanding of what happened after the end of the second world war. My father
fought in the tail-end of World War II, but by the time I became aware of any
of the history of this era, Germany was divided into four segments governed by
the four allied powers that won the war. Likewise, Berlin was also divided in
four sectors, and the Berlin Wall separated the Soviet-controlled sector from
the other three under the jurisdiction of the United States, Britain, and France.
Although these administrative divisions were agreed to before the war ended, it
is interesting to me to learn more of how the agreement for the post-war recovery of
both Germany and the victorious nations worked in actuality during the first
two years of implementation versus what was originally planned.
Since they
were allies of the other three nations, why did the Soviets conduct themselves
the way they did? Why did the leaders of the other three sectors not take more
assertive action than they did? What did all this mean for the German people? Are the incidences in the book embellished or based on fact? The answers are in the
book.
Anyone who
enjoys reading wartime fiction should enjoy this book. World War Two may
have been officially over, but it was not over. I highly recommend this book.
You may
purchase From
the Ashes from Amazon by
About the
Author:
Marion
Kummerow was born and raised in Germany, before she set out to "discover
the world" and lived in various countries. In 1999 she returned to
Germany
and settled down in Munich where she's now living with her family. She
has written about her German ancestors who resisted the growth and
influence of the Nazi party and paid for it with their lives.
Visit her blog at kummerow.info or her facebook page at facebook.com/autorinkummerow
