It is said a mind is a terrible thing to waste. It is also said fact is stranger than fiction. I may be living proof that the former is not always true, but the part of about fiction being harder to write than real life is without doubt a fact.
When not noodling about in an effort to figure out what poor Kat or Caitlin are about to to next, I am always on the hunt for a good storyline to follow when I'm ready to take up my next challenge. In this case, I found one in the life of Solomon Perel, an orphaned Jewish-German boy who fled Nazi persecution. It was depicted in the movie 'Europa, Europa.' It's another one of my tales from the dark side of the TG spectrum. While there will be no gratuitous sex or violence, it will trend toward the grim side given the setting in which it takes place.
I don't expect many to read it since there'll be no unicorns, fluffy furies of undisclosed gender or trips to the mall. Despite that, I hope it will be an intriguing story.
Nancy Cole
www.nancycole.org
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by
Nancy Cole
In 1935 many in Germany saw the rise of Adolf Hitler as the answer to their prayers, for here was a man of vision, courage and determination who was ready to lead his people out of darkness and into the light by reclaiming Germany’s rightful place as a world power. Among them is young Hans Koch, a boy of nine who longs to be part of this new world order. It is a dream, however, that is denied Hans for he, like his father, is a Jew.
When the opportunity to escape his past, to put his heritage behind him and join others his age in building a new and stronger Germany comes his way, Hans does not hesitate to seize it even though the cost of doing so is incredibly steep. The need to deny a religion that to Hans has brought nothing but grief to him and his father is of little consequence to the boy. Doing so by assuming the role of a girl, on the other hand does present him with a dilemma that cannot be easily ignored, for females in Hitler’s new Germany are discouraged from taking on any role other than that of mother and spouse. Still, in the eyes of a nine year old anything is better than the persecution he has to look forward if he does nothing.
By a simple twist of fate, Hans is taken in by Lena Richter, the wife of a rising star in the SS. Determined to make the best of his new circumstances, Hans, renamed Hanna by Lena, throws himself into the role, helping Lena with her chores and caring for the woman’s one year old son. Hanna’s acceptance as part of the Richter’s household is greatly aided by her blond hair and striking blue eyes, proof according to Hauptsturmfürher Ernst Richter of her pure Aryan heritage. This, along with the girl’s academic excellence and athletic aptitude becomes a source of pride for the ambitious SS officer. When Lena Richter dies in childbirth, Hanna gladly takes up the challenge of being a surrogate mother to Richter’s two children.
Hanna’s idyllic, if precarious existence begins to unravel when in 1942 Ernst Richter is assigned the task of establishing a labor camp in occupied Poland. It is there that Hanna is confronted with the terrible truth of what Ernst Richter and the men she has come to admire have been up to. In doing so she come to terms with her heritage, an appreciation that in time leads her to atone for her conduct by doing what she can to ease the suffering of the concentration camp inmates, an effort that opens a rift between her and her adopted family. As the end of the war nears and Ernst Richter is ordered to destroy all evidence of German war crimes, Hanna throws caution to the wind in an effort to save as many of ‘Her’ people as she can.
Fluffy Nazis
This sounds excellent. Not a "fun" story but an important one, a page from history that I've heard it said has been covered enough, to which is say "BULLSHIT!". And it raises issues of conscience that are timeless and universal, being centered on a dark-as-it-gets ethical dilemna, where to do the right thing probably equals a death sentence, but the cost of complaisance is even higher. Bring on the gravitas Nancy, I think furries + unicorns are well covered here at BCTS
(like my next wacky chapter featuring alien investigators known as the Men Without Hats, talking dogs + portable holes...)
~hugs, Veronica
Absolutely
That is a subject that can never be overdone. I don't write unicorns either....but narwhals might appear.
Interesting.
An interesting idea. I'd certainly read it. I've always enjoyed historical TG fiction and you're pretty much the only one who writes it and you write it well. You seem to have a knack for covering aspects that many people ignore and gloss over because it isn't how they learned their history in secondary school.
This is certainly a sensitive topic and I'm looking forward to seeing how you handle it.
If you can handle this
-the rest of us have the furries and unicorns under control. Okay I've got the Dragons covered at least. :)
hugs
Grover
Count on me as a reader,
Count on me as a reader, Nancy.
Kris
{I leave a trail of Kudos as I browse the site. Be careful where you step!}
Kris
{I leave a trail of Kudos as I browse the site. Be careful where you step!}
I have written about unicorns, but love your stories, too
My four posted stories are all in shalimar & Jenna Hitch's Little Kids Kamp universe, where magic and unicorns exist, so I had to include such things.
But most of what I read and edit are not in the fantasy genre.
I read everything you have posted here, Nancy, and have purchased some of them as well.
Keep up the fine story telling.
Holly
It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.
Holly
The Al Stewart of BCTS
I always liked Al Stewart's style, he bucked the mainstream folk rock and sang ballads that sometimes taught us a little bit of history.
I really did like your one start into sci-fi and wish you had gone further.
I always look forward to reading your work. What you write is refreshingly real, nothing gratuitous, no magic, foo foo, or intersex fantasies.
There is nothing wrong with those other things and for each of them there are some terrific examples on this site. What you write is uncommon, fresh and has depth.
Thank you Nancy.
Good Setting
This being one of the times of history I have a great interest, of course I would like the idea. But moreso, I have so enjoyed reading Caitlin that I believe you will write a very good story in this background.
Thank you for what you do.
JoAnne Petti
JoAnne Petti
A LOT of potential...
One question I'd have is how does Herr Richter NOT know of Hanna's past, or at least some of it?
Sounds like a story line with a LOT of potential - with several intermediate climaxes... And, a very difficult ending.
Thank you - I hope you share this.
Anne
That is one hell of a story,
Do it justice Nancy! i'll read it.
Diana
Nancy, this sounds like a
Nancy, this sounds like a really interesting story plot.
When I was stationed in Germany in the 60's and 70's, I had several opportunities to visit and go through Dachau concentration camp, (located outside of Munich), and where the Nazi regime tried a lot of their future methods of exterminating millions of people. In the 60's, the camp was still very much as it was at the end of WWII. In the 70's, the camp had been 'cleansed' somewhat, yet enough was left to give a visitor a true view of the horrific activities that took place there. One thing that stuck in my mind, even to this day, is a comment made to me and a couple of my friends who were there with me in 1963. The American MP at the entry gate told us that he had been there for almost 18 months, and in that period of time, he had NEVER seen any bird land in the yard. They would land on the fence surrounding the camp, but NEVER drop down into the yard. His personal belief was that they understood the atrocities and death committed there and because of that, they would not land in the campgrounds. Don't know if that is still the case.
Thank you,Nancy,
ALISON
'you can put me on your list as I grew up in this period of "Man's inhumanity to man" ,a part of
history that cannot be ignored and I know that you will do it justice.
ALISON
seconded, thirded, etc.
Nancy, as others have allready stated, you have a very powerfull storyline here. And I am allready looking forward to it. Your past publications have established you as a top-rated author for realistic historical fiction.
Please post this story for our learning and enjoyment.
Jessica
I shall DEFINITELY read it
As with everything you write, your research is excellent and I learn so much more than our ineffectual history teacher at school was allowed or inclined to impart.
This is a subject that can never be over-exposed; mankind's cruelty to mankind must be always at the forefront of our minds and should give us pause if, for any reason, we desire to dominate others.
As has been said, "Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it."
S.
The biggest lesson that history teaches us ...
Is that nobody ever learns the lessons of history.
If you want a modern example ...
Look to Palestine and the treatment of the indiginous Palestinian people by the Zionist Israeleis.
The Palestinians are the last victims of Hitler. (Think about it.)
Growing Old Disgracefully
At an LGBT Excellence function with the wedding cake we cannot have.
Nan. Before you write this story ... if you can ...
Before you write this story ... if you can and if you get the opportunity ... go to Auschwitz.
I went several years ago, I had to for several vitally important (to me anyway,) important reasons.
The whole experience brings it home to you and leaves an immensly deep and lasting impression.
I suspect that there are very few who could write a story based upon the death camps without first immersing themselves in the horror that still seems to pervade the place. It is truly a very, very spooky location, especially amongst the demolished larger ovens near the forest where the Nazis blew the ovens up to try and hide the horrors of their crimes. And, yes; there does seem to be a dearth of birds and birdsong in these places. We had been warned of this before we went and the story seems to have some credibility. Neither Helen not I heard any birds in Auschwitz or more correctly, Berkenau 2.
You Nancy are possibly one of the few who could convey the awful horror surrounding those times and places ... but I heartily recommend that if you can go there first, then do. The experience will strengthen your story a thousand fold by giving you a sense of rage, disgust, legitimacy and purpose. Do not forget that aside from six million jews and over a million Russian prisoners of war, tens of thousands of gypsies and homosexuals were also murdered in those ghastly places.
The medical experiments section caused me revulsion and I actually vomited at one point in Auschwitz. (Not surprising really.) My wife had to escort me out of there and it was fully an hour before I could resume my visit.
Once again Nancy, I heartily recommend that if you can bear the cost of travelling, go there first. A visit, coupled with your impeccable narrative skills should produce a creditable, story.
I for one, will look forward to it.
XZXX
Beverly.
Growing Old Disgracefully
At an LGBT Excellence function with the wedding cake we cannot have.
It's hard to know what words to use...
...to say I'm glad or that I look forward to your story would somehow be almost inappropriate. For my part, it goes without saying that whatever you've written, either in collaboration, or certainly solely your own, your work is always something to look forward to. But this? Painful anticipation would better describe how I feel about this. Of course the story will feature the meticulous attention to detail I've come to expect, but this will be so, so hard to read because many of the people you introduce me to I will grow to care about only to see them hurt by the evil of the times. Thank you for sharing this portion. And thank you for your work.
Dio vi benedica tutti
Con grande amore e di affetto
Andrea Lena
and then you still have to decide what to do. ― C.S. Lewis
Love, Andrea Lena
Nancy, since when have your
Nancy, since when have your stories had any unicorns, fluffy furies of undisclosed gender or trips to the mall?
And yet we devour your stories. Why? Because you do what no one else does, which is to give us pain by making us fall in love with your characters and doing Bad Things to them, errr, I mean to write historically rich, educational, and poignant stories that make us think, reflect, while also providing entertainment. That is valuable, and I believe I don't just speak for myself when I say that I want to read more Nancy Cole stories.
Including this one.