Why a Booktrail?
WW2, mid 1900s: A unique story set in war torn Germany with a marriage which began with a postcard. A fascinating premise for a wartime story.
The Undertaking
What you need to know before your trail
Peter Faber is a German on the Russian Front. He is desperate to escape his surroundings and so in order to get a week’s leave, he gets legally married to a photo of a woman named Katharina which shocking in itself, was legal and quite common practice in those days it would seem.
But this unusual situation gets even more strange when Peter and Katharina meet, and start living as man and wife…
Travel Guide
Russia – Although a short read, this is one book that jumps on you, wraps itself around your neck and doesn’t let go. We are shown the horrors of war – even the journey that Peter and his comrades make to Stalingrad is hard to read. Shown in utter brutality it is a walk which involved pillaging, rape and the sheer destruction of other people’s warm homes for their own personal use. Very hard to read at times. The cold winter of Russia in January is raw and violent.
Berlin – Katharina lives in luxury and with Nazi connections can be ensured to have some level of protection – at least for a while. However they suffer their own horrors with the men in their family and their war connections. The contrast between the two locations is harsh and stark but represents the two sides to the war well, even if you would not want to go to these versions of the cities!
“Berlin will soon be the centre of the world Mr Faber”
The vast majority of the book is spent with Peter and Katharina being apart – Peter is in Stalingrad whilst Katharina remains in Germany and so they have to maintain their relationship with letters. A stark hard look at distance and war.
Where Next?
