The Girl From Berlin - Ronald H. Balson

 

Yet another random purchase at the Founders Club Book Fair this year, the title just struck something in me for no apparent reason, but I picked up a number of things that day for just that reason since everything was quite inexpensive. 

Well written and intriguing, this tells two tales simultaneously - a modern day story of a woman lawyer and her private detective husband attempting to help a widow in Italy from being evicted by a big corporation and, related in some what that we're not told, a tale of a young Jewish woman musician in Berlin during the rise of Hitler. "The girl from Berlin" tells of her rise as a popular violinist as the Nazis take over and start their war of terror on the Jewish people living in Germany. She wins accolades, even from some of the Nazi soldiers, but, obviously, her opportunities are limited, to say the least, in the environment she finds herself in.

Intrigue follows in both the past and present and, as the tales slowly tie together, there is progress and there are horrific consequences for standing up to the oppressors, but in the end there is a happy ending for some, at least.

I enjoyed Balson's writing style and the way he wove the narrative and while the main character wins in the end, it is not without serious repercussions, as happens all too often in real life. Not overly deep or anything, but a good, captivating read.