The Violin Maker’s Daughter is a coming-of-age story of a young girl confronted with the
vicious reality of the Second World War. It is set mostly in Alsace, a French
province on the border to Germany which, annexed by the Third Reich at the
start of the Second World War, became the very last part of France to be
liberated. In fact, the final German attack for the possession of Alsace was so
powerful, so savage, it could all have ended badly for the Allies—so determined
was Hitler to regain the province he considered part of Germany. It’s here that I chose to begin my story; to
launch my main character on a perilous journey that will turn her world
upside-down, and force her to grow from a frightened girl into a brave, strong
woman.
The story centres on Sarah, an 18-year-old
Jewish girl who must flee her home and family to find safety in France. Sarah
has been protected and sheltered all her life and has practically no experience
of the world—she is the very antithesis of the street-wise, kick-ass heroine so
popular today, as she has almost never left the safety of her home. Most of
all, she does not understand people. She does not know whom to trust and whom
not to—everyone is black-or-white, French good, German bad. As a result, she
makes one crucial and shocking mistake; a blunder that not only jeopardises the
Resistance movement but risks the capture and execution of Wehrmacht deserter
Ralf, the love of her young life.
But Sarah is a quick learner and the
enormity of this mistake shakes her into full awareness and spurs her into
action. She must atone for what she has done, and this means summoning all her
strength and courage: to train as a spy and enter Germany on a perilous mission.
Doing so, she can play a part in the final victory of the Allies.
Alsace today is a charming province: green,
rolling hills covered in vineyards, picturesque villages out of a Grimm’s
fairy-tale. It’s a part of France very
close to my heart, as a good friend of mine lived there until she died, aged
102, and I visited her often when I was studying in Freiburg, a charming German
town close to the border.
Amazon Buy Link:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Violin-Makers-Daughter-Absolutely-heartbreaking-ebook/dp/B07RV34JND/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2K4F1RQON4HQT&keywords=sharon+maas&qid=1566202541&s=gateway&sprefix=sharon+maas%2Caps%2C195&sr=8-2
Sharon Maas is the author of eight novels of historical fiction. She has lived in Germany for 43 years. She now lives in Ireland.
Website: https://www.sharonmaas.com/
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