Novel set in 1930's/1940's Austria, which is the story of young Christa Helmer; her father, the WWI veteran General Helmer, and the young men who are a part of Christa's life: Robert, her childhood friend (soon to be a part of the Nazi regime); Josef, her would-be lover, and Lanier Condon, the American who went to Austria to escape personal demons and fell in love with Christa. Plus, there are all kinds of subcharacters that add flavor to the story.
If you're looking for a great story with well developed characters, and a deeper-than-expected, serious, yet romantic story, I can recommend THE HOUSE OF CHRISTINA. I first read it as a teenager, recently re-read it again, and caught all kinds of nuances I'd missed as a teenage reader. It's even better now than I remembered!
If you're looking for a great story with well developed characters, and a deeper-than-expected, serious, yet romantic story, I can recommend THE HOUSE OF CHRISTINA. I first read it as a teenager, recently re-read it again, and caught all kinds of nuances I'd missed as a teenage reader. It's even better now than I remembered!
Very fine novel, February 27, 2006
Reviewer: SusieQ (New York)
Set in pre-WWII Austria, this is the story of Christa; her father, General Helmer; Christa's marriage to an American writer, Lan, and her relationship with Josef, an enigmatic Jew who is working to thwart Hitler's takeover of Europe. Lurking around the edges is Robert, Christa's childhood friend, who becomes a Nazi, and who will either be the the destroyer or the savior of her family.
This story is involving from the first page; it's partly a romance, but one with more serious undertones than the usual (given the times in which it's set). It's that rare type of novel where we are given the opportunity to really know these characters--the author lets us into their heads & their lives; no one is left out. The kind of book where after you close it, you say, "Damn, that was a good read!" And you wish that the story went on, or that there was a good sequel. If you find it in a used bookstore or your local library, I urge you to read it.
Reviewer: SusieQ (New York)
Set in pre-WWII Austria, this is the story of Christa; her father, General Helmer; Christa's marriage to an American writer, Lan, and her relationship with Josef, an enigmatic Jew who is working to thwart Hitler's takeover of Europe. Lurking around the edges is Robert, Christa's childhood friend, who becomes a Nazi, and who will either be the the destroyer or the savior of her family.
This story is involving from the first page; it's partly a romance, but one with more serious undertones than the usual (given the times in which it's set). It's that rare type of novel where we are given the opportunity to really know these characters--the author lets us into their heads & their lives; no one is left out. The kind of book where after you close it, you say, "Damn, that was a good read!" And you wish that the story went on, or that there was a good sequel. If you find it in a used bookstore or your local library, I urge you to read it.
