“Love and Resistance” series by Marion Kummerow
Marion Kummerow has written several novels and today her Love and Resistance in WW2 Germany trilogy will be featured. Marion was interviewed on this site in January. You can read her interview here.
Though fictionalized, Love and Resistance is based on her family’s story. To quote Marion from my interview:
“The idea formed after reading the many letters my grandparents and great-grandparents left behind. It gave me an intimate glimpse into their lives and the struggles of ordinary people during the Third Reich.
It took me several years and a lot of courage to dig into their letters and the official documents surrounding their Resistance work. It wasn’t an easy task, and you can’t imagine how much I cried and laughed and frowned in the process. But I wanted to give them – and so many other unnamed heroes – a voice.”
***The final book in the Love and Resistance Trilogy Unwavering will be released this coming Tuesday, March 28th!***
This book is a must-read for everyone wondering how an entire nation could slide from democracy to totalitarian dictatorship ultimately killing millions of “undesirables” whose only crime was having a different faith, skin color or political opinion.
Berlin, Germany 1932. In a time of political unrest and strife, one man finds the courage to fight back…
Dr. Wilhem “Q” Quedlin, chemical engineer and inventor, lives for his science. A woman is not in his plans—nor is it to be accused of industrial espionage.
But things get worse from there.
Watching Hitler’s rise to power spurns his desire to avoid yet another war that will completely destroy his beloved country. Q makes the conscious decision to fight against what he knows is wrong, even if working against the Nazis could mean certain death for him— and anyone he loves.
Hilde Dremmer has vowed to never love again. But after encountering Q, she wants to give love a second chance.
When Q discloses his resistance plan, it’s up to Hilde to choose between her protected life without him or the constant threat of torture if she supports him in his fight against injustice.
She has witnessed enough of the Nazi government’s violent acts to be appalled by the new political power, but will this be enough for an ordinary girl to do the extraordinary and stand beside the man she loves in a time of total desolation?
This World War II spy story is based on the true events of one couple’s struggle for happiness while battling a war against their own leaders.
A pledge of love and hope paves the way for a tale of courage and resilience…
After Wilhelm Quedlin takes Hilde Dremmer as his bride, his heart is content and filled with love but his life becomes much more complicated. As he’s pulled deeper and deeper into his intelligence work, Q feels as if what he is doing, how he is contributing to the espionage of war, isn’t enough.
More than once he’s ready to give up, but Hilde urges him to continue, to stay true to himself. She quietly bears all the hardship that war has brought to ordinary people like them until one day the unimaginable happens and she too wants out.
But fate wanted them to stay and fight…
Suddenly inspiration strikes: Q devises a plan to cause a devastating blow to Hitler’s regime – assassinate a key player in his organization. One life in exchange for millions of lives saved. In Q’s mind it seems simple but war is always complicated.
Q’s plan may have a rippling affect that could potentially end the war and affect change around the world. But can he go through with it? Does Q have the courage to pull it off? Or will the looming fear that it will not only ruin him but also harm his family cause him to abandon the plan altogether?
***To be released Tuesday, March 28, 2017***
From inspiration to heartache, hope is fleeting as freedom becomes a distant memory…
Wilhelm Quedlin’s plan to change the tide of the war is thwarted when he is arrested. And, making matters worse, with the arrest of his wife, Hilde, the fate of their children is thrown into chaos. The situation is desperate and the circumstances become even more dire when Q finds out who was behind his capture and imprisonment.
Yet hope remains…
In the midst of their situation, Q and Hilde are encouraged when they meet like-minded political prisoners in the penitentiary and rumors of reprieval make the rounds.
Despite darkness and despair looming in the distance, their hope never fades.
Will they evade the inevitable and come out unscathed by the claws of the Gestapo?
***Be sure to look into this series to see what happens with Q and Hilde!
A Conversation with Marion Kummerow
Courtesy of Marion Kummerow
Living in Germany and traveling while she was single, Marion Kummerow decided to write a fictionalized story of her grandparents Resistance work during WWII Germany that has become a trilogy.
Here is a list of some of Marion’s published novels:
Love and Resistance in WW2 Germany Trilogy:
Unrelenting
Unyielding
Unwavering
Pearl Harbor and More: Stories of WWII – December 1941 (A short story contributor)
German Christmas Traditions
The Ultimate Guide to Oktoberfest
JRR: (Jessica’s Reading Room): Tell us a little about yourself.
Marion: My name is Marion Kummerow and I’m living in Munich, Germany with my husband and my two kids.
When I was still single, traveling and exploring new cultures were my main goals. I had a job as consultant where I travelled a lot. And I’d always try to get to know real people and real life, instead of staying inside the hotel.
One of my “funniest” experiences (my friends say most stupid), was to go to a hair dresser in Indonesia to have my blond hair highlighted. Turns out he didn’t have much experience with blondes and I left the salon wearing a bright orange.
JRR: You definitely experience some thing while traveling! You originally lived in Germany then moved around to various other countries before you returned to Germany. What was your favorite country to live in?
Marion: Definitely Colombia, South America. I lived in Bogotá almost five years and had a blast. You may know the country only from the headlines about narcotics trade and kidnapping, but I had a totally different experience. The locals are very outgoing and friendly. They welcomed me into their homes and families and made me feel like I belonged.
JRR: That is great that you had a different experience than what most people expect. What inspires you to write?
Marion: I don’t get inspired to write, I get inspired by writing.
The way how persons, locations, and situations come to life when you put them on a sheet of paper is mind-numbing. I feel like I the story is real, and the characters are my best friends. The beginning of a new book is always dreadful, but once I’m inside the story and get to know my characters, I cannot wait to spend more time with them.
JRR: Did you read a lot as a child?
Marion: I basically devoured all the books I could get my hands on. Our parents would take my sister and me to the library every two weeks and we’d return home with a bag full of books.
JRR: The library really is a great thing! The Love and Resistance in WW2 Germany series is fiction, but based on your grandparents story. What made you want to write a fictionalized version of their story?
Marion: The idea formed after reading the many letters my grandparents and great-grandparents left behind. It gave me an intimate glimpse into their lives and the struggles of ordinary people during the Third Reich.
It took me several years and a lot of courage to dig into their letters and the official documents surrounding their Resistance work. It wasn’t an easy task, and you can’t imagine how much I cried and laughed and frowned in the process. But I wanted to give them – and so many other unnamed heroes – a voice.
JRR: It was definitely a very personal thing you experienced going through their letters and getting to know them in that way. Now, what is the target audience for the Love and Resistance in WW2 series?
Marion: The Love and Resistance in WW2 series follows one couple’s lives over a span of almost a decade. It’s a story about love, courage, bravery, and the unrelenting will to stay true to oneself and one’s convictions.
The target audience for the books Unrelenting, Unyielding and Unwavering are readers who enjoy a saga with some heartbreak, lots of suspense, and glimpses into the lives of ordinary people.
JRR: You also wrote a short story for an anthology called Pearl Harbor and More: Stories of WWII – December 1941 that was recently released. What can you tell us about that anthology?
Pearl Harbor and More is a cooperation of eight authors writing World War 2 fiction. We wanted to write short stories to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Pearl Harbor. Each author wrote their own story, but they’re all set in December 1941, and in some way or another the main characters are affected by that epic event.
My story, Turning Point, is about a German Jew. Margarete Rosenbaum is about to be sent to a labor camp, when a bomb hits the building she lives in. Emerging from the rubble she’s presented with an unexpected opportunity. But how far is she willing to go to save her life?
JRR: That would be a great one to read, especially for those who enjoy short stories. Having been to Pearl Harbor in 2006, that day means so much more now than before. Seeing the Arizona there is a numbing feeling knowing what happened.
Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
Marion: I want to thank you for the opportunity to share my work on your blog. I’m striving to become the best WW2 fiction writer and am grateful for every single one of my readers. Please feel free to reach out and contact me via facebook, twitter, or my website. I love to hear from you!
**Thank you so much for your time for this interview Marion!
Unwavering, The third in the Love and Resistance in WW2 Germany Trilogy will be released March 28, 2017.
Contact Marion:
Website
Facebook
Twitter