Historical
Three young artists in 1930s Germany are torn apart by love, ideology, and war. Years later, haunted by trauma and bound by memory, they reunite at an art exhibition, where past betrayals and enduring connections collide in a final reckoning of conscience, identity, and redemption.
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Families at War is a sweeping tale of love, loyalty, and the brutal legacy of war.
In 1930s Friedrichshafen, a shared passion for art binds English-Jewish Judith, idealistic Matthias, and zealous Hinrich, until Nazi ideology tears them apart. As WWII ignites, Judith returns to England to serve as a wartime nurse.
Matthias, haunted by his love for Judith, fights on the Eastern Front, battling not just enemies but his own conscience. Meanwhile, Hinrich descends into darkness as a sadistic SS officer. Their families, too, are drawn into the maelstrom — some resisting, others complicit. Years later, an art exhibition reunites the trio, each scarred by the past.
Now artists, Judith and Matthias must confront the memories that shaped them, while Hinrich reappears in a guise both familiar and changed. Moving and unflinching, this is a story of shattered innocence, the enduring power of memory, and art’s ability to redeem or destroy.
Here's what readers have to say about this book....
This is a most moving book that tells how the lives of three families from a small Southern German town were transformed and their petty jealousies became hatred. The catalyst for this transformation was the rise of the Nazis and the terrors of the war that was to follow. It covers the complexities of the atrocities experienced by the Jewish population, the privations and conflicts faced by the ordinary German soldier in his wish to survive and how some people were able to manipulate the chaos to their advantage at an horrific cost to others. Well researched and vivid portrayal of the characters.
My preference for a good read is a book well written with a good plot. Where there is factual background it should be well researched and if I learn something new it’s a bonus. It is also important that the characters are well developed. In ‘Families at War’ by Joseph Nicholas Kennedy, all the above are true. I particularly found the family background to the three main characters interesting and how the effects of family life and the political situation of the time influenced their lives. Much of the story reflects the life of two young German officers and how the sights and experiences they witnessed developed their characters. Life in England and the work of the resistance in Europe were also dealt with. The book covers the period from 1938-1953 and covers many aspects of human nature ranging from love, kindness, care to violence, hatred and vengeance. It was a story of war but from different points of view. I would recommend family and friends to read this book.
I found this a compelling read, encompassing a span of events across Europe before, during and after the Second World War through the lives and relationships of well drawn characters. While not sparing the horrors of war, the novel offers redemption and hope through art, kindness and love.
As a professional writer myself, and an editor of both fiction and non-fiction, I rate this book very highly indeed. A strong cast and a cracking tale draw the reader in, and the ending resolution is emotional and stirring.
A gripping account combining fact and fiction during war times; giving insight into personal experiences regarding the entanglements of envy, friendship, love, and hate. Reconciliation? At what cost if at all?
