Forget Me Not, A Tale of Two Families 1936-1946: Book Five of The Kalvarianhof Series

This is an historic fiction account of two Germany families, good friends for generations, living near Munich, Germany in the period just before World War two to just after the World War. One family, the Levis, are Jewish, their friends the Mathais’s are Catholic. By 1936, when this novel begins, the Nazi’s are imposing their most vicious polices on Jews and any other German citizens that oppose them. In an attempt to save the Levi farm and grand estate called Kalvarianhof from Nazi confiscation, the two families secretly agree to exchange residences. Markus Mathais, a Colonel in the German army but secretly working with the Resistance, moves his family into the Levi farm, and the Levi family, after changing their names, move into the Mathais family apartment in Munich. Since their son Karl Levi is a young man just twenty years old, he is very conspicuous for not being in the army and is in constant danger of being arrested. Desperate to save their son, the Levis insist he go live with a family friend in Lisbon, Portugal, a neutral country. Karl resists moving to Portugal because he is in love with Markus’ daughter, Charlotte Mathais. As times become more desperately dangerous for he and his family, Karl reluctantly agrees to leave Germany on the dangerous journey to Portugal, encouraged by his lover Charlotte. Their ongoing romantic relationship is one of the main emotional themes in the novel. As the war rages on the two families struggle to stay alive during one harrowing misadventure after another. In the meantime, Charlotte is enlisted as a medic on a German Army evacuation train for wounded soldiers returning from the Russian front. Her train is bombed, presumably killing everyone aboard and she is declared officially dead by the authorities, devastating her family. Meanwhile, Karl, with no news from home and desperate to see his lover Charlotte, decides to attempt the long dangerous trip back home through German occupied France. His yearlong trek home involving many adventures and near-death experiences are a major segment in the novel’s overall story. Although ‘Forget Me Not A Tale of Two Families’ takes place during World War Two in Germany, it is not really about the war itself. The novel is primarily about friendship, love and loyalty between and among the two families facing life-threatening adversities. In addition to the everyday threats by the Gestapo police and the Allied bombing, family members working in the Resistance Movement add additional deathly threats to everyone, contributing to the hair-raising fast pace as the story unfolds to a surprising, unexpected resolution. The leading characters in Forget Me Not: A Tale of Two Families the final novel of the five-book series Kalvarianhof, are as follows: Solomon Levi, called Levi in the story, is the patriarch of his family, owner of Kalvarianhof farm and estate. Levi and his wife, Kathi, and their two sons Karl and Issac. Issac was sent off to safety early with the children’s Kindertransports to England. Levi’s father Otto also remains with the family, offering advice to the younger generations. Karl is the leading character in the novel. Colonel Markus Mathais, commander of the village airport garrison and secret Resistance agent, is Levi’s oldest and dearest friend. Lotti Mathais is his wife. Charlotte Mathais is the love interest of Karl. Mary Mathais is the younger sister. Rupert Mathais, eldest child of the Mathais’ and is a reluctant member of the German army. Ulrich is the adopted son of the Mathais’. Doctor Rungi, village doctor and long-time friend of both families. Gretchen, leader of the Resistance in Munich and close friend of Charotte and Mary.

The five novels in the Kalvarianhof series are: Book One: The Perilous Journey Book Two: The Storm That Shook the World Book Three: An Incident in Africa Book Four: How Soon the Flowers Fall Book Five: Forget Me Not: A Tale of Two Families

© 2025 Outskirts Press (eBook ): 9781977284006

Fecha de lanzamiento

eBook : 14 de junio de 2025