New Book Alert: A Shadow Upon His Soul (The WW2 Hidden Lives Series-Book One) by Ophelie Caton; Bleak and Passionate Look at Male Homosexuality During World War II
By Julie Sara Porter
Bookworm Reviews
Spoilers: Ophelie Caton's World War II novel A Shadow Upon Its Soul knows how to capture the shadows in wartime: the shadows of family separation, PTSD, hatred, violence, and of hiding one's real identity and sexuality behind societal standards and unjust prejudicial laws.
Karl, a 17 year old Dane has gone into exile to escape the Nazis who will force him to enlist or be sent to a concentration camp.
Kar then finds himself in England where he is taken in by the Hopkins, a kindly couple whose home hosts other borders and exiles. He becomes fast friends with the Hopkins and their son, Paul but his eye is caught by George, a bad-tempered boarder who has problems of his own.
Emotions run rampant in this book and in a stressful time that is to be expected. Karl is an outsider in many ways, even in Denmark. While it appeared to be a happy home that he left, there were hints that suggested otherwise. Later in the book, we learn that his home life was not a pleasant one. It may be a home that should the war end, he may not be able to return to anyway.
This isolation increases when Karl goes to England and spends most of the book trapped by the language barrier. Since he speaks very little English and they know very little Danish, it's hard for Karl to make his basic wants known. Little by little, he begins to understand his host language and communicates in broken English.
Karl finds a surrogate family with the Hopkins Family, new parents and a surrogate brother in Paul. He also finds a temporary rival in George. At first, George is not happy sharing a room and bed with this foreigner. He acts very nasty and rude towards Karl to keep him at arm's length. He is someone who is angry at life because he is estranged from his family and the only person that he ever loved is miles away and in potential danger.
Karl and George's relationship begins when both are at their most vulnerable. George receives devastating news and Karl is confused about his own feelings to this boarder who alternately hates and loves him. They both suffer from pangs of their pasts and those pains are finally laid open for the other to see. Here they are at their most naked and honest towards each other with all defenses down.
Once they open themselves to a real relationship, Karl and George's problems don't magically go away. In fact, they get worse. Karl has to weigh his options about what he wants to do and realizes that the home that he once knew is no longer a home. George's depression continues while Karl temporarily relieved him of that grief.
Theirs is not a relationship that is built to last but it is one that is meant to change them and bring each other to another level. Karl in particular begins to redefine what the words "home" and "love" really mean.
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