German But Not German by J.C. Berger; The Parallels Between Past and Present

 German But Not German by J.C. Berger; The Parallels Between Past and Present 

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: For obvious current Presidential Administration-sized reasons, many people are reading and studying various times of dictatorships, how those under them rebelled and fought the system, the ways and means that the ideals and values that propel such action are spread, and most crucially of all how the dictatorships were overthrown and the important steps to be taken afterwards to rebuild the country and not make the same mistakes of the past and fall under the spell of another dictator.

One of the most obvious examples because it has been shouted out so frequently lately is The Holocaust under the genocidal tyranny of Adolf Hitler. One of the books that illustrates what life was like under that tyranny is J.C. Berger’s German But Not German about a German-Jewish family whose world implodes because of the reign of a former paperhanger and failed art student with a destructive and fatal vision for the continent in which he lived.

Inge Schoenberg is raised in Germany in the 1920’s-’30’s by her frivolous mother, distant father, bickering but charming uncles, and her stern but loving grandparents. Their internal conflicts of changed jobs, school worries, and a frequently absent and eventually estranged wife and mother become minimal as Hitler begins his reign of terror. Many Jewish families are stripped of their rights, detained in mass arrests, forced to obey dehumanizing laws, and are deported somewhere never to be seen again. The Schoenbergs are left with a very important decision, should they remain and stick things out or should they emigrate.

Let's get the elephant in the review out of the way first. Yes, there are a lot of eerie comparisons between what is happening in the book to what is happening right now. Berger not only gives us a deeply personal story about the Holocaust, he expands it by showing how Hitler got his reign started and how it quickly engulfed the entire country, continent of Europe, and threatened to destroy the entire planet. 

Throughout the book, we are given updates about what is going on in a historical context throughout the book. Berger offers not only the historical dry facts, but the perspectives that many had at the time. For example, the publication of Mein Kampf concerned some with the Antisemitic rhetoric but many simply saw it as the ravings of a lunatic, a nobody, someone that no one can or should take seriously. They were wilfully ignorant of what Mein Kampf really was: Hitler's biases for his hatred, goals that he wanted the country to do, and most importantly a master plan of how he wanted the country to accomplish this. It was not the rantings of a madman, it was a cold methodical plan of a hateful person who studied the character of others, knew what buttons to press and what to say to influence them, and a willingness to use other people to carry out those desires. Dare I say it, it was the work of an evil genius that was only recognized as such in hindsight. 

I'm sure many might feel the same about Project 2025, and let's be honest with ourselves, Art of the Deal. Readers didn't take them seriously. They dismissed them. They thought the detractors were exaggerating or part of some conspiracy meant to make the preparers and fans look bad. They didn't want to admit that Art of the Deal point blank explains Trump's behaviors and justifications for his later behavior as a President, someone filled with avarice and heartlessness who only looks at gain for themselves, never apologizes or accepts blame, attacks the critics and accuses others of what he himself is doing, thinks that everything is for sale, and never takes no for an answer. 

These are traits that Trump still inhabits and is often surrounded by Elon Musk and others who also exhibit those traits. We saw and read for ourselves what Trump was really like and instead of seeing Trump as a potential dictator and autocrat, we simply just saw him as an example of 80’s excess. Someone who had power for a time but is now outdated. Others actually took him to be a savvy businessman and thought that his views were admirable. But we didn't see the long term implications that those characteristics that he extolled for business were later used in politics to shape, transform, and change the country to his liking.

Project 2025 was the blueprint for what Trump and his cronies, particularly The Heritage Foundation wanted to accomplish. Many of us read it, recognized it for the plan for dictatorship that it was, and warned people. We highlighted the passages that were particularly problematic and sent messages through social media. We endorsed Harris and other politicians, even Republican ones like Liz Cheney who spoke out against it. We helped people register to vote and made them recognize the importance of voting. We talked about it, warned about it, made videos about it, shared it, and voted against it. 

Unfortunately, we became Cassandra in Greek mythology, gifted with the power of prophecy but unable to make opposing forces listen to or believe us. Most people didn't want to believe it. They told themselves that checks and balances would prevent it. They told themselves that we survived Trump's first term (though not everyone did), so how bad could it be? Maybe some wanted it to happen to gain power for themselves by dehumanizing and criminalizing others. Instead of investigating for themselves, understanding our fears, and working towards keeping it from happening, they chose willful ignorance and the whole country is paying the price. If you don't believe me, then I challenge everyone reading this review to read Project 2025’s manifest for themselves and point by point match their goals and what has already been accomplished. You will see that not only is the Trump Administration following it, it is already looking to exceed the Heritage Foundation's initial expectations. Keep in mind, this is only February, the second full month of the current Administration.

There are other obvious parallels as well. The dehumanization and mass arrests of Jews during the Holocaust can be seen in the dehumanization and mass arrests of immigrants. DOGE’s closures of departments is similar to the Nazi Party reshaping the central German government to make their actions possible without accountability. That also can be parallel to the legislative and judicial branches having a Republican majority to make Executive Orders easier to enforce. Trump chose a Cabinet and advisors that are inexperienced sycophants with criminal and unethical reputations like Hitler chose his inner circle. There are comparisons between the Beer Hall Putsch and January 6 and their aftermaths in which the leaders became convicted felons but served little to no time and still became leaders. Even some parallels between the Reichstag Fire and the Gleiwitz Incident resonate alongside the assassination attempt on Trump. Unfortunately, history runs in cycles and we can either learn from it or make the same mistakes. 

Because of this parallel situation between the past and present, it is very easy for Readers to identify with and understand Inge’s plight. Sure, we may have had familial problems as she did, or other issues related to work or relationships. but they were our individual problems. Under the weight of the traumatic stress of living in a dictatorship, those issues are often cast aside for larger political concerns. 

It is easy to see the confusion, terror, and anxiety when everything around you from schools, to stores, to media, to arts and entertainment sources, to friends and family change to fit the new normal. You don't recognize the world anymore and feel like somehow you landed in some other world. There's a lot of denial and a lack of acceptance clinging to the hope that it will be over soon.

It's also perfectly understandable why it takes so long for Inge and her family to decide to emigrate and for Inge to become proactive in the fight against the Nazis. It's easy to stand on the outside thinking “If it's so bad why don't you just leave.” But then other factors have to be considered like cost, obtaining paperwork and passports, finding employment, living in a new country and getting used to its culture and language, keeping from being stranded in this new place, trying to make new friends, and reuniting with friends and family. They also have to weigh the possibility of whether it's better to remain and fight on the inside, trying to find and retain the values that they once held, even if it means facing prison, institutionalization, sent to a concentration camp, or death. 

Emigration and outright rebellion are not easy decisions to make and this book explores those options. Inge and her family are put through tremendous stress and trauma and some members don't make it. Some have a hard time adjusting to the changing world around them, even when they are safe in another country. They still stand out and have high levels of anxiety and PTSD. Also the older characters are often set in their ways and don't want to adapt. They can only hold onto old times and a nostalgic past while younger characters, like Inge, at least try to find a new path in their current home. In adapting, Inge finds the anger to strike out at those who hurt her family and former country and the courage to serve in the RAF and take a real blow towards those who perverted the world in which she lived.

In reading about the past, Readers can find parallels with the present, recognize the warning signs, learn how to live under such a system, and most importantly become inspired to find ways to fight and rebel against it. I found my way through reading and writing. Now it's time for you to find yours. 

New Book Alert: The Book of Uriel by Elyse Hoffman; WWII Novel Mixes Reality, Fantasy, and Love Between Surrogate Father and Son

 

New Book Alert: The Book of Uriel by Elyse Hoffman; WWII Novel Mixes Reality, Fantasy, and Love Between Surrogate Father and Son

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: When it comes to books about the Holocaust and World War II, Elyse Hoffman's The Book of Uriel is more reminiscent of Markus Zusak's The Book Thief or Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay than many of the other World War II books that I have recently read like Dana Levy Elgrod's The Resistance Lily, Kit Sargent's Women Spies of World War II, Malve Von Hassel's Tapestry of My Mother's Life: Stories, Fragments, and Silences, Warren Court's The Aubrey Endeavors Spy Novels, Suzanne Hayes and Loretta Nyhan's Home Front Girls, Barbara Davis' The Keeper of Happy Endings, Melissa Muldoon's Waking Isabella and Eternally Artemisia, Nikki Broadwell's Rosemary for Remembrance, Ronald H. Balson's Eli's Promise, Mae Adams' Precious Silver Chopsticks: A True Story About a Korean Noble Family, John Hersey's Hiroshima, Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States, Samuel Marquis' Soldiers of Freedom: The World War II Story of Patton's Panthers and The Edelweiss Pirates, Martha Hall Kelly's Lilac Girls, Jeanne Mackin's The Last Collection: A Novel of Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel, and Caroline Moorhead's A Train in Winter: A True Story of Women, Friendship and Resistance in Occupied France.

Unlike most of these books, the darkness and brutal reality of this deadly time is present but in The Book of Uriel, it is mixed with an engaging fantasy that carries a sense of darkness as well. Between the strange dualities of reality and fantasy lies a stirring moving story of a surrogate father and son on opposite sides but drawn to each other by bonds of love.

Uwe Litten is a linguist and translator for the German army. He's not a soldier but his fluency in Polish, Yiddish, Russian, Hebrew, and other languages comes in handy for Major Gunter Brandt as he sends his troops destroying one village after another (assuring Uwe that they are just "capturing enemies of the Reich" of course. Never mind that those enemies seem to be from specific religions, countries, or just about anyone at all). Uwe questions Brandt's tactics but is too concerned about his own safety and his place in the chain of command, which is none at all, to outright object. 

While marching through the Polish forests, Uwe, Brandt, and the German soldiers come upon Zingdorf, a Jewish village completely devastated by Polish forces. Brandt simply looks at the scene as a typical scene of war. Uwe looks on with despair especially when he sees the corpse of a young boy holding a golden notebook. Uwe gently picks up the notebook, reads the boy's name "Uriel", and accompanies the other soldiers on their way while reading Uriel's fantasy and religious stories and sketches of his home life.

After the soldiers leave, something unusual happens. Uriel is brought back to life by the angels, Gabriel and Raphael who have an assignment for him. God's second, the Archangel Michael has been held prisoner by his rival, Samael the Angel of Death. Samael and Michael's rivalry has been ongoing since Biblical days when the two took competing sides with twins, Esau and Jacob. (Samael was Team Esau and Michael was Team Jacob.) However, Michael, protector of the Jews, is missing and the angels don't know where he is. They need Uriel to locate him. Uriel is not the likeliest choice for a hero. He was born mute and can only communicate through writing but he has a second sight that can see angels and otherworldly creatures. Using a stone which grants invisibility, Uriel follows the soldiers. No one can see him but Uwe with whom he begins to bond.

Both Uwe and Uriel are tested in their own ways. Uwe encounters Jewish rebels and Polish partisans who are without food and weapons. He has to decide whose side he is really on. Meanwhile, Uriel meets up with Samael who is not an unreasonable sort of Angel of Death. He will tell the boy where Michael is if he accomplishes five tasks for him. Much of Uwe and Uriel's stories are connected by the various passages that Uwe reads to the young boy from his notebook.

There is so much going on in this book and so much of it done well. The fantasy combined with realism works because the fantasy isn't a light hearted distraction from the starkness of the rest of the book. Neither the fantastic nor the realistic hide the death and hatred that surrounds the characters. Uwe has to deal with the prejudices between the Polish and Jewish groups and their unwillingness to cooperate with each other or Uwe to fight the army that seeks to exterminate them. He has to gain their trust by providing food and finding and sharing a hidden cache of weapons.

Meanwhile Uriel has to deal with some very disturbing images during his tasks. When he is told to get a Book of Blood, he has to pick up the most hateful book that he knows, Mein Kampf, a copy which sheds actual blood on the pages. Another assignment involves him getting the waters from Sheol, while demons of the underworld and his own sins haunt him. Neither Uwe or Uriel's adventures are easy and require great strength and courage. 

The story between Uwe and Uriel anchors these two separate and compelling plots. In some ways, they remind me a great deal of Din Djarin and Grogu from The Mandalorian. (Uriel is especially reminiscent of the nonverbal, courageous, mischievous, but destined for greatness Baby Yoda.) They are a father and son who found each other and filled that aching lonely need in the middle of great political conflict and strife. 

Many of their moments together are heartwarming particularly when Uwe reads from Uriel's book and learns about the boy's former life with his parents, sister, and brother in law. The pages describing Uriel's time in Zingdorf and his stories of God, angels, and folklore characters show the bright, imaginative, curious kid that he is and how he views the world with a maturity that sees more than most kids would. 

Uriel and Uwe's bond as well as their separate journeys are brought together in a suspenseful and tear jerking conclusion. The Book of Uriel is the type of book that brings fantasy and reality together to frighten and disturb Readers. Then they make them cry and warm their hearts.

Weekly Reader: Devils You Know: A Collection by Miles Watson; Short Creepy and Graphic Anthology About A Variety of Devil's

 

Weekly Reader:  Devils You Know: A Collection by Miles Watson; Short Creepy and Graphic Anthology About A Variety of Devil's

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: There is a familiar saying that it is better to deal with the devil you know than the devil you don't. In other words, it is better to engage in conflict with someone because you know their motives and weaknesses rather than someone you don't because they are an unknown entity. 

Unfortunately, Miles Watson's anthology, Devils You Know, reveals that known entities can still produce many shocks and unpleasant surprises to say the least.

As he demonstrated with The Numbers Game, Watson shows that he can craft a masterful short work of suspense and tension, often with unpleasant characters. The Devils You Know takes that talent to frightening several graphic and chilling short stories with some creepy characters who don't mind inflicting supernatural or human terror and violence on the people around them.

The best stories are: 

"Nosferatu"

"The Nazi Vampires" sounds like the plot of a cheesy B horror film. That's not necessarily true. In this case, the story was clearly inspired by classic not at all cheesy A horror films. Since the Nazi Party and the German Expressionism Film Genre were formed during the Weimar Republic, they are often intertwined like some strange twisted destiny that mixes violent prejudicial hatred disguised as politics and art that embraces the dark and shadows. 

This story combines those two elements as Hannibal Raus, an artist and SS officer is afflicted with strange fever dreams while recuperating in a hospital. Upon being told he had plenty of blood, his thoughts turn towards the silent films of his past, particularly Nosferatu, the Dracula silent film directed by F.W. Murnau and starring Max Schreck. The final scene of Raus seeing what he believes is Nosferatu among the Nazi soldiers is eerie. Art and politics combine as it becomes hard to tell the real monsters from the fictional ones.

"The Adversarial Process"

This story is one long extended monologue in which a character rails against God. The Narrator becomes more unhinged as he calls the Deity out for the Biblical inconsistencies and if he could bring Lazarus to life couldn't He do the same to his deceased wife? The Narrator's words become more fierce and angrier as he rails against the silent walls reflecting in his mind an uncaring universe that allows people to die for no reason. 

The Narrator's misotheism is present as he is compelled to commit violence to get God's attention and perhaps find significance in a random disconnected world.

"Pleas and Thank Yous"

The theme of showing true villainy being willing to do what the other person won't is present in this anthology, but it is especially in this story. 

The Narrator witnesses his fellow gang members torturing a victim. After confessing that he always favored the underdog in cartoons (like Tom in Tom and Jerry or Wile E. Coyote), he insists on letting the victim go despite objections from the others.

What seems to be a simple sympathetic move becomes more complex as The Narrator reveals his own lust for violence and proves that he is no different from, and in many ways, worse than his fellow captors.

"A Fever in the Blood"

It's obvious that there are many nowadays who are sitting on the edge filled with stress and anxiety from everyday living. It doesn't take much for someone to finally fall over the side and give into the rage that had been building up.

That is what happens in this haunting and unfortunately all too realistic story. A man starts a chain reaction of violence when he destroys a woman's cell phone. This moment causes others to lash out towards those around them: friends, family, and complete strangers erupting into a riot. The hatred and violence behaves like a virus that catches everyone around them until they turn into a vengeful mob. 

Watson's depersonalization and detachment towards the characters reveal that this is not a justifiable situation, just one that spirals out of control once stress and frustration is unleashed and people give into the anger that they buried.

"The Action"

Similar to "Nosferatu" this story also deals with Nazis, but instead of supernatural horror it veers towards reality. While on duty, an infantry soldier looks after his cousin, Fritz who is at first described as a gentle intellectual.

Among the suspenseful passages describing shootings and military strategies, the real dark heart in the story is how much Fritz changes, according to his cousin. In the final chilling sentences, The Narrator sees the detached murderer that Fritz has become. Maybe here, he realizes that among the many horrors that the Nazi Party inflicted, turning people into monsters was one of them.

"Identity Crisis"

In this day and age of finding one's identity and disposable fame, there are some who want to be known no matter what the cost. This story is a strong example of that.

Billy Verecker reflects on his life while standing outside a YMCA prepared to commit violence. He looks at his life, thinking of his various interests and relationships, trying to find his identity and significance in his life. He never feels like a whole person wondering if these outside trappings reveal the real person underneath.

This existential crisis and bitter and jealous rage drive him to do anything to make his name known. He always felt that he was standing outside and was never really seen or noticed. Well this time will be different, he vows.

This story is drenched in irony as violence is committed, but Billy fails to get the recognition that he desired. Instead his existence ends up becoming the punchline in a cosmic joke.

"The Devil You Know"

How bad is the world when the Devil himself considers packing it in and giving up? That's the question in this story that is a two person conversation between Luke and The Narrator, one of whom is implied to be The Devil.

Far from an evil soul devouring villain, The Devil is written as weary, cynical, and fed up. He is somehow understanding as he considers humanity to be far worse than he could ever be (and judging by the characters in the other stories, he's not wrong). He leaves saying that "humanity doesn't need (him) anymore" that their greed, selfishness, hatred, and violence have surpassed his need to tempt those to do them. It is a truly biting tale to end this graphic book on but fits the tone and theme of the anthology. We don't need to look for the Devil to steal our souls when we willingly give them away.

New Book Alert: Soldiers of Freedom: The WWII Story of Patton's Panthers and The Eidelweiss Pirates (Volume Five of The World War Two Series) by Samuel Marquis; Courageous and Valorous Novel of Some of WWII's Most Unsung Heroes

New Book Alert: Soldiers of Freedom: The WWII Story of Patton's Panthers and The Edelweiss Pirates (Volume Five of The World War Two Series) by Samuel Marquis; Courageous and Valorous Novel of Some of WWII's Most Unsung Heroes

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews




Spoilers: Remember when being Anti-Fascist was a good thing?

Samuel Marquis remembers.


He has written a series of books about World War II and its various battles, figures, and events from different sides.

The fifth book in this series captures two groups of unsung heroes that deserve some long overdue praise. This historical fiction novel which reveals great courage, valor, and sacrifice gives them the praise they deserved.

One group are Patton's Black Panthers, the all-black regiment of tank drivers which were led by General George S. "Old Blood and Guts" Patton himself. The other group are the Eidelweiss Pirates, a group of young German civilians who rebelled against the Nazis by openly defying laws and fighting against members of the Hitler Youth.


This book has three characters, two real one fictional but based on a real person, to divide the narrative into two different stories. Both stories cover many of the same themes of fighting against hatred and bigotry, particularly on one's home front, and come together in one exciting climactic moment.

Of the real life protagonists one is very well known and the other less so and it is the story of the lesser known person (as well as the fictional protagonist) that makes this book. The lesser known protagonist is William H. McBurney, an African-American New Yorker, the son of a WWI vet who cautions his son about enlisting in the war, that he will still face racial discrimination at home. In fact when he first walks into the recruitment office in 1942, the officer tells him that the Air Corps does not accept African-Americans, "It just ain't done," he says. Undaunted and determined to serve his country, McBurney signs up for the armed services tank corps.


McBurney's basic training is a real eye opening experience of what it's like to be an African-American enlisted man under mostly white commanding officers in the 1940's. He and his fellow trainees such as his eventual best friend, Leonard "Smitty" Smith are subjected to discrimination in the town and on base. Many of the white soldiers subject the black soldiers to humiliating actions like forcing them to get outside of a barely crowded bus and walk several miles back to base. In Fort Hood. Central Texas. Even German POW's are revealed to be treated better than the African-American soldiers and subject the black soldiers to abuse without any recriminations from their white captors.

It would make most people say "F$#@ it, these people aren't worth fighting or dying for." But that's what makes McBurney and the rest of the battalion's actions so courageous. They are willing to fight for their fellow Americans despite the cruelty and racism encountered on the home front. McBurney doesn't just want to make history, he wants to change it, so that people can really see what African-Americans can do.

Luckily, McBurney and co. have some very powerful allies in their corner. One is Lt. Col. Paul "Smooth" Bates, their commanding officer AKA, "The Great White Father." Bates is the head of the 761st Tank Battalion, "The Black Panthers." He defends his men from any racist shenanigans, including defending one of them, 2nd Lt. John "Jackie" Robinson (Yes, that Jackie Robinson) when he is set up in a sham court martial trial that is driven mostly by racism. Bates believes in the battalion and is a true father to his men.

The other ally is "Old Blood and Guts" Patton himself. When he asks for a tank battalion and gets the Black Panthers, he says "I don't care what color you are as long as you kill those K*&#t SOB's!" (Go ahead, picture the George C. Scott voice in your head. I know I did.) Patton gives the order and off the 761st go to make history and fight in the Battle of the Bulge and cross the Rhine into Germany.

Another character dealing with prejudice and hatred at home is Angela "Mucki" Lange. Angela is a fictionalized version of Gertrud "Mucki" Koch who was a real life Eidelweiss Pirate. Ever the stickler for historical accuracy, in his Afterwards, Marquis said that he chose a fictional version of Koch because many of the events in Koch's life did not correspond with the narrative of the book. Either way, the Eidelweiss Pirate's story is a great addition to this book of heroism and sacrifice from people with whom many Readers may not be familiar.


Angela is horrified by the actions as many of her fellow Germans join the Nazi Party and commit various atrocities against Jews and other minorities. She particularly despises the Hitler Youth, young boys and their female counterparts, The League of German Girls, children barely in their teens who attack others based on Hitler's teachings. The Pirates are organized according to region. Angela's division of the Eidelweiss Pirates, the Navajos of Cologne operate within the city of Cologne. She and the other Pirates spray paint anti-Nazi slogans on the walls, engage in protest rallies, and fight members of the Hitler Youth. They have code names and meet in secret meetings, boys and girls together (unlike the gender segregated Nazi groups), to sing protest songs and organize large resistance movements. The Pirates are so secretive that they don't know each other's real names nor who is in them unless they recognize their dress, the Eidelweiss symbol on their lapels, or their traditional greeting (which is the opposite of the Heil Hitler salute). This intense secrecy reveals how dangerous a fascist government is when a simple act like speaking out against it has to be so shrouded in secret because of potential arrest or execution.


Angela has good reason to be secretive. Her father Co. Gunther Lange is a widowed disabled former Wermacht colonel. While he hates the Nazis, he continues to serve on the Cologne home guard. He knows of his daughter's activities but turns a blind eye to them for the time being (though cautions her for her safety). The feisty Angela however is ashamed at the savagery and hateful brutality of her fellow countryman and what her country has been reduced to. She continues to fight despite her father's objections and the prying suspicious eyes around her, particularly from her father's army colleagues and the Cologne Gestapo which know of her through her father.

Both McBurney and Angela's stories have many thrilling detailed moments which are suspenseful and heartwrenching, revealing the reality of war. McBurney gets caught in the middle of several battles and loses many of his colleagues. One particular moment which features him suffering tremendous anguish over the loss of a fellow soldier hammers home the thought that the person that just a few minutes ago you were making plans to have a drink with after the war, could disappear just like that.

Always over McBurney's head lies the questions. Will the actions of the 761st Battalion change things for African-Americans at home? When they return to the United States, will they be subjected to the same prejudices? If they are, is America really a country worth fighting for if everyone isn't treated as equals by law or in the eyes of many? These are not easy questions to answer and McBurney tries to let his actions speak for himself revealing that courage and sacrifice are always worth it, even if you don't see the immediate results right away.


Angela's courage is also tested throughout the book. Many of her fellow Pirates, including one who becomes her lover, are tried and face public execution. In a tense moment, Angela has to decide to attend their execution and risk being exposed to the Nazis or staying home and grieve in private, keeping her identity a secret.

She is arrested a few times and brutally tortured to get her to admit being Mucki and revealing the names of the other Navajos of Cologne. Like McBurney, Angela faces these events with valor and bravery.

The book falters slightly when the narrative turns to the most, well, sung of the protagonists: Patton. If you are interested in military history, you might enjoy the confabs between the generals and dry discussions of strategy and battle. But if you are more interested in the personal stories, you might want to skim Patton's chapters. However, Marquis's portrayal of Patton is interesting when the book veers towards the general's quirks and eccentricities. For example he is shown a great believer in reincarnation and believed that he had been soldiers and warriors in all of his former lives such as a Roman legionnaire, a Viking berserker, and a cavalryman in Napoleon's army. (True story too. In fact, he attributed his past lives to his success as a general during WWII.)

He also is written as a blunt outspoken leader with a keen sense of military strategy and a very large ego. In the book, anyway, he has a tendency to turn every battle and meeting into another episode of "The General George S. Patton Show" with other generals, his army, and the enemy as special guest stars


Soldiers of Freedom tells the true story of the 761st Black Panthers Tank Battalion and the Eidelweiss Pirates and brings them to life. They were, as the title suggests soldiers of freedom and heroes who are finally getting the praise they deserved.

New Book Alert: The Last Collection: A Novel of Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel by Jeanne Mackin; Fun, Juicy, Stylish Novel Explores The Rivalry Between Two Fashion Icons

New Book Alert: The Last Collection: A Novel of Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel by Jeanne Mackin; Fun, Juicy, Stylish Novel Explores The Rivalry Between Two Fashion Icons




By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews


Spoilers: The fashion world in the 1930’s was largely ruled by two women: Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel. The two were different in style, politics, private lives, and temperament. So naturally the two hated one another and fought both verbally and physically. However, Schiaparelli and Chanel were two stylish, grandiose, larger-than-life figures who dominated everyone they came near. When they were together, it was a guarantee that sparks would fly. Jeanne Mackin explores the rivalry between the two fashion mavens in her novel The Last Collection, which is a fun novel that is drenched in juicy gossip, catty bitchiness, and elegant style.

In some ways, The Last Collection reminds me of Feud: Bette and Joan, the miniseries which explored the rivalry between Joan Crawford (Jessica Lange) and Bette Davis (Susan Sarandon) and how the two divas argued on the set of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane and off the set. In both, the rivalry between two colorful figures are explored as we learn they are more alike than they realize. What was true for Crawford and Davis is also true of Schiaparelli and Chanel at least through Mackin's writing.

Schiaparelli and Chanel are explored as a study in contrasts in the novel. Schiaparelli, called Schiap by her friends, is a warm, charming, eccentric figure. Chanel is more regal, polished, and standoffish. Schiaparelli favors a more whimsical fashion style using bold colors, embellishments such as animal and musical notes on her clothing, and hats shaped like shoes. Chanel’s look is more formal and sedate with dark colored early-era power suits and elegant gowns. Schiaparelli had one bad marriage and dotes on her sometimes exasperated daughter, Gogo. Chanel has no husband or child but plenty of lovers. Schiaparelli is a liberal socialist who loses clients because she refuses to serve people with Nazi ties. Chanel is more conservative and doesn't mind cozying up to German officials sometimes horizontally.

Despite their apparent differences, the two designers are also similar in many respects. They are both flashy characters who walk into a room as though they own everything and everybody inside. They are both strong-willed women of immense creative talent and business sense. They also share the aesthetic ideal that fashion is more than just pretty clothes and accessories. They see fashion as being indicative of someone's personal style that tells the world who that person is. They are also hot-tempered cutthroats who will do just about anything to get the better of each other.


With their extreme egos, overbearing flashiness, and penchant for drama, the two fashion designers go through extreme lengths in their rivalry. Schiaparelli takes great delight in stealing a high priced client from Chanel. Chanel retaliates by greeting Schiaparelli at a formal event with an embrace. Oh yeah and Schiaparelli is in front of some candles and Chanel can't resist leaning her rival ever so slightly closer to them. Well you can guess what happens next. (Reportedly, this incident was true to life.)

They also take verbal swipes at each other particularly after Chanel starts seeing a man with Nazi ties and Schiaparelli accuses her of being a collaborator. When the Designer Duo are together, one has the urge to call a lion tamer or a boxing match referee to force the two back into their corners until the next round.


Chanel and Schiaparelli are two bombastic larger-than-life personalities that dominate the novel so much that they overpower the other characters. To Mackin's credit, she wrote some interesting characters that contrast with them. Lily Sutter, the narrator, is a mousy recent widow visiting her wayward brother, Charlie, in Paris and gets swept up into the duo's fashion world by working for Schiaparelli as a window display designer, companion for Gogo, and a spy between the two fashion houses. In the process, Lily befriends both designers finding tenderness and vulnerabilities behind their facades.


Lily and her friends are well-rounded characters. Charlie is particularly charming as is his mistress, the elegant and married Ania. Lily also has some sweet moments with Otto, a German musician-turned-driver who is the farthest thing from a Nazi. In working closely with Schiaparelli and Chanel and becoming involved with Charlie's love life as well as her own, Lily learns to let go of her grief towards her husband's death and move on. In another novel, these characters would stand out and be the most memorable aspects. However, Chanel and Schiaparelli leave such a bold presence that everything else without them seems like filler. Heck, Willy Wonka would have a hard time standing out among these two.

The Last Collection is a fun stylish tour de force inside the world of fashion in pre-WWII France. Like an elegant gown, it stands out and just asks to be admired.