It's Wahoo Wednesday again, this time with author Linda Shenton Matchett, and "The Story Behind the Story of "Love's Belief."
Go, Linda ... I'm eager to hear about this new book from you.
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Late
last year, I read a book called German
Voices, written by a man who was born in San Francisco, German immigrants,
and then moved to Germany with them in 1933, just as Hitler was coming into
power. He was unable to return to the U.S. to reclaim his citizenship until
1949. Reading his story was a moving and eye-opening experience, making me
realize how uninformed I was about the German home front during WWII.
When
it came time to consider the next volume in my Wartime Brides series, I knew I
wanted to locate the story in Germany but was uncertain what aspect of life to
explore. Each book in the series is a retelling of a biblical story set during
WWII, so I searched my Bible for an appropriate story. During my investigation,
I discovered a six-verse narrative in Exodus about Shiprah and Puah, two Hebrew
midwives who disobeyed Pharaoh’s laws to kill male Jewish babies. These women
had no shortage of imagination. When he asked them why they let the babies
live, they said, “The Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are
vigorous and give birth before the midwife can get there.” (NASB).
Because
of German Voices and additional
reading I knew there was a cadre of people within Germany who protected and
saved Jewish people and others considered “undesirables” according to the Nuremberg laws. Some who helped were part of the German Resistance, while
others simply followed their conscience and did what they could when
opportunities arose.
Further
research led me to Nanna Conti, head of the German Midwives Association.
Despite her extreme anti-Semitic views, she made great improvements to the
midwife profession and pre-natal care for mothers, and she was highly placed
within the Nazi organization, unusual for a woman. She played a large role in
ensuring “her” midwives” adhered to the laws.
The
final piece came together when I read about the Rosenstrasse protest that
occurred in Berlin between the end of February and the middle of March in1943. A
group of Jewish men who had previously been protected because of being married
to Gentile women were arrested and targeted for deportation. They were held at
a facility on Rosenstrasse (Rose Street) awaiting transportation. Their wives
showed up in droves and demanded the return of their husbands. They faced down
soldiers and stood for hours in the freezing weather. Word got out of Germany,
and Goebbels realized he had no choice but to release the men.
Combining
actual events from the war with inspiration from the story of Shiprah and Pual,
Love’s Belief shows how one person
can change the world.
About Love’s Belief:
Midwife
Pia Hertz and her mother Sabine have been delivering babies long before the
Nazis came to power. Now, the Third Reich has implemented mandates that require
Jewish babies and other “undesirables” to be killed as part of The Final
Solution. Is Pia’s new faith in Christ strong enough to defy the laws of man?
Despite
the agony of the injury at the Battle of Drøbak Sound that took his arm, Dieter
Fertig is relieved he’s no longer part of Hitler’s army. He returns to Berlin
and discovers Jews are being deported by the thousands. When he realizes the
Nuremberg Laws require his best friend’s baby girl to be killed, he must find a
way to spirit the child out of Germany before the Nazis discover her
existence.
Inspired
by the biblical story of Shiprah and Puah, the midwives who saved Jewish babies
during Pharaoh’s reign, Love’s Belief shows
how one person’s actions can change the world.
Available from:
Amazon:
https://amzn.to/2V6ShRg
Apple
Books: https://itunes.apple.com/book/id1459365377
Barnes
& Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/loves-belief-linda-shenton-matchett/1131299569?ean=9780998526553
About the Author:
Linda Shenton Matchett is an
author, speaker, and history geek. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she was
born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry and has lived in historic places all her
life. Linda is a member of ACFW, RWA, and Sisters in Crime. She is a volunteer
docent and archivist at the Wright Museum of WWII.
Linda's Social Media:
Website:
http://www.LindaShentonMatchett.com
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/lindasmatchett
Pinterest:
http://www.pinterest.com/lindasmatchett
Amazon
Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Linda-Shenton-Matchett/e/B01DNB54S0
Goodreads
Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15140007.Linda_Shenton_Matchett
Newsletter
sign up (receive a free short story): https://mailchi.mp/74bb7b34c9c2/lindashentonmatchettnewsletter
Thanks for hosting me, Peg!
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, Linda! Always happy to have you here. FYI, I downloaded the Kindle book this morning.
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