THE GIRL FROM BERLIN

 

THE GIRL FROM BERLIN BY ELLIE MIDWOOD         26.5.23

 

THE GIRL FROM BERLIN BY ELLIE MIDWOOD         26.5.23

 

The Girl from Berlin is a fast-paced and utterly enthralling novel that chronicles the years leading up to World War II through the eyes of a young ballerina, Annalise Meissne. Germany in the year 1943 was in a mess under Hitler.Continued bombing by the allies was reducing Berlin into a rubble. On the other side the extermination of the jews in the concentration camps was reaching its peak. Already 3 million jews were gassed or shot. In the midst of this destruction Annalise who performed as a ballerina came to the realization that this persecution of the jews was unjustified. Annalise was beautiful. She had long hairs and a magnetic smile. But she held a secret. She was a jew . Everybody around thought she was a Aryan German.

She married Heinrich Friedmann who was working in the security deptt of the Gestapo . After a while they both started working for the US intelligence. They passed secret information to the US intelligence

 which could help the persecuted jews .

The real story starts when she starts working as a secretary to  Ernst Kaltenbrunner the head of the dreaded Gestapo.

Kaltenbrunner was a intimidating figure. He was around seven feet tall and his dreadful face had ugly scars. His outer demeanour did not however reflect his inner nature. As a secretary to the Gestapo head Annalise has access to all the confidential documents and used to copy them and send to her US contacts.

Kaltenbrunner became obsessed with Annalise . Finally he succeeded in making her fall for him. Annalise started loving him passionately even though she was married.

In May 1945 Germany was defeated. The Nuremberg trials began and Kaltenbrunner  was sentenced to death by the international jury. In Oct 1946 he was hanged. Annalise was heart broken but would search for happiness while nursing the boy which she had from Kaltenbrunner.

There is a final twist to the story which would surprise you.

The story is based on actual events.

Do  read this absolutely fabulous book .

 

ASHOK KUMAR

JUSTICE OR MURDER 26.4.23

 

                

 

JUSTICE OR MURDER                         26.4.23

 

On the night of 23^rd April two mafia dons Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were shot down by three persons while being escorted by the police for medical checkup in Prayagraj. Some say it was justified and some say it was unlawful. I don’t want to go into the politics of this . I just want to analyse the issue .If some enemies of theirs killed the dons then the matter ends. But if it was a planned murder with the connivance of the police or the state or both then it is a matter of concern. I only state below facts which came to my notice through the media and leave upon you to draw conclusions.

1. Why were they taken for a medical examination at 10.30 PM? The gates of the Naini jail where they were lodged closes at 6PM. They should have taken them in daytime.

2. They had already expressed the fear earlier that they would be killed. Keeping this in view a doctor could have been arranged to visit the jail premises for a medical checkup.

3. Why did the police van carrying them was stopped at the outer gate of the hospital and not went inside and parked. This  would have prevented them from walking and becoming target of someone lurking around to shoot them.

4. How did the killers know that Atiq  and Ashraf would be at the gates of a particular hospital at 10.30PM. How did the killers knew that media would be there so that they disguised themselves as reporters with camera and mikes. Indeed how did the media know that they would be reaching there at 10.30PM. The information was obviously leaked out.

5.The shooting lasted for 22 seconds and 14 rounds were fired without a single shot fired by the police in retaliation .Was it not the duty of the police to save the prisoners in their custody and to fire at the killers. It was posse of 17 policemen and they all stood  gaping at the killings as if they were under orders not to interfere.

6. The killers attacked with a Turkish pistol the cost of which is about 7lakhs.

Obviously these costly pistols were supplied to them by someone who wanted the job done

Decide for yourself whether it was a planned job or just a random killing .

 

ASHOK KUMAR

 

HILDA

 

She was wearing bottle-green velvet that set off the pale green of her eyes. The dress was cut low, went in tight around her very narrow waist and stayed tight going down all the way past her knees. She featured pearls around her throat and in her ears and on her wrists. He thought, You gave her pearls for her birthday and Christmas and you wanted to give her more for the first wedding anniversary. But she betrayed. After 10 years in jail he came back to ask her why?

He stood there counting off the seconds. It was four seconds and then the door opened. It opened wide and Hilda’s mouth opened wider. Then she had her hand to her mouth and she was stepping backward.

“Hello, Hilda.” He came into the kitchen and closed the door behind him.

She took another backward step. She shook her head and spoke through the trembling fingers that pressed against her lips. “It isn’t—”

“Yes,” he said. “It is.”

Her hand fell away from her mouth. The moment was too much for her and it seemed she was going to collapse. But somehow she managed to stay on her feet. Then her eyes were shut tightly and she went on shaking her head.

“Look at me,” he said. “Take a good look.”

She opened her eyes. She looked him up and down and up again. Then, very slowly, she summoned air into her lungs and he knew she was going to let out a scream. His hands moved fast to his coat pocket and he took out the knife and said quietly, “No noise, Hilda.”

She stared at the knife. The air went out of her without sound. Her arms were limp at her sides.

From the story “Black pudding” by David Goodis

Illustration by ASHOK KUMAR

 

A TALE OF UNENDING LOVE-AUSCHWITZ SYNDROME BY ELLIE MIDWOOD

 Frankly speaking I never heard of Ellie Midwood before. One day I was strolling in a pavilion in the Delhi book fair when my eyes fell on this book on display. Since it was by a author who I have never read, I decided to try it. I was absolutely stunned when I read this book. And what a book it is. I was glued to it for several days and it left a indelible impression on my mind. This is a heartbreaking, devastating, soul-wrenching narrative based on the true story of a Jewish prisoner at Auschwitz who was twice supposed to meet her death in the gas chambers and the SS soldier who saved her. Their love story is a testament to the power of hope in the darkest of times.

1942 Auschwitz concentration camp. Scores of Jewish women were deported from various parts of Germany occupied territories to be murdered in the gas chambers. Among them was Helena Citrónová. She was to die on 22^nd march 1942. On the night of 21^st March the SS was going to celebrate the birthday of their Commandant Franz Wunsch. Helena was ordered to sing in the function. It was there that Franz saw Helena and instantly fell in love with her. When he learnt that she was to die next day he ordered her to be shifted to the Kanada section of the camp.

The Kanada warehouses, also known as Effektenlager or simply Kanada, were storage facilities in the Auschwitz concentration camp in German-occupied Poland during the Holocaust. The buildings were used to store the belongings of prisoners, mostly Jews who had been murdered in the gas chambers on arrival. Life here for the inmates was comparatively easier. They used to get decent food.

Their duties involved sorting the items. Occasionally they would find costly items and sometimes cash which they used to pocket and later on trade it with the Sonderkommandos in exchange for food and better facilities.

Franz belonged to the elite Hitler SS corps and would have been shot immediately if the fact that he was in love with a Jewish girl ever came to light. He used to visit the camp where Helena used to work as a prisoner and surreptitiously used to glance at her with eyes brimming with love. Helena understood the message but she hated him. The SS was responsible  for the death and destruction heaped on the Jewish people including her family. She shrugged his advances.

Later on in the story she contacts typhus. There was no hope for her survival. At this crucial time Franz hid her in his office and tenderly cared for her at a great risk. She survived.

Finally his unending love won. Helena fell in love with Franz.

1945 Germany. Germany was liberated and inmates of the camp were sent to resettlement  centers. Franz Dahler was sent to a detention center . Both were separated . After his release Franz searched for Helen for 2 years and finally found her and married.

This is a story based on true facts. Ellie Midwood writing skills and portrayal of events is par excellence.

Once you start the book you would not put it down till you reach the end.

A REVIEW BY

ASHOK KUMAR