An expressive, fascinating, and convincing glimpse into 1930’s America just before the Second World War. As the Nazi regime takes hold, 30 year old widower Christoph leaves Germany for a new life as a singer on Broadway, however he has left behind ties that will bind him to the events that unfold. Richard Aronowitz has a family history that inspired him to write this novel, looking from the present into the past, the simplicity and sincerity of the writing sets the story, and a stark warning free. This is an intimate tale, we witness Christoph’s triumphs and heartbreak, a flawed man, yet he offers hope. Within Christoph’s tale links to the wider world are unchained, a Nazi group in America, bully and strut their way across the pages, letters arrive from Germany, full of fear and uncertainty. ‘An American Decade’ set on the brink of a horrifying history, rattling thoughts and feelings, is a compelling, striking read. ~ Liz Robinson
An American Decade is a novel that connects the current political climate with that of the tumultuous 1930s; a decade in which the world was changed forever.
After the death of his wife, Christoph leaves Germany in 1930 and eventually finds success as a singer on Broadway. As the decade unfolds he witnesses the rapid rise of American organisations sympathetic to Hitler. The ominous presence and popularity of these far right groups become a constant reminder of his inaction. As the human horrors of Nazism close in he is forced to act and sets sail across the Atlantic in search of a hidden piece of his history. Evocative, heartfelt and beautifully written, An American Decade is a must-read novel for those who recognise the enduring impact of history and human frailties.
'A fine novel about an emigre German singer at large in the America of the 1930s, in which Richard Aronowitz displays his characteristic ability to mingle the slow unravelling of ordinary lives with the ebb and flow of world events. I greatly admired it.' -- DJ Taylor
Author
About Richard Aronowitz
Richard Aronowitz is the highly regarded author of Five Amber Beads and It's Just the Beating of my Heart. He works for Sothebys where he heads the restitution Department. He was formerly a director at the London Jewish Museum of Art. He lives in Oxford.
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