Crooked Cross

De: Sally Carson

Narrado por: Stephanie Racine

"A remarkable novel: chilling, compelling, contained..." The Times

"...warrants a permanent place in the growing canon of World War Two literature." Clare McHugh, BBC Culture

It is Christmas Eve 1932, and the Kluger family are celebrating at home. Their only daughter Lexa is excited about her upcoming summer wedding to Moritz Weissmann, a promising young doctor.

Lexa has many admirers, but her heart belongs to Moritz, who is initially welcomed by her parents and two brothers, Helmy and Erich. As the year progresses, Lexa enjoys skiing, swimming and going to parties with Moritz and her friends. But little by little Moritz is excluded from the pool, the library, and eventually his own home.

As support for the Nazi Party grows rapidly across the country, Lexa’s own brothers, now fervent members of the Nazi Youth, turn against Moritz. Under immense pressure and desperate to be together, Lexa and Moritz have to meet in secret.

By midsummer, the once close-knit Kluger family are now fractured by irreconcilable beliefs and differing loyalties. When legislation strips the town’s Jewish citizens of their rights and their livelihoods, Lexa remains steadfast in her determination to stay true to Moritz.

Crooked Cross is part of the Persephone Audiobook Collection, a series of forgotten classics including neglected fiction and non-fiction by women writers. This novel was first published in 1934.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Gripping... utterly vivid.”

“…warrants a permanent place in the growing canon of World War Two literature.” (Clare McHugh)

“Cautionary, prescient... un-putdownable.”

“Sally Carson’s prescient novel offers an unflinching look at the early days of Nazism, resonating with today’s fears of lost boys, strong men and old hatreds... A remarkable novel: chilling, compelling, contained... a propulsive read....”

“Perhaps one of the most important books Persephone has ever reissued.... Astonishingly readable, a family saga with a propulsive terrible energy to it and I have raced through it the last two days... I so recommend this book to everyone.” (Harriet Evans, novelist)

The history and love of the family

This book is what I’d imagine WWII Germany was like. Just coming back from Germany, we were filled with historical stories and over and over the tour guides reminded us to not go back to this type of world. We visited many cities in Germany so it was easy to be brought back through this story.

Relevancy

Such a great story of by stander effect and how we can get so caught up in how things only impact us

A book for our times — sadly

Writing in 1934, Sally Carson had an exceptionally clear eyed view of what was happening in Germany and the result is this fine novel about a typical Bavarian family during the first six months of Nazi rule. The narration will suit British listeners perhaps more than Americans who are used to German characters speaking with a German accent. Highly worthwhile, deserving of a very wide readership.

The character development t

Although I anticipated the ending, not the way it would end but rather that there was no “happily ever after” for everyone, the entire story presented a side that I had not read about before- the personal toll on so many everyday people. A tragedy beyond comprehension.

The sense of inevitability- character development- knowing how each character wd be at end of the book.

Maybe a bit too “wordy” in Alexa’s innermost thoughts - her “ending” was inevitable as was Malbus (sp?)