Novel Highlights Real Danger of Hitler’s Food Tasters

At the Wolf’s Table by Rosella Postorino

Sharing a meal is typically viewed as a binding activity, creating closer relationships with all present. However, you may want to toss your assumptions of intimate connections over food straight in the garbage after reading Rosella Postorino’s latest novel! Based on truth, At the Wolf’s Table (Flatiron Books) is a historical fiction novel about a group of German women in 1943 who are recruited by the Nazis to taste Hitler’s food before each meal to ensure it to be poison-free. As food becomes scarce and people are going hungry, these women are shuttled to the “Wolf’s Lair” in the morning to have full breakfasts and early lunches under the scrutiny of armed Nazi soldiers, then returned home and brought back at the end of the day for full dinners. After forcing themselves to fully consume each course they wait for illness to kick in, eating to stay alive and at the same time fearing death. Rosa has lost both her parents and her husband Gregor has gone off to war. Newly married and isolated from those she loves, she decides to move to the country to live with her in-laws outside of Berlin. Here, she is recruited as a food taster for Hitler where she “participate[s] in the liturgy of the lunchroom together with other young German women- an army of worshippers prepared to receive on (our) tongues a Communion that wouldn’t redeem us.” Rosa tries to make friends with the other tasters but relationships between the women are strained. Some of them are Nazi supporters, some are not and some are hiding dangerous secrets. Jewish roots, affairs, pregnancy, rape, abortion…nobody is sure who to trust.  Rosa’s husband is declared missing, and as her loneliness intensifies, she develops a risky relationship with one of the soldiers. Will her husband ever be found?  Will she escape the perils of war? At the Wolf’s Table provides a unique setting that highlights secrets, betrayals and sorrow amidst the constant fear in everyday life during World War ll. I enjoyed this story and recommend it! At the Wolf’s Table is now available for purchase.

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