Prostitute, Murderer, Spy? Family Matriarch Shares Her Shocking WWII Involvement in “Black Forest”

Black Forest by Linda Hughes starts with a nightmare, followed immediately by a realization of what the dream is about. But a full explanation doesn’t come until later. Some things are better left unsaid; some things, secretive and left behind, are best locked away in the past. The woman who wakes from this nightmare understands this.

But secrets are irresistible. 

Hughes knows that. She tucks them in her stories, weaves them into plots, and sometimes bases the entire narrative on them. Her characters, driven by love or curiosity, rifle through papers, letters, photographs, memories and heartache to find the truth. This time though, in Black Forest, her characters only have to listen.

GRANDMOTHER’S WARTIME CONFESSION

A beloved matriarch and unconventional spirit, 95-year-old Gertie Gruber has decided it’s time to come clean about what Granny did during the war. “Hold on to your panties,” she whispers into the night. “I’m about to rock your pretty little worlds.”

When her granddaughter and great-granddaughter arrive at the nursing home the next day to celebrate her birthday, she does exactly that — with a story that will unnerve readers with its bold honesty about the German people and the smothering, smoldering blanket of oppressive terror during the reign of the Third Reich. 

Hughes toggles between Gertie as a young mother during the war and Granny Gertie holding court in her wheelchair while her progeny listen, wide-eyed and incredulous. Their assumptions blown, their imaginations tested, they must redefine Gertie, her life, her decisions, her actions and the unbelievable extent of her love. 

Was their granny a prostitute for the Nazis? A murderer? A spy? Each of Gertie’s listeners must process the information as best they can, but it is Gertie herself who has to accept who she was — and who she still is. “We’re all whores in this war,” her lover had told her, sharing a cigarette in a shabby bordello, his kindness contradicting the severity — and the meaning — of his uniform. 

For lovers of history interested in the hearts of the German people during World War II, Black Forest will be another good resource. Hughes did her research. She read, she listened, she cared, and Black Forest is dedicated to her father who served as a Marine during the war. 

 IDYLLIC RENDERING OF AUTHOR’S HOME STATE

For Linda Hughes fans, Black Forest has some of the recognizable hallmarks of her earlier books: her attention to detail; lively characters, especially the women; and a return to the lush landscapes of her home state of Michigan. Near the very end of Black Forest, Hughes writes:

The out-of-doors was awash with freshness from the former night’s shower. Lake Michigan glistened with early light. Wispy white clouds graced the sky. The blue, pink, white, and lavender of Granny’s peonies, snapdragons, baby’s breath, and forget-me-nots glowed as if emanating light. The lingering scent of rain-bathed pine and lilac mingled to fill the air with aromatic delight. It was a time and place that intensified the senses and imbued life.

This is the message she’s sending with her new collection of novellas of which Black Forest is the first. Next in the series called Shades of Hope is Gold Mountain, another fictional foray into history — this time, Alaska in 1896 when a man totally unequipped to survive in such a place finds himself there with a mission and not much else.

Black Forest is available for purchase.

https://booktrib.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/linda-hughes-300×300.jpg

About Linda Hughes:

Linda Hughes grew up in small-town Michigan. Suffering early-onset wanderlust, she couldn’t wait to grow up and have exciting adventures like the characters in her favorite books. Unexpectedly widowed at twenty-eight, she set out in search purpose and found inspiration while climbing Egypt’s Great Pyramid under the moonlight. She spent the following two decades giving seminars on life balance, civility and community in over thirteen countries for high-profile clients such as the Knights of England and LucasFilm. After her long career in motivational speaking, she earned her doctorate degree and began teaching as a professor.

Now remarried, Linda has retired from teaching to focus on her storytelling. Fascinated by personal narratives and ancestry quests, she writes romantic suspense and historical fiction. She draws inspiration from her world travels to craft compelling, provocative and entertaining stories.