Under Two Flags: A Novel of World War I

by Janis Robinson Daly

When dreams collide with war, survival becomes the ultimate performance.

In October 1916, eighteen-year-old Josephine Therese Marzynski leaves Boston for Berlin to pursue her dream of studying opera at Germany's most prestigious music conservatory. Living with family friends and immersing herself in German culture, she finds unexpected beauty and friendship in the heart of enemy territory.

But when America enters the Great War in April 1917, Josephine's world transforms overnight-from welcomed student to enemy of the state. Trapped in Berlin as rationing tightens and suspicion mounts, Josephine must navigate daily police check-ins, bureaucratic interrogations, and the constant threat of internment. Her survival depends on German friends who risk their own safety to protect her, while she struggles with divided loyalties between her American identity and the people who have become her chosen family.

Based on the true story from Josephine's memoir and set against the backdrop of a city slowly starving under the weight of war, Under Two Flags is a gripping tale of resilience, moral complexity, and the transformative power of music in humanity's darkest hours. As Josephine fights to secure passage home, she confronts impossible choices that will test everything she believes about loyalty, survival, and the true meaning of patriotism.

Genres: Historical Fiction, World War I, Fiction

291 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 26, 2026

About the author

Splitting her time between Cape Cod, NH, NJ, and snowbird destinations, a tablet becomes Janis Robinson Daly’s library and desk, packed for reading and writing, wherever she might land. Inspired by the discovery that an ancestor founded the Woman’s Medical College of PA, Daly’s first novel, The Unlocked Path, celebrates pioneering women doctors at the turn of the 20th century. Its sequel, The Path Beneath Her Feet, honors the work of the American Women’s Hospitals in rural America during the 1930s. Her third book with Black Rose Writing, Under Two Flags, is a retelling of a memoir of a young Boston woman who travels to Berlin in 1916 to study opera. Daly's grandfather, Eliot H. Robinson, Sr. ghost-wrote the original memoir in 1918.

Daly graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from Wheaton College, at the time, a women’s college. At Wheaton, she developed a heightened awareness of female-centric issues. Her annual literary citizenship program, #31titleswomeninhistory, has gained recognition as an innovative way to celebrate Women's History Month in March.

A presentation of how her genealogy research inspired her to begin writing has made Daly a sought-after speaker for book clubs, women’s groups, libraries, and writers’ groups. Her monthly newsletter includes updates on her writing, book reviews and recommendations, tips for book clubs, upcoming events, and a book giveaway. Learn more at her website, www.janisrdaly.com

Reviews

[Carrie]

Immerse yourself in the journey of Josephine Therese Marzynski as she seeks to achieve her dream of becoming an opera singer in the early 1900’s. Arriving from Boston in October 1916, Josephine enrolls in Germany’s most prestigious music conservatory. Living with family friends and immersing herself in German culture, she finds unexpected beauty and friendship. But when America enters the Great War in April 1917, Josephine's world transforms overnight-from welcomed student to enemy of the state.
Trapped in Berlin as rationing tightens and suspicion mounts, Josephine must navigate the ration scheme, daily police check-ins, bureaucratic interrogations, and the constant threat of internment. Her survival depends on German friends who risk their own safety to protect her, while she struggles with divided loyalties between her American identity and the people who have become her chosen family. Ride both the hurdles and successes in this thought provoking and absorbing historical fiction based on the true story from Josephine’s memoir. What must she navigate to see if her dreams come true? Travel with her through this book, as Josephine fights to secure passage home, while confronting seemingly impossible choices that will test everything she believes about loyalty, survival, the transformative power of music, and the true meaning of patriotis show less

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An idealistic young American woman's passion for music runs headlong into wartime realities. Based on a memoir by Josephine Therese Marzynski, this historical fiction novel brings to life the story of another forgotten woman in history. An aspiring opera singer, Josephine heads off to the world's best opera school in Berlin, Germany, to work towards her dreams. World War I has begun, so life is difficult, but she is determined. When America enters the war, however, everything changes. Should she stay and ride it out, or try to escape home? Either choice is dangerous both for her and her benefactors. Author Janis Robinson Daly brings to life another overlooked woman in history.

[Deborah Fontaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dive into the enchanting world of "Under Two Flags: A Novel of World War I" by Janis Robinson Daly. This captivating retelling chronicles the life of Josephine Therese Marzynski, a young woman from Boston, as she pursues her dream of studying opera at Germany’s most esteemed music conservatory in Berlin during the early 1900s. While staying with close friends of her mother, Josephine encounters both the warmth and prejudice of the German people. What begins as an exhilarating adventure quickly spirals into an atmosphere filled with fear, rationing, propaganda, suspicion, and difficult ethical choices as the war unfolds. As an American, we share in her daily life in Germany and witness her struggle to balance her deep ties to her German friends with her loyalty to her American roots. This poignant narrative explores her journey to Germany, her rich experiences there, and her heartfelt quest to return home.

I was particularly impressed by the author’s meticulous attention to detail; the structure of the book, divided into two acts with an overture, intermission, and finale, mirrors that of a musical. The characters are vividly portrayed, and the setting immerses you in Josephine’s journey. Her unwavering patriotism, resilience, and courage shine through every challenge she faces, allowing readers to vividly visualize each scene. This is a narrative that is not only beautifully written but also thoroughly researched.

A heartfelt thanks to Janis Robinson Daly for contributing this beautiful novel to my “Little Free Library” and for bringing Josephine and her music to life. Having read all of Janis’s works, I knew I was in for a magnificent experience. She consistently delivers!

[Chelsie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Josephine heads to Berlin in October of 1916 to pursue her dream of studying and preforming opera music at one of Germany's most prestigious music conservatories. With the help of her mother's friends who have agreed to sponsor her, off she heads across the ocean where her life will irrevocably be changed forever. She quickly has to learn the right and wrong of things in Germany. Speaking, dressing, eating as well as retraining her vocals. Among some of the elite opera singer students, she does find friendship even though they are all there for the same reason. Slowly she starts feeling the effects of war. Food rationing, blackout times, coal usage and curfews, and when America enters the war six months after she has arrived, she has now become a target. Is she really a spy sent from America? What is her true intentions in Berlin, why does she want to study Opera when one of German's best teachers has been teaching in the US? Josephine comes under scrutiny and she now has to check in daily, answer the same questions over and over and constantly be ridiculed for being an American in Germany right now. As life only seems to get dangerous for her and those she resides with, she knows she must get back to America. With everything she needs to prove, it nearly seems impossible. Placed on a long list seeking passage back, she works to get everything in order and realizes that in order to get out of Germany, she must risk her life and everything she believes in. This was fascinating read about a true person and all that she went through in just thirteen months of being in Germany. Thank you to the author for the complementary novel and sharing this retelling of a family story with the world, and to Suzy Approved Book Tours for another tour invite for Janis.

[The History Mom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this novel about a young woman who is caught behind enemy lines in Berlin during WWI. I couldn't believe the difficult circumstances Jo found herself in as she went from being an American student of music to an enemy alien overnight. The story is almost too unbelievable but it's all true! As they say, truth is stranger than fiction! Knowing what we know now, we wonder how a young woman could possibly think about going to Germany in 1916, but at the time, the US wasn't involved in the war. How quickly things changed, which left Jo stranded in a country at war with her own.

We don't read much about the German homefront during WWI, and Janis' descriptive writing brings it to life in a visceral way. I felt like I was walking the streets of Berlin, looking over my shoulder as the horrors of war are brought down on the shoulders of those who are not German or who dare voice a differing opinion. You can really see how this lack of freedom and the fear of speaking out against injustice laid the groundwork for the advent of WWII.

This is a gem of a book! Historical fiction fans and those who love music will be captivated.

Thanks to the author for sending me a copy!

[Betsy Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very fortunate to have won this book from the author. I found this book fascinating. I have read many books that take place in Europe during WWI and WWII, but never from the perspective of a US citizen living there. The story of Therese Marzynski, an opera singer, was both inspiring and engaging. To learn all that she had to go through to get to Germany and back during this time of war and all she and the German people went through was eye opening. I also enjoyed the author’s note at the end and to learn about her grandfather’s connection to this story. Ms. Daly is a new author to me and I plan to explore her other historical fiction novels.

[Natalie Dyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Under Two Flags transports us to WWI Berlin as experienced by Josephine Marzynski, a young American woman studying opera at the renowned Konservatorium der Musik. We follow her as she endures the hardships of a country at war and faces hostility as an American who is constantly in danger of being apprehended as a spy. Josephine is a captivating protagonist--passionate, courageous, and outspoken. Daly cleverly weaves together the fiction, the real-life woman behind the story, and her own family connection. This is historical fiction at its best.

[Laurie Enos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing and exceptional

The past 2 days I have been transported in time to 1916. I became great friends with Josephine who traveled from Boston to Berlin to study Opera. WW1 is underway and I was able to experience Josephine's struggles and victories in a war torn Germany.

Janis is able to write an emotional story while staying true to historical events. She brought Josephine to life. I laughed with her, I was scared with her, I cried with her and I rejoiced with her.

If you are a fan of historical fiction, don't miss out on this amazing book!

[Christy Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me on the edge of my seat quite a few times! I cannot imagine the fear that Josephine experienced while trapped in Berlin when war was announced. The writing was so descriptive that I could feel her homesickness and the angst of being so far away from her family while surrounded by suffering. Her musical talent was incredible, and her passion for her country was inspiring. This powerful historical fiction novel was a page turner for me.

[Ken Tentarelli]

Under Two Flags is a beautifully crafted and deeply affecting novel that brings Josephine Marzynski’s extraordinary true story to vivid life. Daly’s meticulous research and lyrical prose immerse readers in wartime Berlin, capturing both its quiet terrors and unexpected tenderness. Josephine’s journey—from hopeful music student to a young woman navigating suspicion, sacrifice, and moral complexity—is rendered with remarkable emotional clarity. A gripping, elegant, and resonant work of historical fiction, this novel lingers long after the final page.

[Christina McComiskie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author wrote a beautiful and very well researched book about the experiences of a young woman in Berlin during WWI. It takes a special creative mind to take a real person and bring them back to life to tell their story. It's an absolute page turner. Another favorite by this incredible author. I loved it.

[Brynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book's style wasn't for me, but it wasn't a bad story. It was a great story to help understand some of the realities of WWI and the protagonist Josephine went through a lot to be able to tell this story. I didn't realize when I started it that it was written memoir-style and that's the part that's not my thing. This is also a fictionalized retelling of the memoir With Old Glory in Berlin. I felt like maybe enough didn't happen in the story. It is an important story that needed telling when the original was written, but it didn't quite catch my interest the way HF usually does.

The writing, though, was great. I loved how it was separated by scenes like the operas so close to Josephine's heart, and the descriptions in the book made it easy to really see the book as I read it. I loved the chosen arias that perfectly told the emotions of the scenes. The interactions between the characters all seemed very lifelike. So like I said it's well written, it just wasn't for me.

[Linda Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is crafted around a re-telling of Josephine Marzynski's memoir, a determined American who travels to study opera in Berlin during the unrestful time of World War I. The story opens with her re-telling her time to a man who will write her memoir. While in Germany, she hides her true loyalty and patriotism to America. It offers a unique perspective of trying to go on with their lives, and shares a look into her internal struggles. The well-described settings and multi-layered characters deliver a book filled with loyalty and shines a light on a woman overlooked in history.

[Booksandcoffeemx · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a powerful read, and I loved that it’s based on a real person’s life, that always adds something extra for me in historical fiction. Stories set in Germany already fascinate me (my great-grandparents were from there), so being immersed in that setting during such a difficult time in history felt especially compelling.

I really enjoyed how the opera backdrop and the writing brought everything to life, it gave the story a beautiful, almost poetic feel, even with the heaviness of war. It’s definitely one of those books that stays with you.

[Lisa Albright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Janis Robinson Daly has created a fascinating historical fiction novel based on the memoir of Josephine Therese Marzynski detailing her year abroad studying opera in Berlin during WWI. Faced with many challenges her story is an insightful look into history, how her stay there was perceived, and how it affected her and the people she was involved with. I enjoyed the musical layout of the story as noted by the chapter headings and Josephine's dedication to studying her craft. The author's notes are incredibly informative and I appreciated the background of her approach to writing this book.

I received a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Jenny E · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently read Under Two Flags, a WWl novel. I enjoyed meeting Josephine, following the development of her character, and rooting for her as she dealt with mounting struggles. There was building tension and suspense.
I also liked how the American flag was integrated into Josephine’s story throughout the book. A very enjoyable read.

[Maryann Kress · Rating 5 out of 5]

Josephine, an aspiring young opera singer, with the encouragement from her mother who once also dreamed of being an opera singer, has a chance to study opera at the world’s most esteemed Klindworth-Scharwenka Conservatory in Berlin, Germany. The problem was Germany was in the middle of WWI. Josephine, who was 18, of German heritage & also spoke German, knew life would be difficult, but she could stay with family friends and she was determined to be an opera singer. Once arriving in Germany from Boston with her cousin as chaperone, Josephine consumed the German culture and loved the school of opera, where she made several friends & was progressing beautifully with her opera studies & voice. However, when America enters the war, everything changes. She becomes a young courageous singer trapped in enemy territory. Now she is faced with propaganda, food rations, & danger—fear & suspicion from those at school & the German police with interrogations & daily check-ins. Through all, she remains loyal to her country & attached to the small American flag she has brought with her & forced to hide in the seam of a piece of her clothing. With the help of the loyal family friend she resides with & a German soldier who has befriended her, she decides to try to find a way to return home. As we follow her long intense, fearful journey back to safety, we feel her struggles as she is continually tested when difficult barriers constantly block her travels. Enjoy this wonderful historical fiction novel based on the memoirs of Josephine Marzynsky, a Boston-born Jewish opera singer. This was the first novel I’ve read by Janis Robinson Daly. I enjoyed her writing & plan to read other books by her.

[Sarah W · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the way this novel was structured. It was based on a real person and told like she was writing her memoir about her experiences. I enjoyed how emotional and detailed the experiences were and Josephine reflected her thoughts on them. Her connection to her country grew stronger every time a hardship came around, I liked the symbol the American flag was to her. It was a compelling read.

Thank you @janisrdaly_writer @suzyapprovedbooktours for the gifted copy.

[thewanderingjew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Under Two Flags-Janis Robinson Daly, author
Unlike many books about women during wartime, this one is different. It is not about a spy or an underground worker, instead it is about a young woman from Boston, an aspiring opera singer like her mother had been, who was given the opportunity to study in Berlin, during wartime. It is about the choices she made and the life she experienced while she was studying in Germany during volatile times. It is a book that is written to honor women’s contributions and their courage.
Josephine Therese Marzynski’s is an obscure figure. The author has created a narrative about what her life must have been like while she studied in a war-torn country that was an enemy of her own. Her music studies were cut short when her father passed away unexpectedly, throwing the family into financial straits. Her mother had lost the opportunity to study voice when her father took her family to America, and now, she too would be forced to end her dream of becoming a star performer. Then a dear friend of her mother’s invited her to live in Germany, with his family, so that she could study at the famous music conservatory there. Klaus Muller offered to pay for her first year in full. He was highly respected within the government, and 18-year-old Josephine would live with his family. It was at the end of 1916. Germany was at war, but America was not. The family decided to allow her to leave them. Her sister was forced to remain at home and help support her mother and younger siblings. Was Josephine selfish, I asked myself? She wanted her sister to give up her dreams so she could realize hers. 
Eighteen years old, naïve and sheltered; she was, as expected, frightened but eager. All went fairly well, although she was sometimes humiliated by Germans who wished America would support them and not remain neutral. They did not take kindly to foreigners. To Germans, neutrality meant against. Thus, when America entered the war against Germany, although her benefactor was able to protect her in a limited way, she was now an enemy alien. She was an American in Germany, and America was at war with America. This is what the author believes is a possible story of her experiences during the war, first as a student at the school, then as an “immigrant” citizen from a country that became an enemy of Germany. How was she treated by her hosts and the country and its citizens? I believe that the author wanted to show how courageous a young woman could survive in times of danger. She did show that Josephine was resourceful, sometimes far more mature than young women of the same age today, but sometimes far more naïve and foolish. Josephine endured the rationing, the interviews, the harassment and the fear during the time she was in enemy territory, but she also has luxurious reprieves not offered to most Germans or foreigners because of the friends she made and the influence of her host family. She was sometimes dangerously haughty and immature, as well, sometimes putting those she associated with in danger, including the Mullers, the friends of her mother with whom she lived. Her arrogance and loose tongue often overwhelmed her decisions, highlighting her willfulness and not her courage. Bringing an American flag to display in inappropriate places, even in secret, seemed like a very unwise choice. However, it did impress upon me, totally, about how consumed she was with patriotism and her love for America. She was proud of being kind of an “immigrant” in Germany, respecting and admiring the people she interacted with and befriended, but she completely supported the decisions of her own country and its military.
I found that I did not get to know much about Josephine but rather learned about a character that seemed to be made up out of whole cloth. She was moral, but not above bending rules to benefit herself. This is is very little known about the real Josephine, and I admit, I wondered why the author chose this particular young woman to feature. Perhaps there are few to choose from, because there is not enough information available about the women in that time who traveled abroad. Often, Josephine seemed like a rube, unaware of the danger she was in, and so she behaved foolishly. At other times, she showed reserve and resilience, courage and strength, choosing her words carefully and behaving in a way that would not cast suspicion upon her or those she interacted with; at other times, she was headstrong and rash. I had to remind myself that this behavior is all assumed by the author, and not in fact, reality. So the author showed what possibly happened, and she showed how Josephine might have managed her time as a young woman in enemy territory. Is it realistic, especially in light of what we know today about war and women?
In revealing what the author believed was the experience of a rather obscure teenager, during just over a year in a volatile and hostile country, Daly highlighted, for me, what is missing from today’s young women and citizens in general. We are living in a country in which patriotism has been dying a slow death and desperately needs a rebirth, especially now, as the world is going through the trauma of conflicts everywhere, including in America. Uniting against an enemy is the main theme of Germany’s citizens. They did not question, nor did they protest their country’s efforts. Right or wrong, they supported its goals and its needs, suffering while they did so because of their devotion to Germany. Josephine was a fish out of water in Germany, not a native, just a guest. Immigrants in America could be called guests, and is their devotion now questionable? We are a country of many people of different backgrounds, men and women, who do not feel the loyalty to America that the Germans and Josephine felt to their homelands.
I hope that this book, rather than shining a light only on the courage that women are capable of showing, also illustrates that we have possibly lost those most important character traits of a country, courage and loyalty, and we in America need to reinspire it quickly.
This is a book that I would recommend for high school students, young adults, and even middle school children, to inspire them to love and respect their own country and its history. First, however, our schools need to start teaching our history and to encourage love and respect for our country. We need to stop teaching our young how to be activists and protesters. We need heroes and heroines, instead. Ours is the best country, and it is why everyone tries to get here. We, who are here, should start to appreciate it and to defend it.

[N.J. Mastro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Under Two Flags by Janis Robinson Daly is a novel based on the true story of Josephine Therese Marzynkski, an American Jewish woman of German and Polish descent who spent more than a year living in Berlin during World War I. The novel has a unique twist. Under Two Flags is a retelling of With Old Glory in Berlin, a memoir by Josephine Therese (Marzynkski) of Boston, which Daly believes was ghost written by her grandfather, Eliot H. Robinson.

I’m giving this novel 48 stars. Those who’ve read it will understand the pun. For those who haven’t, at the center of the story is a small American flag Josephine Marzynkski sewed into the hem of her dress when she traveled to Berlin in 1916. At the time the United States was comprised of 48 states, Germany was at war with the Allied Powers, and America was claiming neutrality.

The story opens when nineteen-year-old Josephine Therese Marzynkski is on her way to Berlin to study at the Klindworth-Scharwenka Konservatorium de Musik. Her mother, a German emigrant to America twenty-four years prior, had friends and relatives in Berlin with whom Josephine would live during her period of study. Like her mother, Josephine, longed to become an opera singer. Her mother’s dream had been denied, however, when her family moved to America. Josephine is determined to fulfill her own dream, and in doing so, that of her mother’s.

Thanks to her mother, Josephine has the advantage of speaking fluent German. When she arrives in Germany on the arm of her cousin Jack, who is serving as her chaperone, Josephine immediately sees visible signs of war. Traveling on her way to Germany through nations that were part of the Allied Powers, she had noticed the tensions of war, but in Germany, the evidence takes on a new meaning: Germany is the aggressor.

While in Berlin, Josephine experiences what we would expect as the war lingers on: food rations, soaring prices, a lack of fuel. She also experiences the German attitude of superiority so prevalent at the time, and before long she finds herself defending America’s neutrality.

Later, when America enters the war, Josephine becomes an enemy of the German people, and her quest changes from studying music to returning safely to America. The challenges she faces are many, including those of the heart. Josephine remains allegiant to America but must pretend an allegiance to Germany until she can leave the country, thus making Under Two Flags a fitting title.

As historical fiction, this novel has all the essentials that make it authentic. Josephine tells her story from the first-person point of view, and the narrative flows seamlessly as she reveals her tale in retrospect and in real time. Daly’s attention to the historical record rounds out the story, which moves along at an engaging pace. While staying true to Josephine’s actual lived experience, Daly uses a novelist’s license in crafting relevant characters and creating believable dialogue between them. She expertly captures the physical locations as well, both in Josephine travels to and from Berlin, and the settings in Berlin itself. All come to life in rich, vivid detail. As a reader, I felt like I was there alongside Josephine. Daly misses nothing. The clothing, the music, the food… The result is a narrative feast.

Again, 48 stars for Under Two Flags, the perfect read for anyone who enjoys historical fiction, especially those who like reading about World War I, fiction based on real people, or revels in a story with a strong female lead.

Thank you to the publisher Black Rose Writing for an advance review copy.

[Paulette Mahurin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written like a movie with a beginning overture and following scenes the story of Josephine (Jo) Marzynski’s adventure into the heart of Berlin mid-WW1 begins. Her story, as told to a publisher who is to help her write it is fascinating and engaging. With her cousin Jack Meyers, she arrives in Germany to the Muller’s—childhood friends of her mother, Ricka Meyers. Jo travels in a troubled time to fulfill a dream of studying opera; she is a talented singer. In the beginning we learn of her parents history, immigrants from Poland and Germany respectively and how her father came to America and became a successful business man owning a rope company, advancing to a fur store. After marrying Ricka and having four children, he instills deep patriotism in them. Sadly, in 1912 he has a nervous breakdown and dies the following year, leaving the family in financial need. Jo takes their flag to hold him close to her, and travels with it to Berlin, hiding it first in the hem of her dress and then in a pillowcase. It is dangerous for her to be seen with it and labeled an American patriot as the Germans are ruffled over the U.S. supporting the allies. The author’s description of German infantrymen in the street causes Jo unease, an unease that intensifies as the war escalates. Adding to her discomfort is the fact she not only is American, but Jewish— in a country where anti-Semitism plays a significant historical role. The story has been well set up and I’m anxious to know what will happen to Jo, and her cousin who works for Herr Muller. The story progresses with a rough sea voyage encountering U-boats, rough weather, probation in Copenhagen, flea bites, and landing in a hostile country that plays out once landed at the Mullers and a neighbor comes to dinner accusing her American roots of causing Germans suffering. Jo is strong willed and unable to follow her cousin’s advise to show restraint she gets into it with the neighbor causing them both to leave the dinner early. She’s unsettled by how restrictive communication and existing in Germany is and questions if she should leave. Jack talks her down encouraging her to keep her attention on her dream of becoming an opera singer. But as tension arises can she stay appropriate to not draw hostile attention to herself, to Jack and the Mullers? Things get complicated when Jack shows her around town before leaving and she meets a Hauptmann wounded in battle now in a non-combative position who happens to be the hostile neighbor’s nephew. Moving along more characters enter scenes: the Muller’s daughter, a Red Cross volunteer, opera class friends: two friendly and one hostile. Tension sizzles from the pages as the story continues and I can’t read fast enough to find out what happens next, will a relationship form with the neighbor’s nephew, will Jo achieve her dreams, how well will she navigate in a country hostile to her beloved America. The author doesn’t hold back in portraying what horrible scenes play through Jo’s mind, brutality done by German soldiers to innocent citizens, including children. The writing is accurate historically right down to the rations and depravations. There’s much more I could say about this brilliant piece of fictional storytelling but I don’t want to spoil the plot. Suffice it to say it doesn’t disappoint, right down to the interesting and extensive author post notes. This is a recent favorite, one to savor and read again and again.

[Book Reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Under Two Flags by Janis Robinson Daly is historical fiction that reads like a staged memoir: Josephine Therese Marzynski, a young Jewish woman from Boston, goes to Berlin in late 1916 to study opera, only to find herself living inside the tightening grip of World War I, where suspicion, rationing, propaganda, and fear seep into everyday life. The book opens in 1918 with Josephine back in Boston, preparing to tell her story with the help of a publisher, framing everything that follows as a deliberate act of witness and persuasion.

What grabbed me first was how Daly builds Josephine’s inner life through concrete moments instead of speeches. The arrival sequence is a gut check. We watch Josephine get inspected like a threat, even while she’s carrying “harmless sheet music,” and we feel the private defiance of her sewing an American flag into her skirt and later hiding it in her pillowcase. The writing leans into bodily details, the hot embarrassment, the cold air, the nervous calculation of what to say and what to swallow. It makes the big theme of “patriotism” feel small and personal, like something you tuck into a hem and hope no one notices.

I also liked the author’s structural choice to treat the novel like an opera in itself, with an Overture, Acts, Scenes, and even musical notations sprinkled in. It could have felt gimmicky, but for me it mostly works because it matches Josephine’s mind. She hears life in cues and crescendos, and she uses performance as survival. There’s even room for humor when it fits, like the bitter, half-laughing talk among women who are stuck eating carrots over and over, trying to make scarcity feel normal for one more day. Those lighter beats do not erase the dread. They just make the dread more believable, because that’s how people cope.

What stayed with me after I closed it was the tension baked into the title. Josephine is always balancing, not just between nations, but between versions of herself: dutiful daughter, ambitious musician, “good girl” who knows when to wink and when to keep quiet. The book is also honest about how identity can be both shelter and target. She’s American, she’s Jewish, she has German roots, and none of those labels stay simple once the war machine starts deciding who gets to be “safe.” I appreciated the grounding too: Daly is upfront that this is fiction inspired by real events and tied to a memoir (With Old Glory in Berlin) connected to her own family, which adds a quiet sense of responsibility to the storytelling.

If you enjoy historical fiction, especially stories that zoom in on one woman’s day-to-day choices inside a huge world event, this one is worth your time. I’d recommend it most to readers who like war-era settings without wanting only battlefield scenes, and to anyone curious about the intersection of art and survival, like how a voice trained for opera can double as armor. If you want an immersive, human-scale WWI novel with music in its bones, you'll heartily enjoy Under Two Flags.

[IAM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Janis Robinson Daly has again chosen a topic for her third historical fiction novel that is rarely addressed. As an avid fan of the genre, I have become jaded by the countless books that focus on WWII. Even when these books are well written and feature strong female characters that illustrate women's real contributions, I am more than ready to leave that topic alone for a while. In Under Two Flags, we not only read about a different war, WWI, but also gain a perspective of what it might have been like to live in Germany during that time. The book is a retelling of a memoir of a young woman from Boston, Josephine Marzynski, who follows her dream to study opera at the prestigious music conservatory in Berlin.
The author’s connection to this woman’s story is explained in both the dedication and the Author’s Notes. Josephine’s decision was not without risk. Even though the United States had not entered the war at the time of her departure, crossing the Atlantic was very dangerous, as evidenced by the sinking of the Lusitania a year earlier. The book provides insight into the daily challenges faced by ordinary citizens living in a country at war. In the second half of the novel, Josephine struggles to weigh the consequences of staying in Berlin after the United States entered the war versus those if she tried to return home. Not only might she be in danger, but she was also concerned about the safety of her host family and her friends. These struggles and the cost of war are eloquently portrayed in the wonderfully descriptive prose. For me, one of the most poignant scenes involves a couple Josephine met on a train as she made her way from Berlin to Norway. As a mother of two now-grown daughters, I thought about how young Josephine was to be experiencing that situation without her family. But then I remembered she was the same age as many of the young men who were fighting and dying for their countries.
The author explains in her notes that she has zero ability and background in music. As a reader, I would not have guessed that, but as in her first two novels, that is a testament to the author’s dedication to research and authenticity. I earlier mentioned the overabundance of novels about WWII. The same can be said for all the covers that seem so generic, those showing the back view of the main character(s). No generic covers for this author. All three of her books have unique covers that include collages specifically related to the content of the story. I highly recommend Under Two Flags to all lovers of well-written historical fiction that focuses on the female experience.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1916, aspiring opera singer Josephine Marzynski leaves her hometown of Boston to study at the music conservatory in Berlin. Friends of her German-born mother, have graciously offered to host her and pay her tuition for the year. Although she knows she will miss her family, she jumps at the chance to hopefully realize her dreams. Refusing to totally leave her country behind, she sews a small flag into the hem of her skirt, which becomes the talisman she carries with her to encourage her when she is homesick.

But the world at that time is in unrest, as WWI is raging. It doesn’t take her long to realize she must walk and speak carefully while there. Although her host family is wealthy compared to many in the country, they still suffer from the food restrictions and shortages that are prevalent in the country. Despite her anemia, Josephine doesn’t want to give up on her dream and return home, until she realizes that her life might be at stake should she stay. But has she stayed too long, and can she return home at all?

Told in “acts” as it would be in an opera, the dialogue and story moves along and keeps the reader engaged, as Josephine is “telling” her story to a ghost writer, to help people in the US understand what is really happening overseas with the war and the people of Germany. Based on a real person, the author’s grandfather actually helped ghost write Josephine’s story, which adds another level of authenticity to the story. We are taught in school that “without WWI there wouldn't have been a WWII”, and we see that very clearly in this story. The sufferings of the people of Germany and the nationalism fostered is forefront in the story, and really sets the stage for WWII. One of my favorite quotes was (referring to the disappearance of German citizens): “ Fear bred silence, and silence bred more fear. Footsteps and voices filled the streets of Berlin to create a cacophony of noise, but beneath it all lay a suffocating, watchful stillness.” Chilling description of what was happening then and what will come years later.

I highly recommend this book as a thoughtful story about dreams, determination, and the blind acceptance of people to follow the propaganda, despite the hardships it imposes on their lives. Pub date 3/26/26. Thanks to the publisher Black Rose Writing for a copy of this book to review; all opinions are my own.

[Susannah Willey · Rating 5 out of 5]

October 1916:
The small boat docked at Warnemunde, Germany: Josephine Therese Marzynski stepped onto the pier, one step closer to her dreams of becoming an opera singer. The daughter of a Polish immigrant father and his German-born wife, Josephine intends to complete a goal her mother had only dreamed of: training at the world-renowned Klindworth-Scharwenka Konservatorium der Musick in Berlin.
But Germany is at war. As an American and a Jew, Josephine is considered doubly suspect by the German government. However, she is determined to complete her studies. Her tuition has been covered by dear family friends, the Mullers, and they have graciously invited her into their home during her stay.
In January the war escalates. Rationing is imposed, what was once available anywhere is now to be found only on the black market and at great cost. At first Josephine does not hesitate to voice her negative opinions of the German government, but she soon realizes her outspokenness is not only dangerous to her but to those around her.
When US-German diplomatic relations are severed, she wonders if she should go home. Tensions are growing between American visitors and German Nationals. She decides to stay and continue the studies and the music she so loves. She feels relatively safe with the Mullers and refuses to take the coward’s way out.
In April, Germany declares war against the United States. Josephine is ordered to report to the police station where her reasons for being in Germany are questioned, but when they learn she is living with Herr Muller, an influential businessman, she is allowed to stay. That summer she is accosted by a German soldier on the way home from classes and everything changes. She is determined to go home as soon as possible. One roadblock after another make the possibility seem bleak, but Josephine will not give up.
This is the story of Under Two Flags, inspired by Miss Marzynski’s memoir of her experiences of Germany during World War I. It is a story of torn loyalties, unwavering patriotism for her own country and a love of the Germans who support and protect her. It is a testament to the courage and determination of a young woman who will not let even war keep her from her path.

[Suzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who has read a great deal of historical fiction over the years, I approached Under Two Flags with both curiosity and caution. World War I has been explored many times, yet Janis Robinson Daly manages to offer a perspective that feels intimate and refreshingly personal. Rather than focusing solely on battlefields and generals, she places us inside the heart of a young woman whose greatest weapon is her voice.

Josephine is not portrayed as reckless, but as determined—sometimes stubborn, often brave, and always deeply human. Her love of music is not romanticized; it is hard-earned and intertwined with sacrifice. I was especially moved by the quiet tension of her position: an American with German roots living in a country that may soon consider her the enemy. That emotional tightrope adds a steady undercurrent of suspense.

Daly’s research is evident without overwhelming the story. The atmosphere of wartime Berlin—food shortages, military scrutiny, social suspicion—feels authentic and carefully rendered. Yet what stayed with me most was the emotional landscape: Josephine’s homesickness, her pride, her humiliation during inspections, and her unwavering belief that art still matters in times of darkness.

As a woman who understands how family expectations and personal ambition can pull in different directions, I found Josephine’s internal struggle especially resonant. Her loyalty to her father’s American patriotism and her mother’s German heritage creates a powerful emotional duality. The title, Under Two Flags, is more than symbolic—it reflects the layered identity so many immigrants and children of immigrants quietly carry.

This novel will appeal to readers who enjoy historical fiction centered on strong female protagonists, particularly those who appreciate stories grounded in real historical texture. It is thoughtful, immersive, and emotionally sincere without becoming sentimental.

In the end, Under Two Flags reminds us that patriotism, identity, and art are rarely simple. Sometimes they coexist in tension. And sometimes, as Josephine discovers, courage is found not in choosing one flag over another, but in remaining true to oneself when the world demands otherwise.

[Bonnie DeMoss · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Fall 1916, prior to America entering the Great War, Josephine Therese Marzynski travels to Germany from Boston to study music. She is met with suspicion and even strip-searched before being allowed into the country, but they never find the American flag she had sewn into the hem of her skirt. She is living with family friends, the Müllers, who have made it possible for her to pursue a career as a professional opera singer, a dream she thought had died with her father in America. Josephine begins her training, but by April 1917, America and Germany are at war, and Josephine has been summoned to the police station and put under regular monitoring.

This is a fictionalized version of Marzynski’s memoir, With Old Glory in Berlin, which may have been ghostwritten by the author’s grandfather. It is the compelling story of a Jewish American student trapped in WWI Berlin. Josephine’s musical training lasted about a year, but the story is centered less on music and more on Germany’s war-centered culture at the time, including propaganda, oppression, and rationing. The author has blended more music into it by effectively adding snippets of operas that relate to Josephine’s experiences. The chapters are laid out as an opera would be, with an overture, acts, scenes, an intermission, and a finale. After America enters the war, the novel is focused mostly on Josephine’s monitoring by the police and her attempts to leave, using influential contacts.

The original work is available in the public domain, and it is interesting to compare the two. The author has taken a simple retelling and breathed new life into it by adding emotion, dialogue, and music. The result is a well-woven tale of a talented young woman attempting to escape a perilous situation. Recommended.

I received a free copy of this book via The Historical Novel Society. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

[Dorothy Schwab · Rating 5 out of 5]

Under Two Flags is the retelling of the memoir of Josephine Therese Marzynski, an American woman studying opera in Berlin, 1916-1917. Janis Robinson Daly ‘s grandfather, Eliot Harlow Robinson, Sr., was the ghostwriter for Josephine’s first-hand account, With Old Glory in Berlin, published in1918. Now Daly has
recreated this riveting story, focusing on Josephine, a spunky, young Jewish girl from Boston, with an overriding desire to follow her dreams.
Janis Robinson Daly composed and directed this thrilling account of the 18-year-old opera singer’s 13-month study at the
Konservatorium der Musik in 1916, before the United States entered World War I. Daly’s composition is filled with realistic emotion and immersive descriptions of the German people, their militaristic attitudes, and the exquisite scenery. The details of rationing and
dwindling of necessities sink readers deep into the passions of a people experiencing war. Emotion pours through Daly’s words the way emotion pours through Josephine’s voice. Family, neighbors, classmates, Berliners and German soldiers. All are portrayed
through the lens of a young woman, far away from her family, stuck in a country at war. Josephine’s patriotic, homesick sharing of an emotional July 4 with a neighbor in 1917 is a favorite.
Under Two Flags is presented in the format of an opera: an overture, acts, scenes, an intermission, and the finale. This format is the perfect stage for Daly’s enlightening use of similes to describe
characters and situations by making comparisons to scenes from various operas, a charming. compelling addition to the prose.
Brava! A piercing operatic light on a driven young woman in a chaotic, uncertain time in history.
Suspenseful. Dramatic. Rewarding.
Highly recommended.

[Sublime Book Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall Rating = 4.83

Storyline & Concept = 5
Writing & Delivery = 4.5
Editorial = 5
Under Two Flags is a historical novel that showcases the unique experience of a civilian in wartime Berlin. Inspired by opera singer Josephine Marzynski’s memoir, With Old Glory in Berlin, and set against the grim backdrop of WWI, it follows the young woman from Boston to Berlin in 1916 to pursue her dream of studying opera. What begins as an exciting journey quickly degrades into fear, suspicion, and deprivation as the war devastates the residents of Germany, and the United States enters the war.
The author excels at capturing the wartime atmosphere of Berlin. She balances the stark realities of starvation, repression, and fear with moments of genuine kindness, human connection, and quiet acts of courage. Josephine’s struggle is not only physical but deeply emotional. Her loyalties are torn between her American homeland and her German friends who risk everything to protect her. Her deep love of music is threaded throughout, sustaining Josephine in her darkest moments. Although based on a memoir, the author has extensively researched the period and the setting to recreate a fictionalized version of Josephine’s life, immersing the reader into an original and engaging perspective of wartime suffering and endurance. Under Two Flags would appeal to readers of historical fiction who are seeking a unique point of view of World War I, as well as those who appreciate stories that explore the fine balance between loyalty and survival.
Sublime Line: “This book transforms history into a unique, emotional, and compelling story of identity, sacrifice, and survival.”

[Erin Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Under Two Flags tells of the true life experience of a young American woman, Josephine Marzybski who travels to Berlin, Germany in 1916 during the beginnings of WWI to study opera. When she first arrives she is enthralled with the beauty of Germany and its art and culture. She thrives at the music conservatory where she excels as a young operatic ingenue. All is good for the first few months until there are rumblings of war and pro Prussian propaganda starts to cover the airwaves and newspapers. People become afraid and as war looms closer Josephine must decide if she should stay as an unwelcome American or flee back home. As rationing increases and people become more and more frightened Josephine is forced to make her decision to return home. Unfortunately by the time she does decide to return to America it is almost too late and her passage becomes fraught with danger. She is always in possession of her one strong tie to home, her American flag which she hides from not only the family she is living with but all Germans, as she can trust no one. I enjoyed this book, it taught me some things I did not know regarding WWI. My own great grandfather emigrated from Germany at the age of fourteen during this time period to avoid being conscripted in to the Prussian army. It was quite interesting to read about the German version of things through the American experience. Recommended for fans of historical fiction. 4 stars.
Many thanks to LibraryThing and the author Janis Robinson Daly for a chance to read an ARC version of this book. All opinions are my own.