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Lamplight
1912.
David Klein is eighteen when he runs away from the poverty and orthodoxy of his Jewish home in Birmingham, England, for the bright lights and opportunities of New York. But trouble is in store.
From the anguish and terror of nearly drowning at sea, the story moves between New York, Birmingham and eventually to Breslau in Germany where, when working as a war reporter, he meets Karin. Together, they live through the burgeoning terror of Nazi Germany in 1938.
Book #1 of the David Klein War Reporter series.
Coming
Vichyssoise, book #2, is set during the noir days of Vichy France during World War II.
David Klein is eighteen when he runs away from the poverty and orthodoxy of his Jewish home in Birmingham, England, for the bright lights and opportunities of New York. But trouble is in store.
From the anguish and terror of nearly drowning at sea, the story moves between New York, Birmingham and eventually to Breslau in Germany where, when working as a war reporter, he meets Karin. Together, they live through the burgeoning terror of Nazi Germany in 1938.
Book #1 of the David Klein War Reporter series.
Coming
Vichyssoise, book #2, is set during the noir days of Vichy France during World War II.
275 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 25, 2016
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12 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 10, 2016
I purchased this book because I got the second one from Net Galley.
I am sorry to say that although I really liked this book, I cannot give it more stars. If you are going to write a book about Germany and Nazis, you need to get your facts straight. I got 82% through the book when a major historical mistake was made. It ruined the book for me.
The author was talking about Kristallnacht or Night of Broken Glass. She then went on to say that some called it "more appropriately, the 'Night of the Long Knives'. These 2 events couldn't be more different. The first, is when the Nazis conducted roundups and raid on Jewish people and businesses and happened in 1938. The later, which occurred in 1934, is when the Nazis went after members of there one party.
I am sad to say how difficult it was to continue reading this book. I did finish it but it left a bad taste for me.
I am sorry to say that although I really liked this book, I cannot give it more stars. If you are going to write a book about Germany and Nazis, you need to get your facts straight. I got 82% through the book when a major historical mistake was made. It ruined the book for me.
The author was talking about Kristallnacht or Night of Broken Glass. She then went on to say that some called it "more appropriately, the 'Night of the Long Knives'. These 2 events couldn't be more different. The first, is when the Nazis conducted roundups and raid on Jewish people and businesses and happened in 1938. The later, which occurred in 1934, is when the Nazis went after members of there one party.
I am sad to say how difficult it was to continue reading this book. I did finish it but it left a bad taste for me.
June 2, 2025
A valiant effort with some flashes of reasonable writing. However, I had a few quibbles with the book.
First of all, I'd say trust your readers to "get it." You really don't have to explain everything. What kept happening here was that the story would get going, then there would be a kind of history lesson, including among other descriptions, the New York subway system, prohibition, the sinking of the Titanic and the rise of Hitler in Germany. which made the story stop start stop start. This got irritating. A case of writer's voice impinging on the story. I can see the research, the knowledge. but it didn't all need to be imparted to the reader; enough, for example. he was on the Titanic without all the side bits about the boat. More story, less telling, please.
There were far too many unlikely plot twists and the dialogue wasn't natural and was clunky. I think the writer may get better and has skill in developing a story, but it was a bit too overdone and ploddy for me to love it.
First of all, I'd say trust your readers to "get it." You really don't have to explain everything. What kept happening here was that the story would get going, then there would be a kind of history lesson, including among other descriptions, the New York subway system, prohibition, the sinking of the Titanic and the rise of Hitler in Germany. which made the story stop start stop start. This got irritating. A case of writer's voice impinging on the story. I can see the research, the knowledge. but it didn't all need to be imparted to the reader; enough, for example. he was on the Titanic without all the side bits about the boat. More story, less telling, please.
There were far too many unlikely plot twists and the dialogue wasn't natural and was clunky. I think the writer may get better and has skill in developing a story, but it was a bit too overdone and ploddy for me to love it.
August 3, 2016
I read this book in two chunks - life, work and sleep getting in the way and preventing me from reading it from cover to cover in one go, unfortunately.
The story centres around 18 year old David Klein who escapes from the poverty of his parents home in Birmingham and the constricture of his Jewish heritage. It’s 1912 and he leaves, without properly saying goodbye to his mum, for Southampton to take passage on a ship going to New York. That ship being Titanic.
And that’s one of the things that make this book so interesting. The story itself is fiction, but it is set against a background of actual historical events and weaving both fact and fiction together is incredibly difficult – but this author has managed the process seamlessly and I’m very jealous!
David survives the disaster and makes it to New York where he begins a new life with Alice – a young lady he met on board ship and rescued. His first few years state-side are difficult, then he begins work at a theatre and things begin to improve and so the pattern of his life goes on, bringing him back home to Birmingham and, then at the brink of the 1939/45 war taking him to Breslau in Germany in 1938.
I found the characters well drawn, each with their own distinctive voice. There were times when this story made me stop and think and there were other times when it brought a tear to my eye. This is a great story, well told and I can already tell you that the sequel, Vichyssoise, follows in the same vein.
The story centres around 18 year old David Klein who escapes from the poverty of his parents home in Birmingham and the constricture of his Jewish heritage. It’s 1912 and he leaves, without properly saying goodbye to his mum, for Southampton to take passage on a ship going to New York. That ship being Titanic.
And that’s one of the things that make this book so interesting. The story itself is fiction, but it is set against a background of actual historical events and weaving both fact and fiction together is incredibly difficult – but this author has managed the process seamlessly and I’m very jealous!
David survives the disaster and makes it to New York where he begins a new life with Alice – a young lady he met on board ship and rescued. His first few years state-side are difficult, then he begins work at a theatre and things begin to improve and so the pattern of his life goes on, bringing him back home to Birmingham and, then at the brink of the 1939/45 war taking him to Breslau in Germany in 1938.
I found the characters well drawn, each with their own distinctive voice. There were times when this story made me stop and think and there were other times when it brought a tear to my eye. This is a great story, well told and I can already tell you that the sequel, Vichyssoise, follows in the same vein.
August 10, 2016
I really enjoyed this. David and Karin are essentially good people in a bad world. They have to take the most difficult decisions and don't know who they can trust. David might seem a bit naive in agreeing to go to Germany at that time but then he has a mission of his own. Although on occasions I felt the historic information could have been delivered a bit more subtly, it's an engrossing read and I've already bought the sequel.
April 27, 2016
There's so much that's good in this novel - the characters, the details, the plot. All of these kept me e-turning the pages. I just felt a bit let down by what should have been the climax. It felt too rushed. It also seemed rather incredible. I needed more details to believe it. But the rest of the novel is excellent.
May 20, 2016
Not my cup of tea unfortunately.
Story didn't hold my interest.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Crooked Cat Publishing via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.
Story didn't hold my interest.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Crooked Cat Publishing via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews