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Strings - Atonement
"All human things of dearest value hang on slender strings."
~E. Waller, 17thC. Poet
Strings - Garden of the Gods is the first in a series that will follow a Swiss family through three generations beginning in World War 2. The founder of the family, Rolf Ziegler, is thrust into the chaos of the conflict as the consequences of decisions made during the war follow and haunt the descendants for the next 60 years. Rolf will find he is tasked with righting an enormous wrong his father committed but is unaware of the magnitude of the responsibility.
In July 1938 Germany is poised for war. Lt. Rolf Ziegler, son of an influential Swiss banker is chosen for a clandestine military program aiming to save many of Europe's finest musicians and scholars from the oncoming chaos and certain death.
No sooner does he begin than he learns his wife, Danielle, has been recruited and he becomes embroiled in a labyrinth of painful deceptions discovering he will be forced to choose between serving two masters - his country or his conscience. Serving either could cost the lives of those he loves as he is drawn into a tightening web of lies and corruption.
In choosing, Rolf must ask himself if he can live with the cost of his decisions which will alter the course of his and his family's lives and leave them bound to a moral obligation that will dramatically affect future generations. In seeking to try to live with his decision and losses, he nears self-destruction. It is not until he meets Liz, a young American woman, that he discovers there may be a path toward redemption.
Yet the question that will haunt the family remains. Will the sacrifices truly be worth the benefits?
The war revealed the worst in humanity, will the peace reveal the best?
~E. Waller, 17thC. Poet
Strings - Garden of the Gods is the first in a series that will follow a Swiss family through three generations beginning in World War 2. The founder of the family, Rolf Ziegler, is thrust into the chaos of the conflict as the consequences of decisions made during the war follow and haunt the descendants for the next 60 years. Rolf will find he is tasked with righting an enormous wrong his father committed but is unaware of the magnitude of the responsibility.
In July 1938 Germany is poised for war. Lt. Rolf Ziegler, son of an influential Swiss banker is chosen for a clandestine military program aiming to save many of Europe's finest musicians and scholars from the oncoming chaos and certain death.
No sooner does he begin than he learns his wife, Danielle, has been recruited and he becomes embroiled in a labyrinth of painful deceptions discovering he will be forced to choose between serving two masters - his country or his conscience. Serving either could cost the lives of those he loves as he is drawn into a tightening web of lies and corruption.
In choosing, Rolf must ask himself if he can live with the cost of his decisions which will alter the course of his and his family's lives and leave them bound to a moral obligation that will dramatically affect future generations. In seeking to try to live with his decision and losses, he nears self-destruction. It is not until he meets Liz, a young American woman, that he discovers there may be a path toward redemption.
Yet the question that will haunt the family remains. Will the sacrifices truly be worth the benefits?
The war revealed the worst in humanity, will the peace reveal the best?
363 pages, Paperback
Published June 5, 2017
1 person is currently reading
3 people want to read
About the author
Andrea Rendón
4 books4 followersI am a Texas author and attended Texas Wesleyan University with degrees in Psychology and Art.
In the early 1980's I co-founded a chemical recycling fuel blending plant. Upon retiring I pursued my real love...books...reading and writing them.
I traveled and incorporates what I saw and experienced into my work. I traveled a great deal in Europe, UK, Australia and New Zealand and returned to Texas to begin writing full time. I spent time in areas where my family had fought in WW2 and has several family members serving now.
The series is a labor of love for Me, and is peopled with complex characters that must confront the challenges, successes, failures and repercussions resulting from decisions and the effects of war. They build their lives and families while facing their personal challenges and obligations.
Strings Garden of the Gods is the first publication in a four part family saga set between 1938 and 2018. Strings Atonement was released in 2017. Book three, Common Ground, is scheduled to be out early 2018.
This has been an exciting experience creating a world populated with interesting people and challenging antagonists. Strings is set in both Switzerland and Texas making for interesting contrasts.
My family hails from Kyburg, Switzerland, east of Zurich not far from the beautiful city of St. Gallen where much of this series is set. Eastern Switzerland is filled with extraordinary scenery, not the least of these are the Alps near Austria which creates a dramatic backdrop for the story to unfold.
In the early 1980's I co-founded a chemical recycling fuel blending plant. Upon retiring I pursued my real love...books...reading and writing them.
I traveled and incorporates what I saw and experienced into my work. I traveled a great deal in Europe, UK, Australia and New Zealand and returned to Texas to begin writing full time. I spent time in areas where my family had fought in WW2 and has several family members serving now.
The series is a labor of love for Me, and is peopled with complex characters that must confront the challenges, successes, failures and repercussions resulting from decisions and the effects of war. They build their lives and families while facing their personal challenges and obligations.
Strings Garden of the Gods is the first publication in a four part family saga set between 1938 and 2018. Strings Atonement was released in 2017. Book three, Common Ground, is scheduled to be out early 2018.
This has been an exciting experience creating a world populated with interesting people and challenging antagonists. Strings is set in both Switzerland and Texas making for interesting contrasts.
My family hails from Kyburg, Switzerland, east of Zurich not far from the beautiful city of St. Gallen where much of this series is set. Eastern Switzerland is filled with extraordinary scenery, not the least of these are the Alps near Austria which creates a dramatic backdrop for the story to unfold.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 19, 2019
This book will not disappoint you as the second in the series. It is every bit as good as the first and because it is set in Texas, my home state, I enjoyed it immensely. I like that it doesn't spend a lot of time recapping the first book but gives you enough background to understand the previous events if you read this one first. It would definitely entice you to read the first one! The elements of the storylines are beautifully woven together and explores love, loyalty, pride, and how family disfunction almost destroyed a family legacy. I am looking forward to the next book in the series!
May 29, 2017
A solid second entry in to this series, it picks back up with Rolf ( my favorite from the first series) and really dives into all sorts of adventures.. Chloe is a lovable character too. The relationships are nice, and the pacing good.
Can't wait for the next one.
Can't wait for the next one.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews