The Kommandant’s Mistress
Centered around the concentration camps of WWII, this intense work of fiction deals with the complex personal struggles of, and between, the camp Kommandant and his Jewish mistress. Though on opposite sides of the fence, Max von Walther, the Kommandant, is as much an inmate of the camp as his mistress, Rachel. He cannot reconcile his desire for her with his loyalty and dedication to the country whose ideals he holds so dear. A failing marriage, a failing war, and dark political objectives all combine to oppose his efforts to subjugate her and force her to desire him. Rachel is caught between her constant struggles with the Kommandant and the demands of the camp resistance, who attempt to use her position in the Kommandant’s office to their advantage.
Written alternately in past, present, and future tense, the work attempts to create a greater understanding of the characters’ motivations. This rapid transference between time periods, particularly at critical moments in the story, is occasionally confusing. It does serve, however, to help us comprehend the full spectrum of forces at work during these tumultuous times. That both of the central characters are based upon real people lends authenticity, bringing to the forefront the human element which chills us with the realization that there are those who carry stories like these in their memories rather than in their imaginations.
