The Secret Hotel in Berlin
In this dual-timeline novel, two young women are drawn into the orbit of the Edel Hotel in Berlin. Lili, a young florist, relocates to Berlin after seeing the murder of her father on the steps of his Leipzig synagogue near the beginning of World War II. She hides her Jewish identity even as she falls in love and marries the son of the Edel’s owner and becomes—quite unwillingly—a hostess to Hitler and his associates. Torn between working to save her people, which might mean sacrificing her daughter, she helps Jews escape by temporarily hiding them in the Edel’s cellars. Then she is asked to do more.
In 1990 Luci arrives in a newly united city tasked with buying an old hotel in East Berlin that can be gloriously renovated to the elegance of bygone days. She selects the Edel and works with Lili’s grandson on its renovation. The two of them believe Lili collaborated with Hitler until they uncover Lili’s diary. Then they work together to restore the truth of her character and anti-Nazi sentiments.
The magic of the Edel permeates the story as each of the women comes to terms with her past actions and bravely changes course to be true to herself and live her life honestly. The author builds tension on the very first page and only increases the intensity as the stories unfold. The readers will root for Lili throughout, although they know there is a strong chance her story will not end happily.
