The Secret Society of Salzburg
This novel is set in the period before and during WW2 in England and Austria, as Hitler initiates and increases his persecution of Jewish people. Hattie, a typist in a government office in London, hears a recording of the acclaimed opera singer Elsa Mayer-Braun and, through Hattie’s expressive painting, she and Elsa become friends.
As the sense of oppression increases, Hattie and her sister Vera join with Elsa to rescue Jewish families and bring them to safety in England. Elsa’s new husband, the famous conductor Wilhelm Hoffmann, discourages this, but Hattie’s new friend, art dealer Sir Oliver Roundel, understands and assists. As he appreciates her painting, he spreads the word and makes Hattie a renowned artist. The fame and friendship of the two women form the basis of a very small, select society that rescues Jews from impending death or imprisonment in concentration camps.
The dangers inherent in this create a tension that is well maintained throughout the novel, relieved occasionally to reveal a growing but uncertain romance between Hattie and Sir Oliver. The glamorous world of opera in Salzburg and the far less glamorous world of London during the Blitz are well researched and vividly portrayed, as is the deepening hatred towards Jewish people in Germany and Austria.
The characters of Elsa, Hattie, and her sister Vera are satisfyingly complex, and the theme of friendship between two women of very different backgrounds is clearly portrayed. The male characters, however—Wilhelm and Sir Oliver—are not only too similar but disappointingly one-dimensional. Still, this is an enjoyable novel that adds some depth to our understanding of an agonizing event in history.
