Shattered Crystal

A riveting historical novel about a Berlin family during World War II, whose members struggle to come to terms with conflicting parts of their identities. Widower Franz Kerner and his three grown children live their lives as loyal German citizens. With the Third Reich''s rise to power and subsequent war, they do their best for their beloved country, during those tumultuous times. Karl, the eldest, enlists in the Luftwaffe and becomes a pilot; Elsa, the middle child, works at a government office; and Helmut, the youngest, joins the infantry. But Franz harbors a deep secret, one that defines the Kerners'' identity. When he finally reveals the secret, their worlds are deeply shaken. Illustrating the characters'' inner struggles against the backdrop of the raging war, the author vividly recounts this intricate tale. The historical aspects in the novel are based on largescale, comprehensive research, and serve to shed light on major global events from a more intimate point of view, one that illustrates the repercussions of war for all of mankind.