Website designed &

hosted by GHP

Please click on a review from September-October 2007 issue of The Historical Review -

Reviews

Page 1 - An interview with Marcelle

Page 2 - About the book

Going by the title line ‘A girl’s bitter struggle with the enemy in occupied France’, you’d think you were in for some pretty grim and bleak reading. Actually that’s not the case. Partly because it’s autobiographical - so we know she lived, literally, to tell the tale - but also because this story of the eponymous Rachel’s quiet desperation and courage is lifted by descriptive passages that are nothing short of exquisite - in fact the rich descriptions of the Auvergne reminded me of D H Lawrence. Kellermann writes in a terse style whose very tightness speaks of repressed emotion, while ironically her dark humour lightens the page with telling acuity, powerfully describing the sharply polished and pressed Gestapo as ‘coal-black shining crows, their left wings marked with the blood-red insignia, the Devil’s swastika well in evidence.’ for example.

A talented pianist and a Chemistry student, Rachel volunteers to join the fight against the occupying Nazis and the turncoat Vichy government - and her role is covert surveillance of German troop movements and the supply of provisions to the Resistance fighters. Already fighting illness and malnutrition that’s left her covered in painful, suppurating boils, Rachel tremblingly offers up her virginity to a boorish drunk farmer in order to secure the bleak mountainside shelter that will be her operational base and, accompanied only by her faithful dog, Nourse, and a gentle shepherd boy, dedicates her life to the Maquis.

Read it and find out for yourself whether the ending can be said to be a happy one - but there’s probably no better summary than that provided (rather impressively by the author’s friend, Fay Weldon: ‘A fascinating tale and true. Beautifully written’.

P Dodd, Bookseller Review

The new book from Hampstead author Marcelle Kellermann is a wartime thriller, but far from a complete fictional invention. Set during the occupation of France where she worked as a member of the resistance, she was interrogated and to her utter surprise later released by a German officer, the official interpreter in the German Kommandatur in the centre of Vichy France. After the war she discovered that The Interpreter had been a German anti-Nazi double agent. She presents a story in turn both tragic and at times darkly humorous, each chapter to be regarded as a short episode in its own right detailing this remarkable anti - hero s life and struggle during Frances darkest Hour.

“The Interpreter is living history; a powerful and compelling book that we all should read, lest we forget.” – Bookseller Review

A Packhorse Called Rachel

Marcelle Kellermann

Going by the title line ‘A girl’s bitter struggle with the enemy in occupied France’, you’d think you were in for some pretty grim and bleak reading. Actually that’s not the case. Partly because it’s autobiographical - so we know she lived, literally, to tell the tale - but also because this story of the eponymous Rachel’s quiet desperation and courage is lifted by descriptive passages that are nothing short of exquisite - in fact the rich descriptions of the Auvergne reminded me of D H Lawrence. Kellermann writes in a terse style whose very tightness speaks of repressed emotion, while ironically her dark humour lightens the page with telling acuity, powerfully describing the sharply polished and pressed Gestapo as ‘coal-black shining crows, their left wings marked with the blood-red insignia, the Devil’s swastika well in evidence.’ for example.

A talented pianist and a Chemistry student, Rachel volunteers to join the fight against the occupying Nazis and the turncoat Vichy government - and her role is covert surveillance of German troop movements and the supply of provisions to the Resistance fighters. Already fighting illness and malnutrition that’s left her covered in painful, suppurating boils, Rachel tremblingly offers up her virginity to a boorish drunk farmer in order to secure the bleak mountainside shelter that will be her operational base and, accompanied only by her faithful dog, Nourse, and a gentle shepherd boy, dedicates her life to the Maquis.

Read it and find out for yourself whether the ending can be said to be a happy one - but there’s probably no better summary than that provided (rather impressively by the author’s friend, Fay Weldon: ‘A fascinating tale and true. Beautifully written’.

The story is true but uses an alias for the person that had kept his notes from his actions as an interpreter during WWII in Europe, mostly Germany and France. The name used is Frank van Huegen. His job generally was to interpret words and meanings from suspected spies or known collaborators so the German officials could charge those they suspect, or have simply made up their mind regarding their guilt in actions against the German military. Frank had many friends throughout the area, most not believing that the Nazi's were the saviours of the world, which is what they thought of themselves.

In addition to his work as an interpreter he was also most active as a double spy for the allies. He would pass important and delicate information in many secretive ways to others in the "chain" that he could trust. The news generally had to go through several people also in very tight situations as they passed it to the person/persons needing the information. He had to act as though he was a strong Nazi when with the Nazi's. He even had a bodyguard so he could go anywhere safer than by himself. He still found time and ways to obtain and pass on very important information.

When Frank van Huegen learned of a Jew or Gentile that had been captured, interrogated, found guilty (of course) and sent on to a camp for punishment or disposal, he would pass this information on to some of the underground so they could take out the caravan carrying that person in order to allow them to escape. This worked many times until the Nazi's got too suspicious of everyone. This made Frank's job much more dangerous.

I found the first part of the book a bit confusing with all the terms used, a few of which were explained but many not. Being an American I am not used to European languages, names, or terms but I did eventually understand most of these words and phrases. The story of patriots that did all they could to fight the Nazi's from taking over their nation and severely imprisoning and/or killing all the Jewish people or anyone from a Jewish family is one very gripping tale. How any humans can interrogate so severely within an inch of ones life is beyond most of our minds. The story takes us from pre-war through February 5, 1942 as told from the journal as written by the man the author called Frank van Huegen. In my mind, things had to get much worse for all in that area of the world after this period of time.

Reader review of book supplied from publisher and http://www.bestsellersworld.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cy_Hilterman  

The Interpreter Written by Marcelle Kellerman

To discover the grandfather he never knew, Jeff Badger began tracking down dozens of World War II veterans from the 978th Engineer Maintenance Company, his granddad s unit. Through his new war buddies, some who told him stories they had never shared before, Jeff began to reconstruct both a life and a very personal vision of a war and the men who fought it.Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered a speech entitled, Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break The Silence, in New York City on April 4, 1967. He stirred the souls in the audience. He made numerous points during the speech which many took to heart. His speech is longed remembered by many.The story is true but uses an alias for the person that had kept his notes from his actions as an interpreter during WWII in Europe, mostly Germany and France. The name used is Frank van Huegen. His job generally was to interpret words and meanings from suspected spies or known collaborators so the German officials could charge those they suspect, or have simply made up their mind regarding their guilt in actions against the German military.

The Interpreter Written by Marcelle Kellerman

© Marcelle Kellermann 2007