Fraulein

Struggle for Identity

By: Jeffrey T Leonards

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

BRILLIANT, YOUNG AND AMBITIOUS, Annika Tritzchler defies the norms of 1930s Berlin by pursuing medical training in a venue traditionally dominated by men. Facing contempt from her counterparts is minor compared to the massive upheaval in a city transitioning to dictatorship while brutally persecuting its enemies.

Annika's career takes a decisive turn when, early in her psychiatric residency, she is expected to participate in applied eugenics- the roguish trend within Nazi medicine. Sterilizing patients deemed racially inferior and euthanizing the handicapped (including patients that she, herself, has been treating) works against everything she holds sacred. Acquiescence means choosing survival over morality, the antithesis to the spirituality nurtured by her Lutheran mother and Jewish stepfather.

Brimming with historical detail, Fräulein is less a story of Nazism than a woman's attempt to rediscover meaning after her sense of self was shattered by unimaginable trauma. Recapturing identity is central, but only if she comes to terms with guilt.

★★★★★

"There's so much to love about this novel. It's a fantastic historical fiction piece that explores a full life heading into the Holocaust and even a bit afterwards, and I love the texture and established setting within the timeline most of all. Leonards' knowledge of the war accents the plot and allows the gritty realism to feel that much more sound. Annika's character is quite accessible and well rounded. Her growth from beginning to end is remarkable to witness."
-Writer's Digest

“Leonards successfully blends the horrific events of early 20th century Germany with the life story of Annika, whose search for meaning in life leads her into a career in medicine and beyond that into psychiatry and treatment of mental illness. The novel breathes life into many of the key issues of the era, including anti-Semitism, the mass hysteria of Fascism, and the totalitarian regime’s iconic institutions, the concentration camps and the euthanasia programs. Experiencing all of this, Annika tries valiantly to maintain her sanity as well as her sense of morality, and in describing her struggles Leonards has created one of the most unforgettable characters in modern literature.”
-Jack Morrison, Ph.D. Author of Ravensbrück: Everyday Life in a Women’s Concentration Camp 1939-45

“Amazing really what you have done… Ambitious and panoramic!”
-Charles Rotmil one of Maine's few living survivors of the Holocaust

“Fraulein is a masterfully written, psychologically astute portrayal of a young woman living and practicing psychiatry in a country descending into political and moral insanity, a chaos that consumes its intelligentsia and decent people, and that threatens to consume her own integrity. Filled with lyrical, almost transcendental beauty, and etched depictions of evil, Fraulein is both a gripping story and an unforgettable lesson from history that the gift of a civilized society cannot be taken for granted, but must be nurtured at every turn – it is the only thing saving humanity from the abyss.”
-Jonathan Borkum, Ph.D. Psychologist and Author of Chronic Headaches: Biology, Psychology, and Behavioral Treatment

“Your fictional character, Annika, sounds like my kind of person…”
-Tony Campolo, Ph.D. Emeritus Professor of Sociology, Eastern University; public speaker; author of over 35 books; and former spiritual advisor to US President Bill Clinton.

Virtual Voice is incredibly disappointing - excellent story otherwise.

I loved the story, but found it so hard to immerse myself because of the virtual voice. It’s so disjointed and the technology is not yet capable of distinguishing accents or words in other languages. Third person narration is relatively good, but dialogue is especially difficult to endure. It’s just not ready for prime time. With a human narrator who can affect the German accent, this title has the potential to be a five star.

Good historic overview

I have a grandfather who was killed in the Aktion T4 program, so much of this story hit close to home. The suffering and cruelty of the concentration camps and the aftermath of the war is graphically described. Overall I enjoyed the story and development of the characters. The section on psychology was belabored and stereotyped.

The book was ready by a "virtual" narrator - a computer generated voice, with a British pronunciation. Overall pleasant, but it was terrible on the German words - needs lots more work in that area. Also paused awkwardly long between headings and sections.

"

Great story

I didn’t give it 5 stars because of the first chapter’s bad mouthing of our current president. This was obviously the author’s feelings because anyone who watches main stream media and doesn’t hear the actual truth would react that way! Once I skipped that lecture the book was well done!👍🏻

Good story but Trump references distracting and garbage

After reading many, many WWII books, this one was well researched and a good read after your ridiculous Trump comparison.
Fraulein was a good amalgamation of the countless shattered lives left in Hitler’s wake.
Keep your politics to yourself or risk losing
at least half your readers who just want a good read, not a lecture.

Outstanding

This is one of the best books I've come across lately. Such an important subject during our time. I find it awfully interesting that some of these reviewers have made statements that they enjoyed the book but not the comments regarding our current president. If you cannot see the correlation between Hitler and Trump, I don't know why you listen to books like this. I was a little concerned with it being narrated by virtual voice that it would have the improper inflection that I've heard on other audio books, but it was well done.