Local author Arthur M. James has created a compelling and panoramic view of World War II in his latest work, Untertauchen: A Historical Novel. This 616-page fictional novel is written from the perspective of a German Jewish couple struggling to survive the inhumane violence and destruction of the Third Reich.
James, a resident of Lexington County, worked as a news anchor at WLTX in the 1970s, where he met the young Jewish couple who inspired this story. His background as a distinguished writer, historian, and bilingual scholar who has lived and studied in Austria and Germany uniquely positions him to bring this harrowing tale to life.
An excerpt from the Pacific Book Review offers a glimpse into the novel:
“Hans is an intelligent, hardworking young man who meets and wishes to marry Anna, the relationship arranged and encouraged by their compatible families. But the couple’s happiness, or lack of it, will be increasingly defined by events in Germany in the early 1930s. Hans has allied himself with an organization set on combating the anti-Jewish sentiments being raised and fostered by Hitler and his minions. This targets him for investigation, imprisonment or worse, and after a taste of police brutality, he knows he must take sterner measures to save himself and Anna. For safety’s sake he communicates with Anna by post before leaving for his first adventure – manual labor on the island of Corsica, arranged through French connections. When Hans realizes he is still being sought by German authorities, he leaves Corsica and he and Anna gradually begin a partnership that will reshape their lives. Efforts to rise above the ugly face of Nazism to protect family and income, they will finally be forced to take the ‘low road’ – untertauchen, the desperate attempt to disappear ‘underground.’ James’s account moves year by year, often hour by hour, through the increasingly perilous situations the couple encounter. They will learn who their hidden allies may be, people of unusual character and not all Jewish, but simply those who sympathize with the victims Hitler has targeted for mass murder. They sleep in burned-out buildings or in the parlors of helpful humanitarians. Few arrangements last more than a few hours or days, never fully out of danger, and the toll would perhaps have been greater had these not been two young people with a will to live as strong as their enemy’s will to kill.”
James’s remarkable ability to place the reader in the moment makes this a story that builds with intensity with each new page. His clear grasp of the most minute historical details – dates, places, people, and policies – is crucial and convincing without burdening the narrative. Through his vivid storytelling, Hans and Anna will be remembered as symbols of resilience and courage.
Untertauchen: A Historical Novel is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and Google Play. James is currently working on a new novel set in South Carolina during the Civil War.
For more information or to contact Arthur M. James, please visit his website or follow him on social media.
