Title: Fracture
Author: Elyse Hoffman
Genre: Historical Fiction
Length: 154 Pages
Published: October 18, 2022
About the Book
A heart-wrenching WW2 story of forbidden love and torn allegiances.
Franz Keidel is a monsterous SS soldier: loyal, hateful, and devoted to Hitler. With a cold heart, he hunts down his Führer’s enemies, but one fateful mission will fracture his shield of ice.
While hunting for Jews, Franz stumbles across a familiar face: Amos Auman, his childhood friend. Amos is the only source of joy in Franz’s life, but he is also a Jew. Unable to bring himself to kill his friend, Franz vows to protect Amos from his fellow Nazis.
As Franz spends more time with Amos, bringing him food and books, he falls in love with his kind-hearted friend. How could he fall in love with a man, a Jew? How can he continue to hate Jews when a Jew has thawed his icy heart?
And what will Franz do if he has to choose between Amos and his loyalty to Hitler? What choices does he have when he is already beyond redemption?
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About the Author
Elyse Hoffman is an award-winning author who strives to tell historical tales with new twists. She loves to meld WWII and Jewish history with fantasy, folklore, and the paranormal. She has written six works of Holocaust historical fiction: The Barracks of the Holocaust five-book series and The Book of Uriel. Elyse’s books are the way to go if you love history and want to read some unique stories.
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My Thoughts
Two boys become childhood best friends. Franz lives with an abusive father. Amos knows what’s going on in Franz’s home and does his best to be a support. Years later, Franz is a staunch SS officer loyal to Hitler, who he credits for changing his life. So imagine his surprise upon stumbling into Amos to learn Amos is Jewish. That’s a lot for Franz to reconcile, but a return to their friendship and much more follow.
I’ve read several Hoffman books so far, and this one had a vastly different feel than the others. For one, you don’t feel a sense of closure with the book, as this ends abruptly and feels like a prequel. The book didn’t seem to have an overarching storyline outside the relationship. Lastly, I’m not entirely sure how comfortable I am with a love affair between an SS officer and a Jewish man. I understand the intention was genuine, but nothing will make what Franz has done and continues to do, okay.
However, this quick read will undoubtedly lead to an interesting storyline in future books. I feel there is much in store down the road and a lot for readers to enjoy.
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Rae's Reading Lounge 
It sure does feel like a very unlikely story.
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