German Lessons

German Lessons is both a coming-of-age novel and a work of historical fiction. It is set in Germany between autumn 1932 and spring 1933, the final months of the Weimar Republic and the early period of Nazi rule. The unfolding story of the central character, Frank Hannaford, a young Australian Catholic studying at a German university, examines the ethics of action and inaction in the context of the response of the Catholic Church to the new political realities of Germany. German Lessons is well-researched and historically accurate. Its informed exploration of ethical vacillation in the pre-WWII Catholic Church will engage and provoke older readers as well as lovers of historical fiction. It will also resonate with those following contemporary issues in the Church. The themes of ethics and personal growth will create discussion points and questions for younger readers, as well as building their knowledge of this historical period. Younger readers may also identify with Frank, a young adult trying to find his way in the challenging situations in which he finds himself, and with Anja, a young German woman who refuses to be intimidated by the Nazis.