Hélène (ePub)

Dobson provides his many characters with numerous opportunities to express themselves through action, which keeps the plot moving at a swift, enjoyable pace. Kirkus Reviews

It is September 1937 when Hlne Dubois and her boyfriend, Peter, find their seats at a National Socialist Party rally at Zeppelin Field in Nrnberg, Germany. As Hlne, a Belgian citizen and soprano, and Peter, a tenor who sings with her in the local theater, watch Hitler enter the field along with forty-five thousand men, Peter confesses he is mesmerized by Hitlers charisma, much to Hlnes dismay. Still, she decides she loves Peter too much to abandon him.

Peter, who is classified as a Jew in the eyes of Germany, is not allowed by law to marry Hlne, an Aryan. With a plan to work on Peters diction and then secure jobs at opera houses in France and Italy, the couple continues a relationship driven by forbidden love and their resolve to press through their challenges. But just as Peter proposes, gangs of SA and SS begin their terror, dragging Peter off into the night and robbing Hlne of her innocence. As Peter battles to stay alive, Hlne transforms from an altruistic soul to a determined woman focused on revenge as she faces Nazi brutality head-on.

Hlne is a story of heroism, resilience, and selfless love in the face of shocking violence as a young Belgian woman bravely fights to keep her dreamsand her Jewish loveralive during Hitlers horrifying reign.