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N. N. Light
Feb 28, 20183 min read

How Far Would You Go to Find the Woman You Love? Searching for Gertrude by @dehaggerty #historicalfi


Title: Searching for Gertrude

Author: D. E. Haggerty

Genre: Historical Fiction

Book Blurb:

While growing up in Germany in the 1930s, Rudolf falls in love with the girl next door, Gertrude. He doesn’t care what religion Gertrude practices but the Nazis do. When the first antisemitic laws are enacted by the Nazi government, Gertrude’s father loses his job at the local university. Unable to find employment in Germany, he accepts a position at Istanbul University and moves the family to Turkey. Rudolf, desperate to follow Gertrude, takes a position working at the consulate in Istanbul with the very government which caused her exile. With Rudolf finally living in the same city as Gertrude, their reunion should be inevitable, but he can’t find her. During his search for Gertrude, he stumbles upon Rosalyn, an American Jew working as a nanny in the city. Upon hearing his heartbreaking story, she immediately agrees to help him search for his lost love. Willing to do anything in their search for Gertrude, they agree to work for a British intelligence officer who promises his assistance, but his demands endanger Rudolf and Rosalyn. As the danger increases and the search for Gertrude stretches on, Rudolf and Rosalyn grow close, but Rudolf gave his heart away long ago.

How far would you go to find the woman you love?

My Review:

A book which opened in such an exciting fashion so that it was hard to put down, right from the start. Captivating and endearing characters and a story that resonates through time.

Rosalyn becomes central to the story and is so creatively written that the reader can't help but care about this woman. Poignant, dramatic, romantic, frightening, melancholic, exciting... a book for everyone and a fantastic read.

As a Military Historian I was very impressed with this author's first foray into historical fiction. The accuracy of the portrayal of the politics of Germany, Great Britain, America and Turkey in the early days of World War Two is excellent. This book has inspired me personally to do further research into what has often been considered a back water of World War Two, as no battles were fought there.

5 stars. A fantastic story of history and true love.

My Rating: 5 stars

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Author Biography:

I grew-up reading everything I could get my grubby hands on from my mom’s Harlequin romances to Nancy Drew to Little Women. When I wasn’t flipping pages in a library book, I was penning horrendous poems, writing songs no one should ever sing, or drafting stories which have thankfully been destroyed. College and a stint in the U.S. Army came along, robbing me of free time to write and read, although on the odd occasion I did manage to sneak a book into my rucksack between rolled up socks, MRIs, t-shirts, and cold weather gear. After surviving the army experience, I went back to school and got my law degree. I jumped ship and joined the hubby in the Netherlands before the graduation ceremony could even begin. A few years into my legal career, I was exhausted, fed up, and just plain done. I quit my job and sat down to write a manuscript, which I promptly hid in the attic after returning to the law. But being a lawyer really wasn’t my thing, so I quit (again!) and went off to Germany to start a B&B. Turns out being a B&B owner wasn’t my thing either. I polished off that manuscript languishing in the attic before following the husband to Istanbul where I decided to give the whole writer-thing a go. But ten years was too many to stay away from adopted home. I packed up again and moved to The Hague where I’m currently working on my next book. I hope I’ll always be working on my next book.

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Reviewed by: Mr. N

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