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Christoph Fischer

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The Luck of the Weissensteiners (The Three Nations Trilogy Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Christoph Fischer (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

3.9 1,166 ratings

Book 1 of 3: The Three Nations Trilogy

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"...an eye opening and heart-warming story of survival..."

"the essence of human nature" in the beautiful historic setting of Bratislava in 1933

“Left me breathless and in awe” – "should be mandatory reading in history class"

Watch the trailer: http://studio.stupeflix.com/v/OtmyZh4Dmc/

Voted No. 21 in http://www.readfree.ly/the-50-self-published-books-worth-reading-2013-14/

In the sleepy town of Bratislava in 1933 a romantic girl falls for a bookseller from Berlin. Greta Weissensteiner, daughter of a Jewish weaver, slowly settles into life with the Winkelmeier clan. The political climate and slow disintegration of the multi-cultural society in Czechoslovakia becomes more complex and affects relations between the couple and their families.
The story follows their lot through the war with its torment, destruction and its unpredictability - and the equally hard times after.

From the moment that Greta Weissensteiner enters the bookstore where Wilhelm Winkelmeier works, and entrances him with her good looks and serious ways, I was hooked. But this is no ordinary romance; in tact it is not a romance at all, but a powerful, often sad, Holocaust story. What makes The Luck of the Weissensteiners so extraordinary is the chance Christoph Fischer gives his readers to consider the many different people who were never in concentration camps, never in the military, yet who nonetheless had their own indelible Holocaust experiences. Set in the fascinating area of Bratislava, this is a wide-ranging, historically accurate exploration of the connections between social location, personal integrity and, as the title says, luck. I cared about every one of this novel's characters and continued to think about them long after I'd finished reading.

-- Andrea Steiner, University of California Santa Cruz

The Luck of the Weissensteiners is an epic saga set in wartime Eastern Europe. It follows the lives of two families - one Jewish, one Catholic - and their entwined survival amidst the backdrop of the second world war; first the fascist then the communist invasion and occupation of Slovakia, and the horror of the consequences of war. The reader is transported to a world of deception, fear, distrust and betrayal, alongside enduring love and family drama. Weissensteiners is a magnificent tale of human survival.

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About the Author

Christoph Fischer was born in Germany in 1970 as the son of a Sudeten-German father and a Bavarian mother. Not a full local in the eyes and ears of his peers he developed an ambiguous sense of belonging and home in Bavaria. He moved to Hamburg in pursuit of his studies and to lead a life of literary indulgence. After a few years he moved on to the UK where he is still resident today. 'The Luck of The Weissensteiners' is his first published work. He has written several other novels which are in the later stages of editing and finalisation.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00AFQC4QC
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kindle (December 28, 2013)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 28, 2013
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2068 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 382 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #1,603,886 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,409 in Jewish Historical Fiction
- #1,450 in Jewish Literature (Kindle Store)
- #3,175 in Jewish Literature & Fiction

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3.9 1,166 ratings

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Christoph Fischer

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USA Today and Amazon No 1 bestselling author Christoph Fischer was born in Germany as the son of a Sudeten-German father and a Bavarian mother. Not a full local in the eyes and ears of his peers he developed an ambiguous sense of belonging and home in Bavaria. He moved to Hamburg in pursuit of his studies and to lead a life of literary indulgence. He now lives in a small town in West Wales with his partner and four Labradoodles.

Christoph worked for the British Film Institute, in Libraries, Museums and for an airline.

‘The Luck of The Weissensteiners’ was published in November 2012; 'Sebastian' in May 2013 and 'The Black Eagle Inn' in October 2013 - which completes his 'Three Nations Trilogy'. "Time to Let Go", his first contemporary work was published in May 2014, and “Conditions”, another contemporary novel, in October 2014. The sequel “Conditioned” was published in October 2015. His medical thriller "The Healer" was released in January 2015 and his second thriller “The Gamblers” in June 2015. He published two more historical novels “In Search of a Revolution” in March 2015 and “Ludwika” in December 2015.

His latest novel "Murder at Eurovision" is the second in his Bebe Bollinger cozy mystery series.

Blog: http://writerchristophfischer.wordpress.com/

Twitte: @CFFBooks, @WriterCFischer

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WriterChristophFischer?ref=hl

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3.9 out of 5

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kwadzana

A true classic for generations to follow

Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2013

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If you wait for 110 to 140 years, this book will be free. But then you would be missing out on one of the most brilliant authors I've been lucky enough to stumble upon since I started reading many years ago. The Luck of the Weissensteiners will undoubtedly become public domain and remain a timeless classic for centuries. Many books will fade over time but the works of Christoph Fischer will live alongside those of Austen, Defoe, Hawthorne and Dickens. The Luck of the Weissensteiners is a true historical fiction classic.

The story follows the lives of two families; one Jewish and one a mix of Lutheran and Catholic that are connected by fate from the period leading up to World War II and on to the end of the war.

I often read reviews where the reviewer describes the book as a page turner. The Luck of the Weissensteiners by Christoph Fischer went beyond that for me. I used the Kindle text-to-speech feature to continue reading while cooking and eating dinner and then went back and re-read the sections I had listened to so I didn't miss anything. I came to know the characters and to care about them and I wanted to know how things turned out for them. I wanted so much for Greta to be happy. I loved her inner strength, her innate sense of right and wrong, and her open-mindedness. Most of all I loved her ability to see good where there is almost none. This is character development at its best and there are several more characters as interesting as Greta.

Although there is great detail and historical fact in the story, there is never an instance where the author gets involved in unimportant details. Every sentence and every description of characters and events supports the storyline. I think this is the mark of a great author.

One of the things that have made this book special for me is that my father was part of a US Army division that liberated the little known concentration camp at Ebensee, Austria. He was a medic with the US Army and also the platoon photographer. So I grew up knowing the extremely graphic pictures of the proof of the holocaust were in my father's top drawer. The photos were finally donated to the Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg Florida along with a two-hour interview my dad did. So I grew up knowing that we should always speak out against prejudice before it has a chance to fester.

As I began reading The Luck of the Weissensteiners, it wasn't long before I started feeling uneasy, like something was wrong. It wasn't anything too obvious; just a dark cloud that drifted overhead without anyone really noticing it. Little by little, the darkness increased and the uneasiness slowly turned to fear. It was of course, Hitler's cloud of genocide.

I think the thing that makes this book unique and fascinating for me is that as I read it, it seemed that almost no one on either side really had any pre-conceived notions about their own political thinking regarding Hitler's twisted view of humanity. And yet many were swept up in it, almost like a disease had spread throughout Europe. Hitler's horror seemed to take on a life of its own. That is what is so terrifying and you feel that horror growing as you read this book.

But the story is not all doom and gloom. As inhuman as the Nazi sympathizers were, there were also many kind and brave characters that come to life in this timeless classic. I highly recommend this book to everyone. Everyone should know what it felt like to live through one of the darkest periods of the human race. Another reviewer wrote that you need to read this book slowly. I completely agree. It's like a fine wine. It should be sipped slowly so you can taste it.

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Book Addict

A Jolt to my Ethnocentricity

Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2013

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History of the twentieth century was one of my major areas of study in college. However, the history I studied presented an ethnocentric view of World War II. Of course, I know about Hitler's rise to power, and the major steps he took in Europe prior to our entry into the war. I understood the political and social ramifications. I understood the uneasy alliance of Germany, Italy, and Japan. But I only knew of these histories from the perspective of the first, isolationist United States, and then, as the full-speed ahead entry into the war heroes who saved the world from the evil Axis powers.

Reading Christoph Fischer's The Luck of the Weissensteiners presented another view of that period through the camera lens of people living in Eastern Europe. The book shows people from all the different perspectives before, during, and after the war. It's an eye-opening read to learn that the United States wasn't the center of this war. In the lives of these ordinary folks, the United States played an almost peripheral role.

The Luck of the Weissensteiners exposes how the Eastern Europeans reacted with a wide range of attitudes and actions as the war tore apart families and friends and allowed no trust to exist in all the varied relationships. There may have been a world war taking place on the larger stage, but for the characters in Fischer's novel, it is a civil war being fought, and the lines are blurred and often changing, depending on who's in charge.

Jews and Gentiles fall in love and marry, which creates a problem when Hitler's master plan begins to take effect, even in countries where he's not invaded. . .yet. The propaganda used to smear the very genes of Jews causes one husband to question the moral integrity of his wife. He buys the line of inherently weak genes so much he even takes their son away - a son who is Aryan in looks, leaving behind his Jewish wife and their unborn child. The atmosphere of fear changes people, oftentimes not for the better.

Through it, all one family stands strong.

This book's retelling of the history of this period in Europe is personalized through the characters that represent a cross section of the lives impacted by the atrocities of war. Jews, Gentiles, Germans, Slovakians, lesbians, and traitors all point to one direction. War never makes much sense when the individual lives of its victims are examined. Neither side wins when people are persecuted for their religion, political beliefs, nationality, or sexual orientations.

It's a sad commentary on the human condition when a people are forced to hide their identities behind forged passports and then forced to throw away the forgeries to appease the winning side. When it comes down to it in the aftermath of the war and the liberation of Europe, all individuals are suspect, and mankind is taken down a notch.

Christoph Fischer has written an important book for its historical perspective. He personified the vagaries of war through the fictional characters. At times, it reads like a history book, but before it bogs down into a lesson in civics, he comes back to the individuals experiencing the actual effects of the persecution.

As always, we study and examine the past so we don't forget it. As long as genocide exists in the world, we must do as Fischer has done in his novel - remind us, and remind us again, that our faith, our color, our language, and our life choices should matter not a wit. In the end, it's our integrity and how we treat others that matters the most.

Thank you, Christoph, for writing this important book to remind us never to repeat the mistakes of the past.

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Buckycore

Fantastic story, yet poorly written

Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2019

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It was great breaking for me to give this a three star review, as the narrative, characters nd sequence of events made this a six star. Unfortunately the amateurish style of writing took it down a few notches. It's not that he writes "bad", as he obviously knows grammar and the use of the language, it's just it's written in an exposition style and not as a work of fiction. I'm short, he "tells and doesn't show" He explains people's reactions and thoughts, and jumps from point of view with our much flow or reason. He even repeats him self (Examples: he will go into explaining a character's feeling and how it affects another character. He will then jump to the view point of the other character and reiterate the exact same feeling and reaction from the other character view point using almost the same phrasing) And yet with this obvious and garish flaws to his writing style, he managed to have a story that has heart, soul and amazing twists of events. I wasn't prepared for the extend of their traumatic journey post War, so it kept me engaged and determined to read it until the very end. If this were refunded and revised by another writer, this could have easily been made a masterpiece. (Hwever I'm sure the book would have been 1200 pages long. Even in this more summary style of events, the details still felt thick and dense, so having things fleshed out more would have taken a lot more word space and pages) My ultimate verdict is I'm glad I read this , and would hope one day a screen play writer makes this into a miniseries for a streaming service or network television. The story is too good to not go unnoticed. It just needs a refinement in its format.

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Selena Robins

I'd love to give this book MORE than 5 Stars.

Reviewed in Canada on August 17, 2013

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THE LUCK OF THE WEISSENSTEINERS is an extremely well written novel about two families during the horrific events of World War II.

Christoph Fischer hooked me in with wanting to read how the romance between a German bookseller and a young, Jewish woman would develop, during a time in history when the possibility of such a union would be an extreme conflict and life threatening challenge.

I fell in love with Greta and Wilhelm, with the way their character's are portrayed and with their story. I also love this author's style of writing. His storytelling voice is descriptive, utilizing all the senses, mesmerizing and strong.

It is obvious that Mr. Fischer did a lot of research for this book and kudos to him for using the research in a way that gives the reader the realism of World War II, at the same time is able to weave his knowledge into a fictional account, without having it sound like a history book. He writes the historical facts and cultural differences into a great work of fiction that literally has the reader feel like they are part of that era.

This book is filled with a lot of emotion and it will touch every reader who absorbs the full impact of Mr. Fischer’s excellent way of crafting a story. My emotions ran from anger on behalf of the characters and heartbreak, as well as providing smiles at some light hearted, comical moments. This is what I consider a well rounded story, when it can encapsulate all these emotions, giving me an overall thrilling read.

I highly recommend this book, and especially to readers in a book club as it opens the door for a lot of discussion.

2 people found this helpful

Simon

Luck of the Weissensteiners

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 13, 2013

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The Luck of the Weissensteiners by Christoph Fischer is nothing short of pure genius. I fell in love with the writing the moment I flipped the first page. The author's exquisite sense of style combines intricate historical facts with dramatic family turmoil that shocked the whole world when first revealed back in 1945. This beautifully crafted novel is filled with desperation and sheer determination to survive against insurmountable odds.
Greta Weissensteiner falls in love with the young man who sneaks books from his library and uses them to see her. Wilhelm Winkelmeier does not care she is a Jew and marries her. They live on his parents' farm where Greta is subjected to harsh living conditions and has to forget her love of books to take care of their son, Karl. Slowly, she wins the respect of Wilhelm's parents, but a storm is racing across the horizon in the shape of Nazi hatred of all things Jewish.
Then the unthinkable happens - the world turns a blind eye as Germany invades Austria and then Sudetenland bordering their home country of Czechoslovakia. It is only a matter of time before the terror begins.
The Weissensteiners have always believed in their own brand of luck that has kept them in good stead, but once the Jewish question is implemented that luck is needed time and again. And yet their luck seems to protect them, but at what cost.
This wonderful novel handles a difficult subject matter with style and grace, showing a close-knit family fighting injustice and never losing their dignity in the face of bigotry and hatred.
I must admit I was often brought to tears with several scenes so poignant and tender. This book deserves to be in every library as a reminder of man's inhumanity to man and how easily society can ignore such cruelty.
This FIVE STAR masterpiece should be read by every teenager as part of their school curriculum. I LOVE IT.

Susanne Weigl

Ergreifende Familiengeschichte aus den 30er und 40er Jahren

Reviewed in Germany on March 26, 2013

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The Luck of the Weissensteiners erzählt die Lebensgeschichte zweier Schwestern, die das "Dritte Reich" als jüdische Deutsche in der Tschechoslowakei erleben. Das Buch zieht den Leser vor allem durch die psychologische Charakterzeichnung der Personen und die dramatische Zuspitzung der familiären und historischen Ereignisse in Bann.
Vilma und Greta Weissensteiner glauben sich einigermaßen sicher, als die lesehungrige Greta einen deutschen Buchhändler heiratet, doch im Zuge der zunehmenden Judenverfolgung distanziert sich die neue Familie von der jungen Frau. Mit der Scheidung verliert Greta ihren älteren Sohn und kehrt zur Weberei ihres Vaters zurück. Den Boykott jüdischer Geschäfte übersteht die Familie anfangs mit Hilfe verschiedener Freunde, doch bald wird die Situation für sie zu gefährlich. Mit ihrem alten Vater, ihrem zweiten Sohn und ihrer labilen Schwester muß Greta die Weberei verlassen und einer ungewissen Zukunft im Chaos des endenden Zweiten Weltkriegs entgegengehen.
Das Buch besticht durch sein ungewöhnliches und liebevoll beschriebenes Personal. Mir gefiel besonders die Figur der Schwester Vilma.

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Jenny Lloyd author of Leap the Wild Water

An original and worthwhile read.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 19, 2013

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This story takes an original angle in depicting a Jewish family who were lucky enough to escape the death camps. Their luck came via their connections with a few, rare, non-Jewish people who refused to be blinkered by the anti-Semitic propaganda of the time; and the fact that they were non-practicing Jews meant their Jewishness went unnoticed by local people prior to the escalation of Nazi propaganda. All through this story, while the Weissensteiner family were saved from arrest on different occasions, I found myself thinking of all those who were not so lucky.

The author powerfully portrays the insidious, corrosive influence of the dehumanizing Nazi propaganda, showing how it manipulated people's deepest fears. The story begins with an ordinary love-story between Greta, a young, Jewish, Slovakian girl who is the daughter of a weaver and a young, German bookseller, Wilhelm. They had their hopes and dreams for the future but, like millions of others, their lives were torn asunder by Hitler's rise to power. The propaganda was so relentless and all-pervading that, sadly for Greta, even Wilhelm's mind is turned by it, with tragic consequences for her and their young son.

As a writer, I am always interested in the choices other author's make. Outside of Greta's immediate family, there is a large cast of characters woven through the fragile fabric of their lives. Often, when there is a large cast of characters in a book, we don't get to know any of them well enough to become emotionally engaged. This book is quite unique in that the detached, omniscient narrative style combined with dialogue and realistic, detailed portrayals of the main characters led me to feel I was reading a biographical account of a real family's tribulations rather than a work of fiction.

Added to the above mix was an outstanding and extraordinary amount of detailed information regarding the events happening outside the death camps at that time. The author also explores, in detail, the aftermath of the war and the immense difficulties faced by the surviving Jewish families, including; the displacement of refugees; the pervasive mistrust between both sides; and the reprisals and revenge wreaked on those who had been collaborators or who had any German connections.

There is one issue with this book which for me meant the difference between 4 and 5 stars. This is a long book and it has approximately twenty-five pages per chapter with no scene breaks within those chapters. This makes for very long blocks of unbroken text which some readers will find off-putting and hard-going at times.

It is, however, a worthwhile read and it has greatly broadened my knowledge of this tragic and devastating time in history. The extensive research undertaken by the author is second to none and admirable. A recommended read.

Sue Steel

Strange book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 15, 2015

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This book took time to get into but I think I enjoyed it. I found the second half of the book not as well written as the first half, almost as if the author were bored with it. The final chapters were almost written in fact mode which is why I said I think I enjoyed as I am not sure. I will not get the other two books at this stage.

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The Luck of the Weissensteiners (The Three Nations Trilogy Book 1) Kindle Edition

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