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Karl Berger
About the Author:
Karl Berger, who was born in Munich and immigrated to the United States in 1970, brings a deeply personal lens to this historical fiction. He moved to the States in 1970. He has two children and one granddaughter and has been working as a pediatrician. He wrote three novels, each one dealing with Germany’ s disastrous history and the persecution of Jews and minorities.
Clipperton, his first novel, impresses as an adventure story but eventually leads to the sins of fathers and Auschwitz.
His second novel , The wound closest to the Sun, centers on the love story of a German soldier with a French woman in WW II. It will fail as Germany begins to persecute French Jews and the French woman will die in the resistance.
The third novel, encroachment of old catastrophe, has been finished but is not published yet. It is more autobiographical.
About the Book:
“Clipperton”
When Frank Herrmann chances upon documents connecting his German father to Clipperton island, he can’t pass up the chance to learn more about the man who died when he was only 11 years old. Frank’s journey is not an easy one. Following the death of his wife, Frank finds himself falling in love with her sister, Leila. Only Leila is involved with Frank’s cousin, Jim.
The three of them make their way to Clipperton, are attacked by drug dealers and left marooned on the island as a freak storm hits.
Frank must also deal with the evidence they find showing his father was a high-ranking Nazi involved with Auschwitz, and who remained committed to his Nazi ideals throughout his life.
“Clipperton: Roman (German Edition)”
Wenn Frank Herrman auf Documente stoßt die seinen Vater mit Clipperton, einer unbewohnten Insel im Pacific verbinden kann er der Versuchung diese zu besuchen nicht widerstehen. Jetzt findet er sich mit Leila und Jim -seinem Neffen -auf diesem kleinen Atoll. Frank und Jim sind beide in Leila verliebt. Eine Rivalität bricht aus; ein Sturm strandet sie, Drogenschmuggler fliegen auf die Insel-Chaos !
Frank der seine Heimat verließ wenn sein Deutscher Vater Selbstmord beging – er war damals 11 Jahre alt – findet jetzt Documente die seinen Vater mit Auschwitz verbinden. Deutschland’s tragische Vergangenheit verfolgt Frank bis zum Ende der Welt.
“The Wound Closest To the Sun”
The novel plays out in three historic frames: 1919 Bavaria, Germany; Second World War France; France in 1960.
We meet the main character, Yann, in 1960. He is a semi-retired French journalist, professor, and Camus scholar who is plagued by a lifetime of regrets. He finds hope in an unforeseen friendship with Klaus, the only son of Karl, a German soldier who saved Yann’s life in 1919. Klaus is a depressed young man burdened by history and challenged by the stories that he encourages Yann to revisit and to share.
These fateful events took place during World War II when Yann again met Karl and also Madeleine, a French engineer and Resistance fighter who attempts to recruit Yann to join the Resistance. Yann’s hesitation eventually leads to Madeleine’s death, and this will haunt Yann ever after.
“Die Wunde am Nächsten zur Sonne: Roman (German Edition)”
Der Roman ist in drei historischen Zeitrahmen angesiedelt: 1919 in Bayern, Deutschland; Frankreich im Zweiten Weltkrieg; Frankreich im Jahr 1960. Wir treffen den Hauptcharakter Yann im Jahr 1960. Er ist ein halb pensionierter französischer Journalist, Professor und Camus-Gelehrter, der von lebenslangem Bedauern geplagt wird. Hoffnung schenkt ihm eine unerwartete Freundschaft mit Klaus, dem einzigen Sohn von Karl, einem deutschen Soldaten, der Yann 1919 das Leben rettete. Klaus ist ein depressiver junger Mann, der von der Vergangenheit belastet und von den Erinnerungen herausgefordert wird, die er Yann ans Herz legt, wieder aufzugreifen und zu teilen. Diese schicksalhaften Ereignisse fanden während des Zweiten Weltkriegs statt, als Yann erneut Karl und auch Madeleine, eine französische Ingenieurin und Widerstandskämpferin, traf, die versucht, Yann für den Widerstand zu rekrutieren. Yanns Zögern führt schließlich zu Madeleines Tod, und diese Schuld wird Yann für immer verfolgen.
In this delightful and charming fantasy tale, a little girl learns to summon her courage and rely on her imagination as she opens her heart and mind to the sounds of the possible in a last-ditch effort to save a friend. will haunt Yann ever after.


