Historical Adventure Awaits
The Kalvarianhof Series is five books spanning the first half of the 20th century. It is a sweeping multi-generational epic following the intertwined lives of two lifelong friends—one Catholic, one Jewish—and their families. Centered around the grand Bavarian estate of Kalvarianhof, the saga moves from the Boxer Rebellion in 1900 and the colonial conflicts of World War I across three continents to the political turmoil of the Weimar Republic.
As the decades unfold, the families face profound personal trials, romance, and tragedy, culminating in the ultimate test of their bonds and survival as the rise of fascism and the horrors of World War II threaten to tear their world apart.
Reviews
"Five stars. I couldn't wait to turn the next page.
It held my interest to the very end."
-Dr. Kenneth Reid, Emeritus Professor of Psychiatric Social Work and published author
"Historical fiction at it's best. An original epic of global proportions. I can hardly wait for the rest of this epic to be revealed."
— Dr. Bernard Fradkin, Emeritus Dean of Instruction and Library Resources, Riverside City College
Walter Soellner's series follows two closely related families through significant periods of [20th century] German history and gives the reader insights into the effects that greater historical events have on family dynamics. This is particularly relevant to Forget Me Not, as the families experience Germany's fall into Fascism and World War II, and it is possible to recognize similar events that the U.S. is experiencing as a country today.
- R. van der Wege
The Perilous Journey
Book One Of Five
An epic historic tale of adventure, war, tragedy and love, experienced by two young Bavarian friends, one Catholic, one Jewish, as German soldiers in China’s 1900 Boxer Rebellion, and sweeping through three continents, and their families' dramas at a grand Bavarian estate in pre-WW I Germany.
China’s Boxer Rebellion, 1900, finds the lifelong family friends Markus Mathais and Soloman Levi as young Imperial German soldiers battling with other Europeans besieged in Peking. Even in these dire circumstances, Markus abandons the legations' safety for dangerous adventures cross country seeking his love, Li Ling. Soon after finding his love, he must escape with Sun Yat Sen down river on a pirated Imperial mail boat. He reunites with his friend Levi, after the battle of Peking.
The two encounter dangerous adventures on their return by ship to Germany, but not before stopping at other Imperial German Colonies. In German New Guinea a shark attack, in German Samoa a sexual bacchanal with natives, and in Uruguay, Levi meets his future wife, Katherina Obermaier, a beautiful young Jewish woman bound for university in Berlin.
Continuing their trip home, the ship encounters trouble in the south Atlantic, necessitating a stop at the tiny island of Tristan Da Cunha where a heartbreaking drama unfolds.
Book One
The Perious Journey
Book Two
The Storm That Shook The World
Book Two of Five
book multi-generational saga about two German families, one Catholic, and one Jewish. The story of these two families, friends for years, plays out across three continents and the first half of the 20th century. Kalvarianhof, the grand estate of the Levi’s in Bavaria, plays a central role throughout the four book series.
Beginning in 1908 with Markus, now Lieutenant, Electrical Unit Officer, assigned to the wireless station, Windhoek, German South West Africa. In his new life away from his constant companion Levi, Markus meets and becomes friends with two families, the America Lange’s, and the ranching Conrad family. Both families have a beautiful daughter, Diane Lange, and Helena Conrad. Through a series of innocent encounters, (the families are friends), Markus entangles himself in two romances that almost lead to disaster.
An Incident in Africa
Book Three of Five
The third book in the family saga opens in 1919, as the Great War draws to a close. What should be a happy occasion is shattered by an incident at the Conrad Ranch in German South West Africa, one the Conrad family keeps hidden even from Markus Matthais, returning veteran and husband of Helena Matthais née Conrad. This desperate deception only makes adapting to life under British colonial rule even more difficult for Markus and the Conrads.
In Bavaria, Solomon Levi returns to his wife Katherina and his family estate called Kalvarianhof, but he too faces difficulties. Political upheaval, economic hardship and news from abroad intersect with his career and family.
As Markus' troubles escalate, he looks to his friend Levi for aid and succor. The two families weather the crises of the post-war period together.
Book Three
An Incident in Africa
Book Four
How Soon The Flowers Fall
How Soon The Flowers Fall
Book Four of Five
Markus Mathais and Solomon Levi have survived the Great War and are building successful lives for themselves in Bavaria amidst the economic and political turmoil of the 1920s. However, the rise of fascism threatens them and their families, and will test their bonds like nothing has before. Tender romance, daring escapes and real history combine to tell the story of Germany between the first and second world wars.
Forget Me Not
Two young German lovers, Jewish Karl and Catholic Charlotte, struggle to be together but separated by the terror of the Nazis and World War II. Their families are also swept up in the dangerous times, some flee, some go into hiding and some join the resistance. In spite of many threats, misadventures, and tragedies, their romance sustains them in their daring and unexpected efforts.
Book Five
Forget Me Not
Meet the Author
While stories of grand adventure fill the pages of my five-book saga, centered around the ancestral home of Kalvarianhof. My writing is ultimately a reflection of a life shaped by deep personal passions, love, and loyalty.
My creative perspective is deeply fueled by a lifelong fascination with history, art, and global exploration. I am an avid collector of 19th-century militaria, Asian art, and 19th- and 20th-century paintings. My travels frequently take me to the very settings featured in my books, spanning China, Japan, Russia, Africa, the Middle East, Central America, England, Europe, and the Mediterranean.
At home in San Jose, my life is richly balanced by a love for cycling, skiing, reading, and film, active involvement in local public service, and the joy of spending time with my grandchildren.
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