The Melody of the Soul
Page 30
For a while, those brought to the ghetto were allowed to write cheerful and encouraging postcards home, extolling the virtues of the place. The Germans stopped that practice as the war went on.
Czech is a very formal language. The Czech people are quite reserved with strangers. They use titles instead of first names for a long time after meeting someone, until they are very close. Also, they add the feminine -ová to the end of a woman’s surname. That is why Anna’s last name is Zadoková and David’s is Zadok. It is, really, the same family name.
I strove to be as accurate as possible when it came to historical events. Because communism quickly replaced German occupation in Czechoslovakia, certain documents and files have been lost forever. The exhibition hall really existed. Salvátorská Street is a real street on the edge of the Old Jewish Quarter in Prague. My description of the train stations at the end of the book is as close as I can come, based on photographs. The war did end in Plzeň on May 6, 1945, the last day of the conflict in Europe. The scene was much as I have described. By December 1946, symphony concerts had resumed in Munich.
Anna is based on Alice Herz-Sommer, a Jewish concert pianist in Prague at the time of the war. She hid her piccolo piano from the Germans and continued to play, despite the risk. Alice expressed how music was her joy, her happiness. She also called it her savior. That sparked the story idea. Music, however much we love it, however much it is ingrained in us, is not our savior. Only Christ is.
Horst is based, in part, on the German soldier who lived in the same building as Alice and loved to listen to her play. He is also based on Wilm Hosenfeld, a German officer in Poland who helped to hide and save several Poles, including Jews. He was captured by the Soviets at the end of the war and died in Russia.
Alice ended up at Terezín, along with her son. Her husband died of typhus in Dachau, but she survived. She died in 2014 at the age of 110, the oldest Holocaust survivor.
For further information on music and the Holocaust, visit http://holocaustmusic.ort.org/.
No book is possible without the assistance of many people, and this one is no different. A huge thank you to David Muhlena, head librarian at the National Czech and Slovak Museum in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The wonderful material you provided me with and your patience in answering my questions is very much appreciated. You helped with the historical details and the authenticity of the story. And thank you for your recommendation on a restaurant to try a true Czech goulash. It was an exceptional meal.
Thank you also to Jerry Farnik, missionary to the Czech Republic. I truly appreciate your help with the Czech vocabulary and with the nuances of the language, including the female versions of last names.
My sincerest appreciation to the wonderful team at Gilead Publishing. I’m so proud to be part of your family. Dan Balow, Becky Philpott, Kristen Gearhart, and Jordan Smith, you are all a pleasure to work with. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to tell this story. And special thanks to Julee Swartzburg, my terrific editor. Without you, this book wouldn’t be what it is. My deepest gratitude for all you’ve taught me over the years.
Tamela Hancock Murray, thank you for being the greatest agent a writer could want. I shed a bucket-load of tears in the process of getting this story into print, and you held my hand the entire way. There aren’t words to express my appreciation for your patience, your willingness to take my phone calls and emails, and your ability to talk me off the ledge.
My dear family, I often wonder how you put up with me when I’m in the middle of a book. You don’t get home cooked dinners, you don’t have much clean laundry, and you don’t always have my fullest attention. But you willingly pitch in and cook, clean, and hold down the fort. I owe you everything. Doug, I’m so blessed to have you in my life. Only a woman married to such a wonderful husband and father could manage this kind of career. Thank you for being my rock. Brian, thank you for the sacrifices you make for your country. We live in the land of the free because of brave young men such as yourself. Alyssa, I’m so proud of the young woman you’ve become. God has great things in store for you. May he richly bless you as you fly the nest and embark on life’s next adventure. And Jonalyn, thank you for reminding me that, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how many contracts I have or how many books I sell, but how much I’ve loved and been loved.
And all praise to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who has blessed me in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms. Without Him, I’m nothing.
Soli Deo Gloria
Liz Tolsma’s specialty is historical
fiction—from WWII to prairie romance. Her debut novel was a finalist for the 2014 Selah and Carol Award. She prides herself in excellent storytelling, presenting accurate historical details, and creating persevering characters.
Liz is also a popular speaker on topics such as writing, marriage, living with courage, and adoption. She and her husband have adopted all their children internationally. Liz resides in semi-rural Wisconsin with her husband and two daughters; her son currently serves as a U.S. Marine. Liz is a breast cancer survivor and lives her life to the fullest. In her free time, she enjoys reading, working in her large perennial garden, kayaking, and camping with her family.
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