On Prevailing Winds

Sophia is a Prussian princess, and the only survivor of her family. She keeps her identity secret for fear she too, may be shot - even though the war is over. She marries a Nazi at the beginning of the war, leaving her destitute when he is killed in a train bombing the next day. She does not love him, just thinks his last name would give her protection during the war. Now she works for Colonel Robert Pratt, an American. She quickly becomes enamored with the handsome colonel who has secrets of his own. They begin a torrid love affair that they try to keep hidden, but everyone knows. Sophia eventually goes home with Robert to America where she is a tutor to his young siblings. All is well until, unbidden, a stranger shows up one evening.  Sophia and Robert’s lives are turned upside down, never to be the same…

A spectacularly written piece, Ms. St. Michel writes a realistic view of the reconstruction occurring after World War II. Vibrant, emotional characters with life changing secrets take the lead and guide the reader through both atrocious and idyllic times. There are several unexpected twists that come out of nowhere and shock the characters – and readers alike. An epic novel, “On Prevailing Winds” seizes the emotions of the reader, leaving them in tears at the most poignant scenes. The secrets Sophia harbors are damaging enough to destroy each of them and their growing relationship. Sophia’s life is an allegory paralleling the destruction and restoration of Germany following the war. A haunting story, it will stay with its readers long after the last page has been turned.

Belinda Wilson