The Roses Underneath (47 page)

Anna looked at the ground. Now she knew what would be taken from her. All this time she had eluded the unspeakable horror that ruled the world around her. It had swirled close, once or twice grazing her enough to draw blood but not enough to knock her down. She had known all along that she had not yet paid the full price for her own survival. But now fate had finally come for her and taken her husband, as it had done to millions of women like her. It was not the bombs or a death camp, or even the guillotine or firing squad that took him. It had not even been the war. It was the peace that had taken Thomas away. There was no place for Anna with him any more. She had to pick a side.
Please forgive me, Amalia
.
One day, maybe you will understand.

She looked to Cooper, who was studying her the same way he had done the day they first met, his eyes connecting with hers, waiting.

“Well?” he said.

“Yes, I am,” she said, pushing a big American smile through her tears. “I am here to stay.”

I owe many debts of gratitude to the sources and people who made this book possible. Among the numerous works of non-fiction dealing with the Third Reich I consulted for research, the ones I returned to repeatedly were Allison Owings’
Frauen: German Women Recall the Third Reich, Die Brandnacht
by Klaus Schmidt and
Of Pure Blood
by Marc Hillel and Clarissa Henry. The exhibition catalo
g
Hitler und die Deutsche
n
was another invaluable resource, as were countless documentaries, photo archives, and classic films dealing with the immediate aftermath of the war, most notably
A Foreign Affair, The Third Man
an
d
The Search.

Much of my understanding about the achievements of the MFAA came through the work of Robert Edsel and his books
, Rescuing da Vinci
an
d
The Monuments Men
,
as well as
The Rape of Europ
a
by Lynn H. Nicholas and th
e
Safekeeper
s
by Walter I. Farmer. I was also known to disappear for days inside Fold3.com, which contains the entirety of the Monuments Men archives, and provided a great deal of detail of the Collecting Points’ day-to-day operations.

In Germany I am grateful for the extremely generous assistance and support of Hans-Werner and Ursula Schmidt in Frankfurt, and for Georg Habs at the Wiesbaden
Stadtarchiv
, who was a goldmine of photographic material and historic insight.
Die Herren
Samuel Weinberger and Majer Szanckower of Frankfurt very kindly spent an afternoon sharing their stories when the plot of this book was headed in a very different direction. I am very thankful to them and intend to incorporate that important research into the next book.

Closer to home, there are many people who are directly—and some perhaps unwittingly—responsible for the existence of this book. At the Iowa Summer Writing Festival Kelly Dwyer taught me twice about the
whats
of plotting, and Susan Taylor Chehak taught me the
whys
. Thank you both for inspiring and motivating me with humor and joy. My friends Kelly Lyons and Susan Schultz let me flesh out ideas, listened, and reassured me for all these years, and Kelly Roberson convinced me I could write a book in the first place. Linda Sullivan: thank you for your support and enthusiasm, and Sally Fly: thank you for your generosity and the quiet conference room. John Son was wise enough to tell me two years ago that the book wasn’t ready when I was sure it was (and he was so right). Connie Levy patiently marked up an early draft and reminded me over monthly lunches why we write, and my editor Caroline Tolley provided a steadfast voice that saved me in the final rounds of writing. Emily Kristen Anderson was a joy to work with as is the patient and indefatigable Stephanie Barko. Thank you also to the many friends, colleagues, and clients who asked me in passing, “how’s the book coming?” and cheerfully endured the subsequent tirades; your interest and encouragement kept me going. And, very special thanks to the genius and genial Adam Fortner who put the perfect images where there were only words, turned the manuscript into a real-life book, and is my collaborator and friend from beginning to end.

I am immensely grateful to my family, who tolerated the fallout of this project far longer than is reasonable or even advisable. Katie, who read, listened, and counseled on long walks, and Mark who patiently answered questions about German Romantic painters and other art-related particulars. To Frank and Jessie: thanks for the moral support and ample cocktails at crucial junctures. And, to my parents, without whom this book simply
would not b
e
:
my mother for her unwavering support and encouragement, her insight and invaluable memory, and my father for believing in the project and unquestioningly supporting it from its very earliest days. Thank you for everything, always.

Finally, to Lee and E: thank you for your monumental patience and your faith in my dream, and for talking me off the ledge more than once. You let me disappear into a faraway place many times, and you were always there when I came back. You are my safe harbor and I love you both.