Shattered Crystal
by Baruch Cohen
A riveting historical novel about a Berlin family during World War II, whose members struggle to come to terms with conflicting parts of their identities. Widower Franz Kerner and his three grown children live their lives as loyal German citizens. With the Third Reich’s rise to power and subsequent war, they do their best for their beloved country, during those tumultuous times. Karl, the eldest, enlists in the Luftwaffe and becomes a pilot; Elsa, the middle child, works at a government office; and Helmut, the youngest, joins the infantry. But Franz harbors a deep secret, one that defines the Kerners’ identity. When he finally reveals the secret, their worlds are deeply shaken. Illustrating the characters’ inner struggles against the backdrop of the raging war, the author vividly recounts this intricate tale. The historical aspects in the novel are based on largescale, comprehensive research, and serve to shed light on major global events from a more intimate point of view, one that illustrates the repercussions of war for all of mankind. Baruch (Bobby) Cohen was born in Romania (1927) and, after previous unsuccessful attempts, immigrated to Israel in 1948 upon its establishment. The author served in the Israeli Navy, and later worked at the State Comptroller’s Office until his retirement as deputy director of inspection of Israel’s security forces. For his activities in helping the Romanian Jews between 1945-1947, Cohen was awarded the Decoration of State Warriors by the Israel Ministry of Defense. Shattered Crystal is Cohen’s second book. His first, The Decade of Tears, recounts the story of three young Jews in the newly-born State of Israel in the decade following WWII. An English-language North-American edition was published in early 2021 by Samuel Wachtman's Sons, Inc., CA. 242 Pages, 15X22.5 cm
