The Emerald (Prophecy) - Softcover

Tobiasen, Jerena

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1773740350 ISBN 13: 9781773740355

Publisher: MS, 2019

Synopsis

In the fall of 1928, Nicolai Kota leads his caravan of nomads into the community of Liegnitz, in Southern Silesia, Germany. As in the past, they expected to display their talents at the annual fair. In a matter of days, the Kota family is forced to make a hard decision when nine-year-old Punita's safety is compromised.

While the caravan resumes its cyclical tour throughout Europe, Punita remains in Liegnitz to live with Nicolai's cousin, Alexi Puchinski, and attend school. When the caravan returns six years later, Punita's schooling is complete, and she is a young woman in love. Marriage plans must be delayed a year when her beloved Stefan receives orders to serve one year in the youth army.

Days later, the travellers find themselves in jeopardy. Nicolai recommends that the caravan be dissolved, and that each family flee for their lives. He takes Punita and his wife, Rosalee, to Schinawa, where he hopes to meet an old friend, Konstantin Anker, who will take them to Amsterdam. But before their plans are complete, Nicolai is trapped and sent to Dachau. Punita and Rosalee are forced to embark upon a sea voyage to Amsterdam without him.

In Amsterdam, Punita and her mother are welcomed by Konstantin's family, but even there tragedy awaits them. Reeling from the death of her mother, Punita feels compelled to find employment when an old friend suddenly appears. Together, they set up a business in the Red Light District, and eke out an unusual life.

The Prophecy saga spans over 70 years, and is a story of war, prejudice, migration, crime, love, and heartbreak. Each story is an intriguing, fast moving, historical fiction written from the perspective of the people involved.

Together, The Crest, The Emerald and The Destiny tell of the challenges and changes that external forces place on everyday people who are forced to rise above their own expectations to meet family obligations and responsibilities, no matter how reluctant they may be to do so. They provide the reader with an opportunity to consider life from an alternate perspective.

About this title

About the Author

"The thrum of city life runs through my veins, and I draw energy and inspiration from my west coast lifestyle. I've had stories swimming in my head my entire life, and when I returned to the west coast, those stories surfaced with a determination to be heard." Jerena Tobiasen grew up on the Canadian prairies (Calgary, Alberta and Winnipeg, Manitoba). In the early '80s, she returned home to Vancouver, British Columbia, the city in which she was born. Although Jerena has occasionally written short stories and poems since her return to Vancouver, it was not until 2016 dawned, that she began writing her first full-length manuscript, which was set primarily in Germany during World War I and World War II. When that draft was complete, she travelled to Europe and traced the steps taken by the story's primary characters. Then, she rewrote that manuscript, embellishing it with experiences and observations. The manuscript evolved into three volumes, the first of which tracks a family of German soldiers through two world wars (The Crest). The second volume tracks a family of Roma who are forced to flee Germany during the early years of Adolf Hitler's round-up of undesirables (The Emerald). The third volume reveals what can happen when the paths of two very different families collide (The Destiny). Together, these volumes became the saga The Prophecy.

Edition details

• Publisher: MS
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 1773740350
• ISBN 13: 9781773740355
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 526