The Crush of Wine and War by Molly Fumia

Austria, 1938. Two Couples struggle with the terrifying prospect of opposing the Nazis. Sebastien Brandl, proprietor of a renowned Austrian inn, plunges headlong into the resistance while his wife, Hannah, deeply in love, secretly unsympathetic to the plight of the Jews, fights his choices and grieves for the idyllic lives they once led. Maxmillian Mayr, owner of a huge Viennese wine estate, reluctantly follows his sons into defying the Nazis while his wife, the survivor of a pogrom, is consumed with keeping her Jewish identity and that of their two sons an uncompromised secret. Surprisingly, they share a common nemesis, Faber Ratzener, the Brandls’ one-time neighbor and now a ruthless Oberführer intent on bringing down both Sebastien and Max. Both families are surrounded by a community of unforgettable characters: lifelong friends wrenched apart by Nazi false promises; a wicked, gossipy baker; a heroic, gay winemaking couple, a Rabbi desperate to get Jews out of Vienna; a lovable young man whose fate is tied to Hitler. In the end, they will intersect, coming together in victory and defeat, surprising romance, and astounding acts of resistance.

Additional Info

“Molly Fumia’s descriptions of Austrian families, scenery, wine-growing, guesthouses and restaurants in rural Austria come vividly to life in this fascinating and worthwhile story.” -Readers’ Favorite “Author Molly Fumia exceptionally writes of a fragile time when friendships were severed by differing allegiances and families were ravaged by the cataclysmic hand of fate during war. Fumia’s novel is compelling reading on all counts.” —San Francisco Book Review on The Crush of Wine and War The Crush of Wine and War is a WWII story told from a unique perspective and deals with events and emotions largely unexplored, set against the myth of Austria’s victimization by Hitler and the reality of its complicity with the Third Reich, and the complicity of the Catholic Church.