Author: Donald Himelstein
Publisher: Fireside Publications
ISBN: 978-1-935517-06-1

Click Here To Purchase Above Honor: Rachel's Story

While most of the world closed their doors to Jews during World War II,  the Dominican Republic's dictator, Rafael Trujillo, invited thousands of Jews to settle in his country. Unfortunately, only one thousand visas had actually been issued and only a few hundred Jews made it to the island.

Donald Himelstein's debut novel, Above Honor: Rachel's Story uses as his novel's background Sosua, a pretty northern coastal resort of the Dominican Republic. For some unfortunate Jews, this corner of the earth was their only hope of survival and safe haven from the horror of Nazi Germany.

The story unfolds in the port city of Bermerhaven, Germany, where in 1939 the Nazis are holding a ship for ransom that was about to sail to the Dominican Republic. The ship is one of the last ones authorized to leave Germany, and as the passengers' exit visas were about to expire, you can well imagine how frightened they were knowing full well that if they don't get out on time they would all be sent to concentration camps. The evening before authorizing the departure, the Nazis board the ship, select seven women and force them to attend a party given by the SS, where they are sexually abused. One of the woman forced to attend the orgy is Rachel Steinman, who is raped by SS Obersturmfuhrer, Rudy Reinhardt.

When Rachel arrives in the Dominican Republic with her husband Jake and son Daniel, she discovers that she is pregnant and that the baby's father is the despicable Nazi monster Rudy. Rachel eventually gives birth to Bernardo and also has another son, Diego with her husband Jake.

Himelstein moves quickly past the basic facts of Rachel's horrendous experience and gets down to the business of following her life and that of her family. Rachel is not exactly a perfect wife or for that matter very faithful to Jake and enters into two adulterous affairs, one with her husband's business partner, Noah Abramson and another with a wealthy businessman Ramon Alimon. She also becomes a well known radio personality, thanks to her lover, Ramon.

Eight years after Rachel and her family arrived in the Dominican Republic, Rudy, along with his wife Anna Marie and their children escape to the Dominican Republic and take up residence not very far from Rachel and her family. Both families become prosperous, however, Rachel and Rudy are never aware that they practically live next door to each other. Rudy is still a Nazi at heart and can never let go of his hatred of Jews. Thanks to his brother Karl, who likewise has escaped standing trial as a war criminal, Rudy becomes involved with some shady dealings with his Nazi pals in the Dominican Republic and other South American countries. Will the paths of Rachel and Rudy ever cross? And if they do, under what circumstances?

Himelstein spins quite a sweeping yarn comprising crisp and suspenseful scenes, many with the emotional impact of a movie blockbuster. It is a work shot through with some moments of great tenderness, emotional power and unspoken love. And although we might not agree with the actions or the beliefs of the two principal characters, Rachel and Rudy, they are nonetheless believable. Moreover, this is a hard-hitting, poignant work of fiction depicting a woman struggling to take on the challenge of finding a better life in an unknown country, while constantly living with the memory of horrendous pain.

Click Here To Purchase Above Honor: Rachel's Story