For days, I’ve planned to write about my new book, but the red flames engulfing Los Angeles keep pulling my attention to images of destroyed homes and fleeing families. I find myself praying that firefighters will gain control of the fire and that people will find a way to rebuild their lives.
But how much can one truly rebuild after such a disaster?
As a historical fiction writer, primarily focused on World War II, this is a question I wrestle with often. And, truthfully, I don’t always have an answer.
One thing, however, remains deeply rooted in me: optimism. Optimism that things can be mended, that smiles can return, even after profound tragedies.
In recent months, I wrote a new book, released just yesterday: For My Child. This story is a departure from my previous works. It explores the other side of the front line, following a German woman living in Nazi Germany; a figure we often view as the enemy.
Elke, a young German woman, is happily married with a seven-year-old child. All she desires is for life to stay the same. But war arrives, and everything changes. She, too, must change. She faces impossible decisions and must conceal her true thoughts from those around her.
I think this is one of the things I love most about being a writer—challenging myself to think like different people and stepping into the minds of my characters. I imagine how they would behave, what choices they might make in certain situations, and I ask myself difficult questions. What would I have done if I had lived in Germany in 1940? Would I have had the courage to oppose the Nazi regime? How far would I have been willing to go against them?
I invite you to visit the book’s page, and I’m hopeful that this terrible fire will soon come to an end.
Alex Amit
In the photo: The book cover, in its final stages of preparation for print, alongside a cup of tea.
