For those of you who aren't history buffs, a historical fiction based on true events that occurred during World War II might not sound like something you'd like to read. I personally find World-War-II-related stories fascinating and moving (Band of Brothers anyone?), but even for those who aren't captivated by Stephen E. Ambrose, Mike Whicker's Invitation to Valhalla is a must-read.
This novel centers around a German spy, Erika Lehmann, who is the top Nazi spy, and Joe Mayer, a Jewish metallurgist working on a top secret project for the U.S. Navy in Evansville, Indiana. In the year 1942, Joe meets Sarah Klein (Lehmann) and they begin dating. As per usual, I don't want to give away the meat of the story, but I think you can figure out where this one is going. The most amazing thing about this positively enthralling novel, in my opinion, is that it is all based on true events. I'm sure Mike Whicker took poetic lisence with a lot of the dialogue and personal interactions, but all of the main plot points are true. As the author says in his Epilogue, "readers who contend there are gaps in this story will get no argument from the author. [...] I attempt to answer none of these questions when the truth is not before me." And yet, while Whicker sticks to the facts of the story, he writes with such fervor that it becomes apparent that he has a vested interest in the story. This in turn, creates in the reader the same interest in the story, and kept me up quite a few nights devouring this book.
I strongly recommend this book to anyone and everyone, whether they are already interested in WWII or not, because I truly believe that it is one of the most scintillating and intriguing narratives that I've read.
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