Award Winning Historical Fiction Novel For Young Adults, The Amber Crane, Weaves Fantasy And History Into An Engaging Coming-Of-Age Story Filled With Adventure, Mystery, Intrigue, And Romance

Malve von Hassell is a freelance writer, researcher, and translator. She holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from the New School for Social Research. She has published nine books and a number of journal articles. The book was awarded a Five Star Medal by The Historical Fiction Press Awards in 2021.

Pushing the boundaries of time-slip fiction and of imagination, award winning author Malve von Hassell's 'The Amber Crane' is a tale of a journey from the past into an unimaginable future, set in two devastating wars three hundred years apart and steeped in the lore and legends of amber from the shores of the Baltic Sea.

The book was awarded the Coffee Pot Book Club Silver Medal for Young Adult Historical Fiction and Fantasy in 2021 and an Honorable Mention for Historical Dual Timeline / Timeslip fiction by the Historical Fiction Company

In this highly praised novel, a mysterious piece of amber takes Peter, an amber guild apprentice in Pomerania in the waning years of the Thirty Years’ War, on a journey in time from the Thirty Years' War to World War II.

Clutching precious amber found in a clump of seaweed, Peter has a choice to make. Despite the severe penalties imposed on such an action, Peter keeps the amber and works on it in secret, with potentially disastrous consequences for people close to him. Meanwhile, unaware of the amber piece’s magical powers, Peter finds himself drawn into a world three hundred years in the future where he gets embroiled in the troubles of a mysterious stranger.

The Amber Crane is an enjoyable historical fiction that introduces readers to the amber trade, medieval guilds, the historical region Pomerania along the Baltic Sea, and two major wars in that same region, three hundred years apart. Written for young adults 12+, the book would also be enjoyed by adults, especially by readers interested in history. There is no outright graphic violence, even though violence and the holocaust are all referenced. Hence, it would be suitable for younger readers. The main character is 15.

Readers have given the new historical fiction novel high praise:

“The historical background of this novel has been depicted with a keen sense of understanding for both periods. Malve von Hassell has penned a novel of intrigue, danger, and consequence. All actions have outcomes, and this book gives a wonderfully rounded idea of the significance of Peter taking the pieces of amber, breaking the rules, and how it affects the lives of those around him. Everyone is affected in some way by his actions, and that extends far into the future, three hundred years into the future, to be exact. Taking the amber had both good and bad outcomes, and this novel explores the idea of just how far the effect of one decision can spread.

The Amber Crane by Malve von Hassell is a novel that is well crafted. Like a master craftsman working with the finest of ambers, this novel is an object of beauty and elegance.” Coffee Pot Book Club editorial review

“Malve von Hassell does an outstanding job in setting up a very exciting and unique story from the opening pages and inciting incident.”

“The author has a knack for sentence structure and word usage which engages a reader every step of the way as if pulled along by the magical amber stone. This is recommended for someone who wants a taste of fantasy and history woven into one, focusing more on the characters rather than the massive details of the Thirty Years War and WWII." Historical Fiction Company editorial review

“Malve von Hassell brings us dreamscapes of endurance and light amidst the twin horrors of the Thirty Years and Second World Wars she has thoroughly researched. Peter harnesses the magical properties of his secret amulets, which catapult him into time travel and the parallel settings of 1644 and 1944. Despite a backdrop of unspeakable devastation, this is not a dark tale.”

“The Amber Crane is a well-paced and truly engaging coming-of-age story filled with adventure, mystery, intrigue, and romance. This superbly crafted novel successfully weaves together elements of historical fiction and science fiction fantasy to portray how its young heroes face challenges and overcome adversity in a sophisticated narrative spanning three centuries and two devastating wars. Highly recommended!”

Other works by Malve von Hassell include:

The Struggle for Eden: Community Gardens in New York City (Bergin & Garvey 2002)
Homesteading in New York City 1978-1993
The Divided Heart of Loisaida (Bergin & Garvey 1996)
Letters from the Tooth Fairy (Amazon KDP 2012/2020)
Turtle Crossing (Amazon KDP 2021),
Dott’s Wonderful Travels and Adventures (Two Harbors Press, 2012), a translation and annotation of a German children’s classic by Tamara Ramsay
The Falconer’s Apprentice (namelos, 2015), her first historical fiction novel for young adults
Alina: A Song for the Telling (BHC Press, 2020), set in Jerusalem in the time of the crusades
Tapestry of My Mother's Life: Stories, Fragments, and Silences: Awarded a Five Star Medal by The Historical Fiction Press Awards in 2021.
She has edited her grandfather Ulrich von Hassell's memoirs written in prison in 1944, Der Kreis schließt sich - Aufzeichnungen aus der Haft 1944 (Propylaen Verlag 1994)

Malve von Hassell is available for media interviews and can be reached using the information below or by email at malvevonhassell@optonline.net. All of her books are available at online retail outlets. More information is available at her website at https://www.malvevonhassell.com.

About Malve von Hassell

Malve von Hassell was born in Italy and spent part of her childhood in Belgium and Germany before moving to the United States. She is a freelance writer, researcher, and translator. She holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from the New School for Social Research and has taught at Queens College, Baruch College, Pace University, and Suffolk County Community College. Currently, she is working on a biographical work about a woman coming of age in Nazi Germany.

Contact:

Malve von Hassell
malvevonhassell@optonline.net
https://www.malvevonhassell.com

 

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Award Winning, Bestselling Author Malve von Hassell Announces Tapestry Of My Mothers Life Will Be Available At Special Pricing From February 14 Through February 20, 2022

Malve von Hassell is a freelance writer, researcher, and translator. She holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from the New School for Social Research. She has published nine books and a number of journal articles. The book was awarded a Five Star Medal by The Historical Fiction Press Awards in 2021.

Bestselling author Malve von Hassell has announced that her award-winning book, Tapestry of My Mother's Life, will be available from February 14 through February 20, 2022, in e-book format, for 99 cents.

Growing up in Nazi Germany, surviving the Soviet occupation and settling in the West is the subject of her award-winning book. According to Wikipedia, "During the later stages of World War II and the post-war period, millions of Germans and Volksdeutsche fled or were expelled from various Eastern and Central European countries, including Czechoslovakia, and the former German provinces of Silesia, Pomerania, and East Prussia, which were annexed by Poland and the Soviet Union.

Malve von Hassell's mother, Christa, was one of those people who made it to the West, eventually settling in America. von Hassell explores her mother's life through the fragmented lens of transmitted memory, and its impact on the second generation.

Born at her grandfather's house in Farther Pomerania, 1923, Christa von Hassell had to contend with the increasing and pervasive impact of the Nazi regime. As the child of a German army officer, she moved with her parents often. Through boarding school, university, marriage, the Second World War, life under Soviet occupation, and a new beginning in the West, eventually in America, the biography is an incredible, emotional journey of childhood, survival, and relationships.

The portrayal of Christa's life also focuses on the role of memory: shaped, distorted, and realigned in the continual process of telling stories of the past in conjunction with silence about many aspects. Children of women who shared similar experiences and life trajectories struggled with the challenge of learning about their parents' lives during extraordinary times, confounded by a wealth of stories on the one hand and a seemingly impenetrable veil of silence on the other.

Working through such memorabilia, as well as the tales of the past, can offer ways in which one can come to terms with the inherited detritus of thoughts and memories. As such, this account of the life of a unique and complex individual has also wider relevance in that it addresses age-old questions of the relationship between one generation and the next.

Tapestry Of My Mother's Life: Stories, Fragments, And Silences was awarded a Five Star Medal by The Historical Fiction Press Awards in 2021.

Readers and reviewers have praised Tapestry Of My Mother's Life. One said, "There is much I could say about this book, but one of the things that remains with me as I came to the end, was the haunting imagery that Hassell paints, of a woman who saw and endured so much pain, suffering and brutality before, during and after the war, and who, out of necessity to live and not sink into the maws of that depressive period, locked the pain away, deep inside, and moreover, rarely, if ever, expressed what she felt. One sees a stoic figure in one respect, a brave crusader in another, and a mother who simply wanted to make the best life for herself and her family and refused to admit or even express her own pain, or emotions. This is an excellent book. Every mother should be so privileged to have their stories so beautifully put to words." Another stated, "A remarkable story of the author's mother and her family life during one of the most important periods in history. Written with love and full of historical facts, it is a brilliant and exciting read not to be missed."

Other works by Malve von Hassell include:

The Struggle for Eden: Community Gardens in New York City (Bergin & Garvey 2002)
Homesteading in New York City 1978-1993
The Divided Heart of Loisaida (Bergin & Garvey 1996)
Letters from the Tooth Fairy (Amazon KDP 2012/2020)
Turtle Crossing (Amazon KDP 2021),
Dott’s Wonderful Travels and Adventures (Two Harbors Press, 2012), a translation and annotation of a German children’s classic by Tamara Ramsay
The Falconer’s Apprentice (namelos, 2015), her first historical fiction novel for young adults
Alina: A Song for the Telling (BHC Press, 2020), set in Jerusalem in the time of the crusades
The Amber Crane (Odyssey Books, 2021), set in Germany in 1645 and 1945.
She has edited her grandfather Ulrich von Hassell's memoirs written in prison in 1944, Der Kreis schließt sich - Aufzeichnungen aus der Haft 1944 (Propylaen Verlag 1994)

Tapestry Of My Mother's Life will be available for 99 cents in ebook format at Amazon from from February 14 through February 20, 2022 at https://www.amazon.com/Tapestry-My-Mothers-Life-Fragments-ebook/dp/B09L49KH6V/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1644676343&sr=8-1. Malve von Hassell is available for media interviews and can be reached using the information below or by email at malvevonhassell@optonline.net. All of her books are available at online retail outlets. More information is available at her website at https://www.malvevonhassell.com.

About Malve von Hassell

Malve von Hassell was born in Italy and spent part of her childhood in Belgium and Germany before moving to the United States. She is a freelance writer, researcher, and translator. She holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from the New School for Social Research and has taught at Queens College, Baruch College, Pace University, and Suffolk County Community College. Currently, she is working on a biographical work about a woman coming of age in Nazi Germany.

Contact:

Malve von Hassell

malvevonhassell@optonline.net

https://www.malvevonhassell.com

Leia Mais…

Growing Up In Nazi Germany, Surviving The Soviet Occupation And Settling In The West Is The Subject Of Tapestry Of My Mother's Life By Best Selling Author Malve von Hassell

Malve von Hassell is a freelance writer, researcher, and translator. She holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from the New School for Social Research. She has published nine books and a number of journal articles. The book was awarded a Five Star Medal by The Historical Fiction Press Awards in 2021.

According to Wikipedia, "During the later stages of World War II and the post-war period, millions of Germans and Volksdeutsche fled or were expelled from various Eastern and Central European countries, including Czechoslovakia, and the former German provinces of Silesia, Pomerania, and East Prussia, which were annexed by Poland and the Soviet Union.  By 1950, a total of approximately 12 million Germans had fled or been expelled from east-central Europe into Allied-occupied Germany and Austria. The West German government put the total at 14.6 million, including a million ethnic Germans who had settled in territories conquered by Nazi Germany during World War II, ethnic German migrants to Germany after 1950, and the children born to expelled parents. The largest numbers came from former eastern territories of Germany ceded to the People's Republic of Poland and the Soviet Union (about seven million) and from Czechoslovakia (about three million)."

Malve von Hassell's mother, Christa, was one of those people who made it to the West, eventually settling in America.  von Hassell explores her mother's life through the fragmented lens of transmitted memory, and its impact on the second generation.

Born at her grandfather's house in Farther Pomerania, 1923, Christa von Hassell had to contend with the increasing and pervasive impact of the Nazi regime. As the child of a German army officer, she moved with her parents often. Through boarding school, university, marriage, the Second World War, life under Soviet occupation, and a new beginning in the West, eventually in America, the biography is an incredible, emotional journey of childhood, survival, and relationships.

The portrayal of Christa's life also focuses on the role of memory: shaped, distorted, and realigned in the continual process of telling stories of the past in conjunction with silence about many aspects. Children of women who shared similar experiences and life trajectories struggled with the challenge of learning about their parents' lives during extraordinary times, confounded by a wealth of stories on the one hand and a seemingly impenetrable veil of silence on the other.

Working through such memorabilia, as well as the tales of the past, can offer ways in which one can come to terms with the inherited detritus of thoughts and memories. As such, this account of the life of a unique and complex individual has also wider relevance in that it addresses age-old questions of the relationship between one generation and the next.

“In 1950, the country was still struggling with absorbing the vast number of refugees, while at the same time trying to rebuild its devastated cities," von Hassell stated. "More than half of residential space had been destroyed during the war. Christa, Christa’s relatives, and many of her friends were among the refugees from Pomerania, East Prussia, and Silesia, and faced the enormous challenge of trying to create a new life in a country overwhelmed with this influx of people. These experiences, on top of the experiences during the Nazi era and World War II, shaped their personalities and produced survival strategies of stoicism and silence, which in turn affected their relationships with the next generation.”

Tapestry Of My Mother's Life: Stories, Fragments, And Silences was awarded a Five Star Medal by The Historical Fiction Press Awards in 2021.

Readers and reviewers have praised Tapestry Of My Mother's Life. One said, "There is much I could say about this book, but one of the things that remains with me as I came to the end, was the haunting imagery that Hassell paints, of a woman who saw and endured so much pain, suffering and brutality before, during and after the war, and who, out of necessity to live and not sink into the maws of that depressive period, locked the pain away, deep inside, and moreover, rarely, if ever, expressed what she felt. One sees a stoic figure in one respect, a brave crusader in another, and a mother who simply wanted to make the best life for herself and her family and refused to admit or even express her own pain, or emotions. This is an excellent book. Every mother should be so privileged to have their stories so beautifully put to words." Another stated, "A remarkable story of the author's mother and her family life during one of the most important periods in history. Written with love and full of historical facts, it is a brilliant and exciting read not to be missed."

Other works by Malve von Hassell include:

The Struggle for Eden: Community Gardens in New York City (Bergin & Garvey 2002)
Homesteading in New York City 1978-1993
The Divided Heart of Loisaida (Bergin & Garvey 1996)
Letters from the Tooth Fairy (Amazon KDP 2012/2020)
Turtle Crossing (Amazon KDP 2021),
Dott’s Wonderful Travels and Adventures (Two Harbors Press, 2012), a translation and annotation of a German children’s classic by Tamara Ramsay
The Falconer’s Apprentice (namelos, 2015), her first historical fiction novel for young adults
Alina: A Song for the Telling (BHC Press, 2020), set in Jerusalem in the time of the crusades
The Amber Crane (Odyssey Books, 2021), set in Germany in 1645 and 1945.
She has edited her grandfather Ulrich von Hassell's memoirs written in prison in 1944, Der Kreis schließt sich - Aufzeichnungen aus der Haft 1944 (Propylaen Verlag 1994)

Malve von Hassell is available for media interviews and can be reached using the information below or by email at malvevonhassell@optonline.net. All of her books are available at online retail outlets. More information is available at her website at https://www.malvevonhassell.com.

About Malve von Hassell

Malve von Hassell was born in Italy and spent part of her childhood in Belgium and Germany before moving to the United States. She is a freelance writer, researcher, and translator. She holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from the New School for Social Research and has taught at Queens College, Baruch College, Pace University, and Suffolk County Community College. Currently, she is working on a biographical work about a woman coming of age in Nazi Germany.

Contact:

Malve von Hassell

malvevonhassell@optonline.net

https://www.malvevonhassell.com

Leia Mais…

Best Selling Author Malve von Hassell Announces Release Of New Book, Tapestry Of My Mother's Life: Stories, Fragments, And Silences

Malve von Hassell is a freelance writer, researcher, and translator. She holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from the New School for Social Research. She has published nine books and a number of journal articles. The book was awarded a Five Star Medal by The Historical Fiction Press Awards in 2021.

How much do we really know about the lives of our parents - before they became our parents? Frankly, most of us only know what they have allowed us to know. There are many reasons why they might keep a secret or two. Embarrassment perhaps, regret or a mindset that does not allow for discussion of "certain" topics.

Communication across that generational gap is the subject of best-selling author Malve von Hassell's latest book, Tapestry Of My Mother's Life: Stories, Fragments, And Silences. Her story however is utterly unique, in that it begins in Nazi Germany in the 1930s, a dark time when dropping secrets or talking too much could cost someone's life.

Malve von Hassell explores her mother's life through the fragmented lens of transmitted memory, and its impact on the second generation.

Born at her grandfather's house in Farther Pomerania, 1923, Christa von Hassell had to contend with the increasing and pervasive impact of the Nazi regime. As the child of a German army officer, she moved with her parents often. Through boarding school, university, marriage, the Second World War, life under Soviet occupation, and a new beginning in the West, eventually in America, the biography is an incredible, emotional journey of childhood, survival, and relationships.

The portrayal of Christa's life also focuses on the role of memory: shaped, distorted, and realigned in the continual process of telling stories of the past in conjunction with silence about many aspects. Children of women who shared similar experiences and life trajectories struggled with the challenge of learning about their parents' lives during extraordinary times, confounded by a wealth of stories on the one hand and a seemingly impenetrable veil of silence on the other.

Working through such memorabilia, as well as the tales of the past, can offer ways in which one can come to terms with the inherited detritus of thoughts and memories. As such, this account of the life of a unique and complex individual has also wider relevance in that it addresses age-old questions of the relationship between one generation and the next.

“Readers of this book will in enjoy this colorful biographical portrait that provides insights into less frequently depicted aspects of life in Nazi Germany and in the aftermath,” Malve stated. “Writing this book has been a journey of discovery. I learned a lot about my mother and came to a greater understanding of her complex and unique personality. At the same time, I learned more about what shaped me.”

Tapestry Of My Mother's Life: Stories, Fragments, And Silences was awarded a Five Star Medal by The Historical Fiction Press Awards in 2021.

Readers and reviewers have praised Tapestry Of My Mother's Life. One said, "There is much I could say about this book, but one of the things that remains with me as I came to the end, was the haunting imagery that Hassell paints, of a woman who saw and endured so much pain, suffering and brutality before, during and after the war, and who, out of necessity to live and not sink into the maws of that depressive period, locked the pain away, deep inside, and moreover, rarely, if ever, expressed what she felt. One sees a stoic figure in one respect, a brave crusader in another, and a mother who simply wanted to make the best life for herself and her family and refused to admit or even express her own pain, or emotions. This is an excellent book. Every mother should be so privileged to have their stories so beautifully put to words." Another stated, "A remarkable story of the author's mother and her family life during one of the most important periods in history. Written with love and full of historical facts, it is a brilliant and exciting read not to be missed."

Other works by Malve von Hassell include:

The Struggle for Eden: Community Gardens in New York City (Bergin & Garvey 2002)
Homesteading in New York City 1978-1993
The Divided Heart of Loisaida (Bergin & Garvey 1996)
Letters from the Tooth Fairy (Amazon KDP 2012/2020)
Turtle Crossing (Amazon KDP 2021),
Dott’s Wonderful Travels and Adventures (Two Harbors Press, 2012), a translation and annotation of a German children’s classic by Tamara Ramsay
The Falconer’s Apprentice (namelos, 2015), her first historical fiction novel for young adults
Alina: A Song for the Telling (BHC Press, 2020), set in Jerusalem in the time of the crusades
The Amber Crane (Odyssey Books, 2021), set in Germany in 1645 and 1945.
She has edited her grandfather Ulrich von Hassell's memoirs written in prison in 1944, Der Kreis schließt sich - Aufzeichnungen aus der Haft 1944 (Propylaen Verlag 1994)

Malve von Hassell is available for media interviews and can be reached using the information below or by email at malvevonhassell@optonline.net. All of her books are available at online retail outlets. More information is available at her website at https://www.malvevonhassell.com.

About Malve von Hassell

Malve von Hassell was born in Italy and spent part of her childhood in Belgium and Germany before moving to the United States. She is a freelance writer, researcher, and translator. She holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from the New School for Social Research and has taught at Queens College, Baruch College, Pace University, and Suffolk County Community College. Currently, she is working on a biographical work about a woman coming of age in Nazi Germany.

Contact:

Malve von Hassell

malvevonhassell@optonline.net

https://www.malvevonhassell.com

Leia Mais…