Dear
Reader,
Thank
you very much for picking up a copy of The Humble Courier. I really hope
you enjoy reading the story as much as I enjoyed researching and writing it.
The
Humble Courier
takes place in Germany
during the turbulent years from the end of the Great War to the beginning of
World War II. It is the story of a German soldier who believes he has been
called to the Roman Catholic priesthood and tasked with fighting evil and
protecting the weak from the strong. Although the priest, Father Hartmann
Bottger, initially employs passive resistance to fulfill what he perceives to
be his mission, he comes to the conclusion that more aggressive—even
violent—means are necessary to confront the terrible power of the SS and the
Gestapo. Employing unlikely allies and extraordinary methods, the priest sets
out to take the fight to his enemies, justifying his actions with St.
Augustine’s proverb Punishment is Justice for the Unjust.
If
you are a fan of historical fiction, I think you will agree that thorough
research on the location and period of the story is of utmost importance. This
is key to developing a solid and believable plot line, interesting characters,
and rich dialogue appropriate for the period. A significant amount of
historical research went into this story. The study of German history,
politics, culture, customs, geography, and cuisine has been one of my lifelong
passions. As you can imagine, I have amassed a rather sizeable library on all
things German: while writing this story,
I consulted over a dozen textbooks on German history during the period 1914
through 1939, including the role and activities of the Catholic Church in Germany.
In addition, I obtained quite a bit of information from Internet searches, but
I was careful to substantiate this data by examining multiple sources to ensure
accuracy. Although I had previously lived and worked for several years in
Germany and Austria, I had the opportunity to take a special trip to Trier,
Germany—location of almost a third of the novel’s action—while working on my
first draft in order to reacquaint myself with that city and further
investigate numerous landmarks mentioned in the story.
How
many times have we picked up a novel only to put it down in disgust after a few
chapters because the author has presented us with wooden, two-dimensional
characters that we couldn’t care less about? In The Humble Courier, I
believe I have presented inspiring heroes that readers will root for, as well
as villains they will love to hate. I had a wonderful time creating the
characters, many of which were not part of the original plan for the story but
came into being as my writing progressed. Several characters are introduced
early in the story only to reappear later to play key roles in the plot line
and to move the action forward. A handful of true historical figures also
appear in The Humble Courier. The actual fates of several of these
individuals, however, differ from their outcomes in the novel.
The
novel contains several paragraphs of historical information designed to provide
readers unfamiliar with Germany’s interwar period the necessary background to
understand the environment in which the story is taking place. This is done
without bogging down the action or converting the novel into a history
textbook. The Author’s Note at the end of the novel informs the reader which
characters in the story are fictional and which were historic persons.
I
truly hope you enjoy The Humble Courier. I would be pleased and honored to
answer any questions you may have about the story and to receive any feedback
you would care to provide. My author’s Facebook page is www.facebook.com/jt.maicke/
Love,
J.T.
Maicke
A self-described Germanophile, J.T. Maicke writes historical novels that take place in Germany or among German-American communities in the Midwest. The study of German history, geography, language, culture, and cuisine has been one of his life-long passions. He has spent several years living and working in Central Europe and has explored many of the locations mentioned in his stories. Maicke is a great fan of historical fiction and his favorite authors include Ken Follett, Bernard Cornwell, George MacDonald Fraser, Umberto Eco, Robert Harris, and Morris West. He was educated by Benedictine monks and nuns in the Midwest and several of his stories have a Roman Catholic theme.
The Humble Courier is his latest book.
Visit J.T. Maicke’s website at www.jtmaicke.com or connect with him on Facebook.
Father Hartmann Bottger, a Benedictine monk and priest, has confronted bullies his entire life, including pompous clerics, local thugs, and callous and corrupt French Army occupation authorities in the German Rhineland. But Father Hartmann faces his greatest challenges with the rise to power of the Nazi Party and the brutality of the dreaded Gestapo, which threaten the rights of the Church as well as the lives and spiritual beliefs of Father Harti and the members of his small village parish.
The Humble Courier takes place in Germany during the turbulent years from the end of the Great War to the beginning of World War II. It is the story of a German soldier who believes he has been called to the Roman Catholic priesthood and tasked with fighting evil and protecting the weak from the strong. Although Father Hartmann initially employs passive resistance to fulfill what he perceives to be his mission, he comes to the conclusion that more aggressive—even violent—means are necessary to confront the awesome power of the SS and the Gestapo. Employing unlikely allies and extraordinary methods, Father Hartmann sets out to take the fight to his enemies, justifying his actions with St. Augustine’s proverb “Punishment is justice for the unjust.”
You can pick up your copy of The Humble Courier at Amazon.
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