A Gripping Journey Through History's Darkest Corridors
Historical, 20th Century, World War II & Holocaust
Date Published: March 26, 2020
History has a way of hiding its deepest secrets behind closed doors and
within silent walls. Some stories remain buried for decades, waiting for the
right moment to emerge and demand to be told. Between These Walls is not
merely a work of historical fiction, but a profound exploration of identity,
survival, and the unbreakable bonds that connect generations across time and
tragedy. Written by Michael Newman, this compelling narrative weaves together
threads of war, persecution, and redemption into a tapestry that refuses to
release its grip on the reader's heart and mind.
A Tale Woven from Three Families
In the summer of 1988, New York art curator Daniel Singer receives a
mysterious package from West Berlin, sealed with security tape that will
shatter everything he thought he knew about himself and his family. What
begins as a simple delivery transforms into an extraordinary odyssey that
spans continents and decades, pulling Daniel into a labyrinth of secrets that
have been carefully guarded for over forty years.
Newman masterfully constructs a dual timeline that oscillates between May 1945
and July 1988, creating a narrative bridge across generations. In the dying
days of World War II, on the American occupied side of Germany's Elbe River,
US Army Medical Corps Colonel Samuel Singer stumbles upon the shot-up wreck of
a smoldering SS staff car. Inside: a badly injured driver, a dead German Army
officer carrying the ID of a Nazi war criminal, and a young blonde woman, also
dead in the back seat. This haunting discovery sets in motion a chain of
events that will echo across four decades.
The story sweeps across the battlefields of World War I, through the horrors
of World War II and the Holocaust, into the founding of Israel, and through
three Middle East wars. Each historical moment is rendered with meticulous
attention to detail and emotional authenticity.
The involvement of the Mossad, Israel's legendary intelligence agency, adds
layers of intrigue and suspense to Daniel's quest. As he uncovers shocking
truths about his heritage, Daniel must navigate a treacherous landscape where
the past and present collide, where old wounds remain fresh, and where the
consequences of long-buried secrets threaten to destroy everything he holds
dear. Following one American family and two German families, Newman crafts a
narrative that explores not just acts of evil and callous indifference but
also acts of heroism, generosity, and love in the time of Adolf Hitler's rise
and eventual defeat.
A Labor of Love Rooted in Personal History
Newman's research was exhaustive and deeply personal. He traveled throughout
Europe, visiting the actual locations that appear prominently in the book. He
walked the streets of Berlin, discovering the stolpersteine, the engraved
brass plaques embedded in the cobblestone streets marking where Jewish
families lived before the Nazis deported them to their deaths in Auschwitz. He
ventured to the Eagle's Nest in Berchtesgaden near Munich, Hitler's wartime
summer home perched high in the Bavarian Alps. Most significantly, he visited
Mauthausen concentration camp itself, where his own father had been imprisoned
by the Nazis in 1944-45.
"My visits to Mauthausen, Berlin and Hitler's summer home at Eagle's Nest were
the motivators for me to write Between These
Walls," Newman explains.
"These places provided me with the inspiration and ideas for the plot and
premise of the book. With the global rise in antisemitism, the words 'Never
again' couldn't ring truer."
The book's website features a compelling gallery of images from Newman's
travels, including photographs of historical documents, and the actual
locations featured in the story
Discover the Truth Behind the Walls
Between These Walls is available for purchase through multiple platforms,
making it accessible to readers worldwide. The novel is available in both
paperback and Kindle editions.
About the Author
Michael Newman brings an unparalleled authenticity to Between These Walls
because he writes not as a distant observer of history, but as someone whose
life has been indelibly shaped by it. The son of Holocaust survivors, Newman
has always had a deep interest in the Second World War, not as an academic
pursuit, but as a personal mission to understand and honor the experiences
that defined his family's existence. He received first-hand accounts of what
happened during WWII in the concentration camps, particularly Mauthausen,
where his father was imprisoned.
Newman's mother, aunt, and grandmother were hidden by Righteous Gentiles in
Budapest during World War II. His father fought in the Hungarian Army, dug
trenches in a forced labor battalion near Stalingrad, and later endured eight
terrible months at Mauthausen in Austria. In 1956, at age twelve, Newman
himself became a refugee, slogging through mud and snow, dodging guard huts to
escape into Austria after the crushed Hungarian uprising against the Soviets.
Years later, as a successful self-made real estate magnate and founder of
InterRent, a real estate investment trust on the Toronto Stock Exchange,
Newman could have allowed his professional achievements to define him.
Instead, he chose to honor his heritage by telling a story that needed to be
told. He has since taken his wife, three children, and one granddaughter on
trips to Mauthausen, ensuring that the next generation never forgets.
During the Second Lebanon War in 2006, concerned over what he perceived as
one-sided news coverage against Israel, he had the opportunity to travel,
surreptitiously, to Israel. Using a connection with an Israeli intelligence
colonel, Newman spent a week in the war zone, visiting bomb shelters, air raid
command centers, and troops in the field. This experience became a model for a
character in his book who helped Israel fight for independence in 1948.
"I am not a religious person, but I do identify myself with what happened
during the Holocaust and I am very much a Zionist and support the founding of
Israel," Newman says.
This conviction breathes through every page of Between These Walls, giving the
novel an emotional authenticity that resonates with readers across all
backgrounds.
Today, Newman lives on Toronto's waterfront with his wife, Dixie, and their
Morkie, Mia. Surrounded by five children and eleven grandchildren, he has
transformed the pain of his family's past into a gift for future generations.
Writing books, as Newman admits, is "a career change I wasn't expecting to
make at this stage of life. It's been gratifying for the ego." He is currently
working on a sequel with the working title A Daughter's Revenge, and has hired
a screenwriter on spec to craft a six-part series based on his first book.
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