The Day the Flowers Died

FORWARD:

This novel holds a special place in my heart. Inspired by a
dream while teaching in Thailand in the fall of 2009, I awoke with
such a great emotional experience between the two main characters,
that I had to tell the story. The feeling stayed with me long after
I awoke. I could not rest until the story was told. 

Following that day, I researched books, the internet, You Tube,
and read historical accounts from survivors as well as quotes and
popular music and poetry of that time. Listening to music of that
period and watching Heindenburg in black and white walk on german
streets into a building to vote for an election, as well as seeing
first hand the actual footage of Hitler in Munich was
astounding. 

I wanted to stay true to the time period and so outlined the
story according to history and survivor’s accounts.  I read a
variety of points of view to gather a broader picture of events
that actually did happen to people living during that time period
in Munich. Sometimes what occurs in life is in the history books,
but many times we learn about events from the mouths of
individuals. I also read old Nazi propoganda from that time from
magazines and on brouchures, dating back as early as
1930. 

Each chapter begins with a day of the week and date. This is
accurate according to the calendar from the 1930’s in Germany. All
feasts fall on the correct days. All days of the week are matched
with the appropriate dates. I did this deliberatley to coincide
with reality. 

I prefer the old English grammatical usage of an before words
that begin with H, as the article is softer than the hard a;
therefore, I utilized that preference in my title page. This is not
accidental or a result of carelessness. 

The novel was edited once for grammar and content and then
edited again for German Jewish accuracy and the one last time for
German historical accuracy. This does not mean perfection, but the
novel is pretty close. 

If you find anything out of place, please fell free to write the
author:

 
[email protected]
Subject: The Day the Flowers Died

Please read the activism page at the end of the novel. I include
a page of activism at the end of all my fiction novels.

  Praise for The Day the Flowers Died:

‘This is truly a love story.  I love the way they meet and
everything else.  They are two people not from differing
worlds but upbringing.  This is a situation that is very close
to my heart.  Your descriptions are brilliant and in my
opinion for a book of this genre perfect.  This is a sensitive
subject for some even now but you deal with it perfectly.’ -Ron
S

‘I will say that I liked your use of color.  Not only does
it set the scene in the opening chapter, but you keep it as an
on-going theme.’ -
B. 
J.  Winters

‘You have something very special here.  You have created a
world that you cannot have known personally, but which is
completely believable, and that is what all writers aim to do, but
only the really good ones achieve as well as you have.’ -
Philip
Carlton
 

‘This is simply so adorable and sweet at the moment, although I
am sure it will not continue that way.  The prologue shows the
strength of their loving union and the first chapter deals well
with their introduction.  I love the minute character
descriptions - the blue silk tie, missing button, the contrasts of
manicured hands and slightly dirty fingernails, but overall, the
almost awkward interaction between them as they so obviously are
attracted to one another.’ -
Kendall
Craig

‘The gentle love story is told with realism for the time and
with the caution of ethnic difference.  That's not referred to
very often and this shows where Germany was before the Nazi powers
were in control.  It feels well-researched.  The flow of
the story is very readable and the particulars and setting give it
much atmosphere.  You’ve captured the social ambiance
preceding a wrenching time.  This promises much more’.
–Katherine

Book Taste Review:

Lovers in a turbulent Europe:

Ami Blackwelder paints with words. Her special talent is
creating scene and atmosphere populated by credible
characters.  The Day the Flowers Died is a love story, gently
narrated, that recreates prewar Germany during the 1930s, and the
German government’s menacing swing to the Nazis.  The girl’s
sweetheart is Jewish, her parents point out the brutal dangers, but
innocent ecstasy ignores the politics and the racial hatred that
are sweeping the nation.

As fascist ideology becomes law, the lovers encounter the harsh
reality of life and death.  Released as an E-book, this novel
has quickly gained an unusually large number of downloads. 
Can there be a trend (much welcomed) away from vampires and back to
realistic human passion? This author’s books vary in genre. 
Happy reading! Posted by Cathy, 9 December 2009.

The Day the Flowers Died

An historical fiction

    Ami Rebecca Blackwelder

The Day the Flowers Died

An Historical Fiction

©  2010 by Ami Rebecca Blackwelder

All rights reserved.  No part of this book may be used or
reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information
storage retrieval system without the written permission of the
publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in
critical articles and reviews.

Ami Blackwelder’s books may be ordered through local book venues
and online retailers or by contacting the author: 

http://amiblackwelder.blogspot.com

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names,
incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the
products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

ISBN: 1450571689

ISBN: 9781450571685 (eBook)

Published by Eloquent Enraptures Publishing      
     

Content editor Magnolia Belle

German Jewish editor Ryan & Joanna B.

Historical editor Jennifer L.B. 

Cover Art by Web Designs

Printed in the United States of America by Lightning Source.

The Day the Flowers Died

By Ami Rebecca Blackwelder

Summary: 

An historical fiction set in Munich, Germany in the early 1930’s
before the outbreak of War World II.  Eli Levin and Rebecca
Baum fall passionately in love and while their differences should
have separated them, they instead forged a passionate bond that
would change their lives forever.

While religious and social differences weigh heavily on their
families in an increasingly tense Germany, the lovers remain
unadulterated in spite of the prejudices. After overcoming family
issues and social pressures, the two must sustain under a growing
violent governmental regime.  When the Nazi party heightens in
popularity and the party’s ideas influence law, they must face the
harsh reality of life and death.

          Poetry used in this novel by
Heinrich Heine

For Mom and Dad

With Eyes of Prejudice

With eyes of prejudice upon us,

Shades of color to hide,

Ashamed of what they see,

Ashamed to look inside,

Encroaching around us,

Like coffins closed,

To describe the act of violation,

There could never be enough prose 

 –Ami R. Blackwelder

Table of Contents

Friday, September 25, 1931 7

Saturday, October 17, 1931 19

Sunday, November 8, 1931 29

Thursday, December 24, 1931 38

Thursday, December 31, 1931 50

Friday, January 8, 1932 58

Sunday, February 14, 1932 67

Saturday, March 19, 1932 76

Wednesday, April 20, 1932 86

Saturday, May 7, 1932 97

Thursday, June 2, 1932 105

Sunday, July 17, 1932 112

Friday, August 5, 1932 120

Thursday, September 15, 1932 126

Saturday, October 1, 1932 133

Sunday, November 6, 1932 141

Friday, December 16, 1932 148

Sunday, January 1 1933 153

Monday, January 2, 1933 157

Monday, February 27, 1933 163

Wednesday, March 1, 1933 174

Saturday, April 1, 1933 181

Wednesday, May 10, 1933 189

Monday, June 16, 1933 196

Saturday, July 22, 1933 212

Wednesday, August 9, 1933 222

Friday, September 1, 1933 231

Friday, September 25, 1931

Autumn in Munich was always the most beautiful time to
her.  The leaves changed colors and fell beneath her
feet.  She loved to walk over orange, yellow, and brown
irregular leaf shapes on the cobblestone sidewalk near her home and
listen to the crunch.  Chalky white clouds and streams of
variant blues filled the sky. She skipped off the sidewalk and onto
the wet grass, lowering to the rose bushes aligned around her
apartment.

She snipped a few deep pink roses with the pruning scissors she
kept in her side skirt pocket, a pocket stitched just below a
1920’s German Dresden Wire Mesh purse dangling from her left
shoulder.  She chose the purse because of the lavender colors
and flowery design.  Her long brown skirt dangled over the
grass and moistened around its hem.  Her black blouse was
missing its top button and it ruffled out of her skirt as she
bent.

“Rebecca! Rebecca!” A man’s voice yelled down to her from five
stories above.  She placed the flowers in her left hand and
glanced up against the sunlight, raising her other hand to protect
her eyes.  Not recognizing his voice, she squinted to make out
his face, his shape, anything, but no one she knew came to mind.
The window above closed and then boots clogging against the hard
cement steps raced down to greet her.  She placed the roses
into a brown paper bag nestled under her arm.

A man a foot taller than her, with eyes chocolate brown and wavy
dark, short hair, stumbled out of the door.  His beige wool
trench coat caught the door’s latch as he fumbled with his silk
embroidered pale blue tie which swayed over a crisp white
shirt.  “Rebecca.” His soft shaven face featured kind eyes
under thick eyebrows.  He reached his hands out to untangle
his coat from the door and rolled his eyes at himself.  “I
always get stuck here.  They ought to do something about this
latch.  It’s a hazard.”

Rebecca giggled, holding her hand over her mouth to keep from
being impolite.  He took a long moment to study her face and
then, after a few moments of awkward silence, he pulled an envelope
out of his trench coat pocket.  “I meant to give this to
you.  It came to my mailbox by mistake.”

Reaching towards the envelope, Rebecca noticed miniscule amounts
of dirt underneath her fingernails when she brushed across his
soft, manicured hands.

“Thank you,” she said surprised, but then felt herself
relaxed.

“I don’t think we ever were formally introduced.  My name
is Eli Levin.”

Her summer sky blue eyes widened, framed by her honey touched
dark brown hair draping over her shoulders.  He extended his
hand to shake hers and she reciprocated, then stepped back,
allowing him room to walk away from the door.  Like children
with lanky arms dangling and not knowing what to do with them, they
walked together to the sidewalk.

“How did you know who I was?” she asked.  The sounds of
cars and buses from the street vibrated through the soles of her
feet.

“I’ve seen you around.  I live…” Eli pointed to the fifth
floor, “…right above your room.”

“I think I’ve seen you…” Rebecca thought back, “two nights
ago.  You were coming in, holding a leather briefcase.”

“That was me.” He raked his fingers through his hair.  “I
get home late from work.  I remember seeing you heading out
that night.” He glanced sideways at her.

“I was meeting friends for dinner.  It was an unpleasant
day.”

“What do you do?” Eli asked with curious wrinkles in his
forehead.

“I’m a waitress at the local diner down the block.” She pointed
up the street with her out-stretched forefinger.  “Do you know
the place?”

“I’ve tried the food,” he said with a stressed smile.

“Didn’t like it?” She tilted her head.

He shrugged with a half gesture of uncertainty.  “My
friends enjoy the culinary experience there.”

Rebecca straightened her back and wiped her nails with her
fingers.  “But you don’t like the food there?” Rebecca caught
him off guard with her blatant honesty.

He fidgeted with his umbrella.  “I’ve eaten there once,
maybe twice and it wasn’t my favorite.” His eyes widened. 
“Except now that you work there, perhaps I might have a change of
heart.”The corners of his mouth rose and he blushed in his
audacity.

“It’s not my life’s ambition, but it pays the bills.”

“What do you want to do?” Eli emphasized.

“I’m going to University for nursing.  I want to help
people.”