615 Results with the "Historical Fiction" genre


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      Occuper

      Occuper Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin Marie-Laure awakens in an unfamiliar, cramped bedroom in her great-uncle Etienne's multi-story house, disoriented by the faint smell of mildew and the distant roar of what might be the sea. Blind since childhood, she navigates the narrow space with caution, her heels still sore from an unexplained injury. The house feels ancient and peculiar, with windows out of reach and furniture arranged awkwardly. Madame Manec, the housekeeper, arrives to assist her, revealing snippets about the reclusive Etienne, who…
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      Numbers

      Numbers Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin The chapter opens with Reinhold von Rumpel receiving a grim medical diagnosis: a throat tumor measuring four centimeters and an unmeasurable intestinal tumor. The doctor gives him three to four months to live, a prognosis that weighs heavily on von Rumpel as he attends a dinner party. Amidst discussions of military retreats and losses in Italy, von Rumpel fixates on the limited time he has left—120 sunrises—while ignoring his meal. His financial and physical decline is underscored by his dwindling…
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      Numbers

      Numbers Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin The chapter opens with a vivid depiction of wartime chaos as Allied bombs destroy the rail station and German forces disable harbor installations. Etienne, the protagonist, hears rumors of nearby American advances and impending liberation, creating a tense atmosphere. He visits Madame Ruelle’s bakery, where she urgently tasks him with gathering coordinates for German flak batteries to aid the resistance. The urgency of the mission is underscored by the imminent threat of German forces interning all…
    • Number 4 rue Vauborel Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin Marie-Laure LeBlanc, a blind girl, stands in her bedroom as air raid sirens wail and enemy bombers approach. Despite the urgency to seek shelter in the cellar, she remains fixated on a detailed miniature model of her city, tracing its streets and landmarks with her fingers. The model, a tactile representation of her surroundings, serves as her connection to the world she cannot see. As the bombs draw nearer, the vibrations rattle the windows, heightening the tension, yet Marie-Laure continues her…
    • Number 4 rue Vauborel Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin Marie-Laure takes refuge beneath her bed during a violent bombardment, clutching a stone and a miniature house as the building around her collapses. Plaster, brick, and glass rain down, destroying the model city on her table and shaking her mattress above. In her terror, she repeatedly calls for her father, but her voice feels disconnected from her body, as if she’s observing the chaos from a distance. The destruction feels apocalyptic, as though the entire city is being uprooted by an invisible force,…
    • Number 4 rue Vauborel Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin The chapter opens with a haunting depiction of post-shelling Saint-Malo, where Sergeant Major von Rumpel navigates the devastated streets. Amidst the eerie silence broken only by distant machine gun fire, the city lies in ruins: shattered buildings, smoldering debris, and the occasional corpse. Von Rumpel, armed with morphine and a pistol, moves cautiously through the chaos, his progress marked by surreal sights—a bloated horse, a velvet chair, and swinging curtains in broken windows. The atmosphere is…
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      Nothing

      Nothing Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin Marie-Laure, hiding in a grotto, desperately recalls the details of a locked gate while a German soldier interrogates her from outside. She mentally assesses the gate's structure, wondering if a gunshot could break it, as the man muses aloud about her father's activities before his arrest. The tension escalates as she crouches in cold water, her knapsack holding a hidden loaf of bread containing a secret paper coil. With calculated precision, she retrieves and swallows the paper, destroying evidence while…
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      No Out

      No Out Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin In January 1942, Werner, a young orphan, approaches Dr. Hauptmann in his opulent office to request permission to return home. The scene is tense, with Hauptmann dining on a roasted bird while surrounded by his dogs and schematics. Werner, holding his cap nervously, offers to work to pay for his train fare. Hauptmann responds with disdain, mocking Werner’s privileged access to concerts, chocolates, and warmth. The interaction reveals Hauptmann’s cold, authoritarian demeanor, as Werner notices his…
    • Nadel im Heuhaufen Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin The chapter opens with Werner and Dr. Hauptmann conducting a field test in a snow-covered landscape at midnight. Hauptmann, accompanied by his hounds, leads Werner to a remote spot where they attempt to locate Volkheimer, who is hidden somewhere in the vast forest with a transmitter. Werner sets up two transceivers, using precise measurements and technical adjustments to detect the signal. Despite the challenging conditions, he successfully tunes in to Volkheimer’s transmission, demonstrating his growing…
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      Music #3

      Music #3 Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin The chapter opens with von Rumpel reflecting on his daughters, particularly their childhood and musical talents. Despite his frequent absences, his daughters grew into capable singers, especially Veronika, whose performances brought him joy. The imagery of their clumsy infancy contrasts with their later ability to sing complex lyrics they didn’t fully understand, dressed in homemade dresses with floral embroidery. This nostalgic recollection highlights von Rumpel’s paternal pride, even as it…
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