Balancing the Story, Bridging the Gap

by Aubrey Reiss Taylor @aubtaybooks

I’m a bit of an anomaly when it comes to WWII fiction. From the start, I have passionately focused on German-Perspective stories, favoring characters and storylines that challenge stereotypes and turn the standard tropes on their heads. It’s not about denying ugly truths—it’s about sinking deep into their side of the story.

The task of learning to balance two sides of a story can apply to many genres of fiction, but particularly when it comes to World War II, there are still many questions that have not been answered. Younger generations are beginning to see things in a different light, and are asking questions that make older generations uncomfortable. They are not satisfied with the things we’ve always simply accepted as fact, and being interconnected to the rest of the world, they are hearing other sides of the story that cause them to ask further questions.

Whenever I reread my first novel, Sani: The German Medic, all I see is what I was taught as an American. I believed I was writing from the German perspective, but the truth is, I was still filtering it through what I had been taught. I think that’s pretty common, though we may not realize that’s what we’re doing.

I wrote Sani five years ago. Since then, I have learned so much through research and study and long talks with a few remaining seniors who lived through the war in Germany. Daringly, I have even read plenty of primary sources from the Third Reich. These provide an important part of the story that is often deemed to be valueless, nothing more than propaganda, or has been analyzed through a modern lens rather than taken in the context of the times.

All this keeps me constantly in prayer, and it is often a lonely road. Now and then, other authors attempt to address the German perspective, but for me, it is an ongoing focus, building bridges across the gaps in our understanding. I find myself exhorting my fellow authors, many of whom are far more successful at selling books than I am, to consider how they might begin to approach the subject afresh.

Fiction puts flesh and bone on things people still struggle to understand. Many people will not pick up a history book, but they will pick up a novel and seek to learn from it. While there is certainly room for artistic license, Christian authors must also concern themselves with seeking after and presenting the truth objectively and fairly, rather than relying on tropes. This means we must investigate further, to better understand what we’re writing about.

God sees the nuances that no one else does. He also sees the bigger picture and knows the whole story. We know that history was written by the victors, but it is hard to tease apart what exactly that means. Whether we write Christian Fiction or for the General Market, if we have the Spirit of Christ within us, we have an opportunity to consider these things and present them to the reading public.

In June, I will be releasing a Second Edition of Sani: The German Medic. I have reworked places where I relied on tropes and preconceived notions, and where I included things I could only have known because I have the benefit of hindsight. I will be interested to see what kind of reception the book gets, but regardless, the most important thing is that I believe it rings more true to what the characters would have thought, felt and experienced at that time.

Aubrey Reiss Taylor unites fascinating history with a passion for redemption, creating a unique brand of wartime sagas written from the German perspective. Her books hail from a Biblical worldview but are full of grit and honesty. She is the mother of three and married to her best friend Brian. Visit Aubrey at https://aubreytaylorbooks.com/.