Charlotte

Set against the rise of Nazi Germany, the narrative tracks the 1930s through the war years. Kristallnacht and the persecution of Jews push the characters to flee or hide. The story culminates with deportations and the characters’ deaths in the Holocaust, while some seek refuge elsewhere before the final, tragic fates.

The story opens in Berlin during the Nazi rise to power, where Jewish attendees are targeted at an opera. The action expands to Wannsee and Sachsenhausen as the family faces expulsion, internment, and forced separation. The family later seeks refuge in France along the Côte d'Azur, before the narrative returns to exile and ultimately references Auschwitz in the epilogue.

🧭 Identity

Charlotte’s identity is tested by persecution, displacement, and her calling as a painter. The pressure of homeland, memory, and belonging drives her to define who she is beyond nationality. Memory and selfhood intertwine as she documents her life through art, keeping a record of her family’s suffering.

🎨 Art as Resistance

Art becomes Charlotte’s way to survive and bear witness. Her painting, including Life? Or Theatre?, preserves experience when destruction looms. The act of creation resists erasure, turning personal trauma into a cultural memory for others.

💔 Family & Loss

The Salomon family endure profound losses: a grandmother’s suicide, a mother and aunt’s deaths, and the brutal coercions of the Nazi regime. Family loyalties are tested by fear, secrets, and the desire to protect loved ones. The narrative shows how love and betrayal shape choices, including drastic acts to survive.