Clara's Story – out now (spoiler alert!)

But I guess most people have worked it out anyway. The story in any case is more about how and why rather than what.   

This second story in the Schellberg cycle is now out. The e-book is out there. The paperback will be ready shortly. 

This particular title has prompted quite a bit of research and some of the outcomes of this can be seen elsewhere on this site:  

Mecklenburg in the late 1800s

The belle epoch in Berlin

The Great War

They hyperinflation in

1940s and 1920s fashion

Rudolf Steiner

Anthroposophy      

The Waldorf School in Stuttgart

Theresienstadt

Holocaust transports … and much more.  

As usual, I've used the three tools available to the writer of historical fiction:

Primary resources

Repeated experience

Imagination

Clara is my husband's great grandmother.  We didn't have a lot of information about her and only found out a little more. We did find out, however, that she finally went to Treblinka not Auschwitz as the family had supposed. No death certificate was ever found for her but we do have a copy of her final transport slip. She has been given her name back: Clara Lehrs instead of Klara Sarah Lehrs. This has provided a fabulous plot point. 

As ever, I welcome reviews and if you would like a free copy of the book as a mobi-file or as a PDF, please contact me.  Here is the link on Amazon: 

          

Working at the Lauenstein

 

The type of children who lived there:

·         Downs syndrome

·         Albinos

·         Epileptics

·         Lacking in self-esteem

·         Depressed

·         Anxious

·         Attention deficit / hyperactive 

·         Bi-polar 

y    Many of these children would now be in mainstream education. Which is better – isolating them or keeping them in our society? 

   Quirky cures and diseases 

·         Mother was frightened during pregnancy

·         Injection of thyroid gland secretion – with very strict instructions as to exactly how

·         Something has come through from the previous incarnation.

·         Time between death and birth quite short

·         Algae injections

·         Eurythmy* especially on legs to prevent fits

·         Kink in astral body

·         Poor health in parents

·         Connection with sulphur for albinos

·         Sugar injections

·         D6 injections

·         The child should learn to make boots.  

      Clara loved the way Rudolf Steiner worked with children. He was there for instance on the day the home was opened on 18 June 1924 and spoke to children and parents individually. However she found some of his ideas bizarre. What do you think?

Eurythmy

Body movement = "visible speech"

Communication through non-verbal gestures

Movements = sounds and words

Comes from Greek "harmonious / beautiful movement"

Sacred dance 

In the Waldorf schools, eurythmy is very important and there are strict guidelines for each grade. How does it compare with your P.E. lessons? 

Try to find some videos of eurythmy. What are its main qualities, do you think?