The Melody of Secrets

by Jeffrey Stepakoff

Jeffrey Stepakoff's The Melody of Secrets is an epic love story set against the 1960s U.S. space program, when deeply-buried secrets could threaten not just a marriage, but a country.

Maria was barely eighteen as WWII was coming to its explosive end. A brilliant violinist, she tried to comfort herself with the Sibelius Concerto as American bombs rained down. James Cooper wasn't much older. A roguish fighter pilot stationed in London, he was shot down during a daring night raid and sought shelter in Maria’s cottage.

Fifteen years later, in Huntsville, Alabama, Maria is married to a German rocket scientist who works for the burgeoning U.S. space program. Her life in the South is at peace, purposefully distanced from her past. Everything is as it should be-until James Cooper walks back into it. Pulled from the desert airfield where he was testing planes no sane Air Force pilot would touch, and drinking a bit too much, Cooper is offered the chance to work for the government, and move himself to the front of the line for the astronaut program. He soon realizes that his job is to report not only on the rocket engines but also on the scientists developing them. Then Cooper learns secrets that could shatter Maria’s world...

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Romance, World War II, War, Literary Fiction

272 pages, Hardcover

First published October 29, 2013

About the author

Jeffrey Stepakoff was raised in Atlanta, Georgia. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he received a BA in Journalism. In 1988, the day after getting his MFA in Playwriting from Carnegie Mellon, he drove to Hollywood where he began writing for film and television.

Jeffrey has “written by” or “story by” credits on thirty-six television episodes, has written for fourteen different series and has worked on seven primetime staffs, producing hundreds of hours of internationally-recognized television, including the Emmy-winning THE WONDER YEARS, SISTERS, and DAWSON’S CREEK where he was Co-Executive Producer.

Stepakoff has also created and developed pilots for many of the major studios and networks, including 20th Century, Paramount, MTM, Fox and ABC. And he has developed and written major motion pictures, including Disney’s TARZAN and BROTHER BEAR, and EM Entertainment’s LAPITCH, THE LITTLE SHOEMAKER, Croatia’s selection for the 1998 Academy Awards.

A few years ago, Stepakoff returned to Atlanta, where he lives with his wife and three young children, and began pursuing his long-held dream of writing fiction. FIREWORKS OVER TOCCOA, published by St. Martin’s Press is his first novel. A SIBA Okra Pick and an Indie Next List Notable, FIREWORKS is available in hardback, paperback, large print, audio and digital forms. Stepakoff’s second novel, THE ORCHARD, comes out in July 2011. His fiction is available now in six languages.

Presently, Stepakoff speaks around the country, teaches dramatic writing at Kennesaw State University, and is hard at work on his third novel for St. Martin’s Press. In his spare time, he builds forts in living room with sofa cushions.

Reviews

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, let me say that the blurb on this book is misleading. For staters it takes place in the late 50s, not the 60s, when America was first starting to seriously go after Russia in the space program and get the ball rolling on the Cold War.

But more than that, this is billed as a love story. It is, but it is so much more than that. it also tackles racism, segregation, other assorted prejudices. It covers the purposes (if any) of war, and what responsibility individuals have in their government's war. One of my favorite lines in the book, the MC, Maria, a German expat, is addressing the topic of segregation and asks her husband "are we once again the people who peek out of windows, crying, yet doing nothing?" There were, pathetically, issues of government spying on citizens which could have been pulled from today's headlines. And also a really complicated love triangle...

This book really could have and should have been a ten star read. Maria, though perfect, was likeable. The tension between her and James Cooper was palpable, and in the long list of ansgty "we can't be together" romances, theirs was legitimately complicated. Behind their relationship was quite literally matters of national security.

In the end, the writing was a little too flat for the emotional heaviness of the story. It was very "Maria was always out together see how she handles xyz crisis". I hate to keep saying this, but it was very tell don't show, which was even more disheartening because I so wanted to be invested in the story. There was a lot of quick explanations instead of really trusting the story to unfold on its own. And I also had issues with the ending, not because I disagree with where the author took the story (which I do, but that happens) but because I didn't think the choices made were in keeping with the characters. It felt like the author wanted a certain ending, and forced the characters into that box.

I also didnt understand why James and Maria were so connected. There were flashbacks between present day, and when they first met, but the flashbacks didnt do enough to sell me on how strong their love was. I beleived it because of the strength of the characters in the present day, but not because I saw it for myself; I had a "if you say so" feeling about it. And finally, I didn't buy why they separated in the first place.

Yet, with all of that, it was a compelling story that I would recommend. This is a NetGalley read, so with some rewriting and some editing before publication, it still has a lot of potential, but even without further edits, I enjoyed the story and the perspective of certain characters. It wasn't a bad story, it's just that it could have been so so much better.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest, unbiased review .

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I received this book, an advanced copy from the "First Reads Winner" program at Goodreads I was amazed that I had been so lucky. I really wanted to read this book for several reasons. I had met the author a couple of years ago and had read "The Orchard" and enjoyed reading it because I knew the area he wrote about. This book, "The Melody of Secrets" also hit another home. I lived in Florida during the early beginnings of the Space Age and my mother and stepfather worked at Cape Canaveral.

I absolutely loved this book. It was written with so many details, fascinating details of the early space program, violins and the German's perspective of WW11, innocent Germans caught in war horrors trying to survive. It is hard to imagine what they went through. I also loved how the author worked into this amazing story the discriminations and struggles of the blacks during this time in the 50's and 60's.

A wonderful story, a love story, in fact two love stories, a young women torn apart with a realization of a past that she had to face and come to difficult decisions regarding not only her own heart but that it would also strongly affect many around her, including her husband's career and possibly the space program. Her inner struggles of love for two men and her passion for her music and violin moved me to tears.

[Ionia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really enjoyable book set in a time period that is not too often chosen for recent novels. In the realm of stories about forbidden love, this was one of the better ones that I have read. I liked that it didn't follow the typical formula and that there were a lot of other things going on in this novel besides the romance angle.

There are quite a few interesting themes in this book, including racism, government, the space program, war and tough decisions the characters face. I was impressed by the beautiful, descriptive writing and many times when I stopped to examine and appreciate a quote.

There is a lot of swapping back and forth between the past and the present, and although I thought it was handled well and I didn't find it confusing at all, if this bothers you in a novel then you may want to take note that it does happen. Most of the relationship between James and Maria is described through these flashbacks, and I thought it was an interesting approach to showing the strength of their bond with one another.

This is a layered and intelligent novel with a strong foundation. I was happy with the way the author ended the book--it wasn't as dark as I would have expected for a book where the characters faced so much hardship.

I would definitely recommend this book to others.

This review is based on a digital ARC from the publisher and provided by netgalley.

[Erin (Historical Fiction Reader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Find this and other reviews at: http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot....

Pop quiz! When was the last time I picked up anything set in the 1960s? Anyone? Anyone at all? Don't worry. I can't remember either and I'm not above admitting if it not for the WWII story line I would have steered clear of Jeffrey Strapakoff's The Melody of Secrets. I've nothing against the author, this is the first of his books I've ever read, I'm just not all that interested in the era. Needless to say I felt like I was going out on a limb with this piece.

Fun thing about taking risks is that every now and then, it works in your favor and I'm pleased to say that is what happened here. When all was said and done, I found this piece had a lot of really appealing material especially when looking at how Stepakoff portrayed his cast. Hans, Maria and James are appropriately complex characters, their emotions and motivations driving them to make difficult decisions in pursuit of their goals. Cookie cutter characters wouldn't have worked here and I was quite impressed with Stepakoff's ability to both recognize and avoid the stereotypical and mundane. I only wish every aspect of the story came together as well.

Maria's relationship with Josephine in particular felt forced. Don't get me wrong, I was very much intrigued by the parallels Stepakoff drew between the prejudices that characterized the 1940s with those of the 1960s, but the story line never gained the momentum or flow I'd hoped it would. I have similar feelings regarding the conclusion of the narrative. Here again I felt the author was forcing something into the story, something that actually contradicted the values and integrity he'd built into his heroine. Neither element ruined the piece for me, but I can't help feeling I might have enjoyed the book more if they'd been approached differently.

All in all, a solid and enjoyable read. The Melody of Secrets is a thought-provoking tale about the legacy of our decisions and sometimes convoluted distinction between good and evil.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 The late 1950's in Huntsville, Alabama, all the elite scientists, many of them from Germany, work hard to send a satellite into space.

There were moments of brilliance, in the descriptions, that reminded me of this author's first book, The Orchardist, which completely blew me away, but they were few and far between. I can't believe this is the same author. The story is okay, if one in able to suspend belief, and overlook many things that are in this story for little or nor reason. It is overly melodramatic and the prose leaves much to be desired, is just not alive enough to carry this off. The plot is formulaic, very few surprises and I was always one step ahead of the storyline.

This book was just okay and from the writer of "The Orchardist", I just expected better than just okay.

[Heather Fineisen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes I feel incredibly naive. Nazi rocket scientists up for grabs, anyone? What happens when you don't really want to be anything other than naive. Whether it's about your country, your husband, your lover, or your self? Jeffrey Stepakoff asks the reader these questions in a well crafted and bittersweet love story about a German violinist and the men who love her. There is a little too much packed in with the race relations and the parallel with the former Nazi regime that may have overwhelmed the storyline, but overall a good read that made me want want to know more about this time in our history.

Provided by publisher.

[Kathryn]

I am looking forward to reading "The Melody of Secrets." this book has a beautiful cover. The lady in red is striking!

[Susan Niziurski · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the worst books I've ever read. The ending was terrible.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Melody of Secrets by Jeffrey Stepakoff is a historical fiction story set in Huntsville, Alabama during the late 1950’s. After the conclusion of World War II in 1945, Maria and Hans Reinhardt had relocated to Huntsville, AL (a/k/a Rocket City). Now it is 1957 and the Cold War is reaching its peak. Hans, a German rocket scientist, has been assigned to help the United States catch up to Russia in the space program.

The Civil Rights movement is just beginning in the United States and Maria finds herself caught up in that as well. She sees the American people turning a blind eye to the persecution of the African-American’s in much the same way the German people turned blindly away from the plight of the Jewish people during World War II. When she befriends young Josephine and remembers all of the young children she couldn’t help in Germany her heart nearly finishes breaking. How much grief and struggle and heartache can one woman truly stand?

While there are flaws in the book they are minor and the book as a whole is a great read. I finished it within a day and a half and enjoyed the story on every page. The ending is tragic, heartbreaking, and perfect. Pick it up and give it a chance. It’s worth it.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was enjoyable for me as I adore historical fictions and any WWII details infused throughout the story line are so intriguing - maybe because my dad was in WWII. This bok was a love story and I still am not sure the decision at the end was one I would've made. I enjoyed the love story part, but the book was so much past the love story. Maybe I don't get it, but nazi engineers bringing their knowledge to the US and using it in theSpace War???? I have a lot more reading to do.

I highly recommend this book if hostoprical fiction is your deal. So good.

[Lisa Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Melody of Secrets by Jeffrey Stepakoff was very devastating in my opinion. The book involved with science, love, romance, pilots, music, race, diversity and other things. At the beginning, it went kind of slow for me but the after the first 50 pages it became a lot better. I really enjoyed how the author went back and forth with the events. I would have liked a better ending for this story because the ending was so heartbreaking. Overall, I gave this book 3.75/5.

[Jeannie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this wonderful book about Huntsville, Alabama's rich history in the post-WW2 era. A must-read for Huntsvillians and all lovers of good fiction.

[Daniel James · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delightful and unexpected find! A historical novel presented in Hunstville, AL during the late 1950's with interspersed flashbacks to World War II Germany, this book packs a dramatic punch in fewer than 300 pages. I tore through it in a single night, anxiously following the main character Maria along a path rife with moral dilemmas.

Author Jeffrey Stepakoff writes an intricate love-triangle story interwoven with threads of racial tension, Cold War politics, the space race, and countless musical interludes that had me convinced he himself was a seasoned musician.

As the title suggests, Maria is a master German violinist whose past harbors a secret chance encounter with an American soldier at the end of World Way II, a man who shows up mysteriously in her life some twelve years later after she's made a new life for herself in Alabama with her husband, a famed German scientist who is integral to America's quest to launch a satellite.

Stepakoff clearly had to do some serious research to get the details just right for the telling of this captivating story. Much of what he has to say about the town of Huntsville and its renowned symphony appears as if straight from the history books. We get tastes of what Southern life was like sixty years ago at the height of the Civil Rights movement, and we get more than just of glimpse inside the secretive realm of Soviet/German/American relations. Honestly, I feel like I learned more about the goings on of the Cold War from this short read than I did throughout my entire school career.

In short, this book had everything I could ask for in terms of excitement, suspense, and surprise. Why can't I give it a five-star rating? It has mostly to do with the perspective it's written in: omniscient. Had he told the story strictly from Maria's perspective, he'd have been able to really get the audience involved with everything she goes through. Or possibly, had he organized the story so that each chapter was dedicated to only one character's point of view, he could have taken us on a more compelling journey than what he did. Instead, Stepakoff head hops. One paragraph, we're in one person's head, and the next paragraph, we're in someone else's. Is it confusing the way he does it? No. But is it jarring? Yes. And it's also unnecessary. For me, it steals away from the chapter's punchline. Let me infer what the other characters are thinking based on the interpretation of what's happening from the main point of view. For an author to just pop inside their heads and steal their thoughts to give to the reader is cheating. It's less fun. Don't tell us what they're thinking. Show us based on a particular perspective.

Overall, it was a cinematic read. The descriptions were lovely without detracting from the novel's brisk pace. For anyone who likes stories of moral dilemmas with accurate historical settings, this a book to consider.

[Ann Boytim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maria is a brilliant violinist and was barely 18 when World War II was coming to its explosive end. James Cooper is an american fighter pilot and his plane crashed and he is on the run and sought shelter in Maria's cottage. This meeting between these two people changed their lives forever and they kept a secret. Maria marries a German rocket scientist and is brought to the U.S. along with other Germans and they are now working for the U.S in the budding space program. Maria is part of a symphony group and finds out that the violin she has been using is one that was stolen from a Jewish family and details of her husband past haunt her. James comes back into Maria's life when he offered a job in the astronaut program. Maria's life is in a turmoil but she concentrates on her 11 year old son but secrets have a way of coming to light.

[Linnea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I loved how Maria expressed herself and her emotions through her music. These moments in the book really helped me connect with Maria, and they were very well written.

I will say two things, though. First, I feel like the 1945 portion of the story between Maria and James Cooper could have had more depth. I felt the characters’ love and longing for one another in 1957, but much less so in 1945. Second, I agree with a few other reviewers that the ending did not seem to fully align with that of the values and personalities of the characters.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.5 stars) This novel is set in Alabama during the development of the U.S. space program post WWII. Maria is married to a German scientist, and along with the other Germans, is adjusting to life in the U.S. She does have a secret in her past, and that secret is about to come forward in the form of a U.S. test pilot, James Cooper. Maria must deal with her conflicting feelings, but she then also finds out that her husband has his own secrets, ones that may be devastating to her understanding of who he is and what he believes in.

[Dana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the orchard and couldn’t wait to read another book from this author. I have to say the book was so interesting and kept me turning pages quickly.
BUT
(Just a heads up kind of a spoiler if you keep reading)
I absolutely hated the ending. Like another reader pointed out, it didn’t match Maria at all. There were so many loose ends. I loved how the story lead up and had some great twists and the different points of view as well as the different time lines. But the ending didn’t make sense for the book and I absolutely hate when stories end this way.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice little summer read by an author spoken of as a future Nicholas Sparks. It was enjoyable but not as saccharine sweet as a Nicholas Sparks book. The end was a little surprising but good in the end.

I will probably read another Stapakoff book considering the writing.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very original story. This author is on my watch list. I appreciated the plot, the characters and the time period involved. It's also a compelling read which I just love. I am so happy it was chosen to be discussed in a book club where I am a member. I surely look forward to that!

[Melissa A Comer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy, interesting read about some behind the scenes components of the 1950's space program--things we may not have known, or didn't need to! However, it is a bittersweet story about allegiances and how secrets of the past can alter everything.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the story. Ending was not what I expected. Learned some history from post WWII which was interesting. Interesting comparisons of racism in different countries. Would provide good discussion for book club choice.

[RaW · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you live in Huntsville, Alabama, like I do, this is a must read. I'm not sure how he does it, but Stepakoff once again has written a book which makes you wonder how much of this story is true.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great story by an author I love!

[John Monaghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story, easy to follow as the plot built up to the climax, the decision she had to make.

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4-1/2*

[Alessandra Nogueira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorei. Romance com fundo histórico verdadeiro acerca da segunda Guerra.

[Anna Hatch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of telling more than showing. It felt too short, like I’m still waiting for the plot to unfold.

[Judy Sangricco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book for the history. The sequence was good as well, just wasn’t happy with the ending. Left open questions. Is there a sequel ?

[Melissa Kernevich-aigeldinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was anticipating a love story that embraced the world of music in a difficult time. Yes, it was that, but it also brought to light racism, segregation and government. I love when stories flip from past to present and back. Very well written and plan to looking into his other books.

[Enchanted Prose · Rating 5 out of 5]

WWII’s END, NORDHAUSEN, GERMANY (1945)/BIRTH OF ROCKET CITY, HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA (1957): For a relatively short novel (257 pages) spanning two historical timeframes, The Melody of Secrets packs quite an emotional punch! Three assumptions why:

1. The author: Jeffrey Stepakoff draws on his deft screenwriting skills to write cinematic scenes, so you feel like you’re watching a movie – a great one!

2. The dialogue: as a screenwriter, Stepakoff knows how to create crisp, provocative, informative, interesting dialogue that moves the novel forward at a brisk, page-turning pace.

3. Plot #1: original, shocking, complex, controversial. Has anyone else fictionalized the historical truth underpinning this novel? Did you know America recruited Nazi rocket scientists who were SS officers for our space race against Russia during the Cold War? The best known, Wernher Von Braun, headed a team of a dozen or so German aerospace engineers who came to Huntsville in the ‘50s to launch America’s space program. In the author’s retelling, besides Von Braun, two other scientist characters are: Hans Reinhardt, whose wife, Maria, is the central voice; and Karl Janssen, whose wife, Sabine, discovers her husband’s secret past, and in her torment confides and warns Maria, setting off one of the novel’s two plot themes: what about the rest of the team? Is Maria married to a former SS officer?

What did America know? How much is historically true?

It’s a testament to the novel that the reader MUST know the answers. I would have preferred an Author’s Note separating fact from fiction. Absent that, movie-like – and rich book club material – you will feel emotionally and intellectually driven to search out these profound questions once the novel ends, also provocatively.

Here’s a case where the facts are as shocking as the fiction. Operation Paperclip was conducted by an agency (the Joint Intelligence Objectives Agency) specifically created at the end of WWII for the sole purpose of bringing Hitler’s German rocket scientists to the US so we could beat the Russians in space (and prevent Russia from engaging them), at the time of the Cold War. However, President Truman forbid, by law, our mobilizing any known “member of the Nazi party and more than a normal participant in its activities, or an active supporter of Nazism or militarism.” So, a secret military operation cleaned up the scientists’ records, enabling them to obtain security clearances to emigrate here and lead our space race. Truman, apparently, never knew his directive was violated!

After learning this, I appreciated the clever title of a chapter: “Paper Clip.” Note: while rocket scientist Wernher Von Braun was a recognized Nazi sympathizer and SS officer, I think Stepakoff has fictionalized the Hans and Karl characters, because I can’t find any other references to them.

4. Plot #2: the novel’s title captures its love story, connecting 1945 and 1957. Beautiful Maria plays her Pressenda violin beautifully; Hans gave it to her at war’s end. In 1957, she’s the star of the fledgling Huntsville Symphony Orchestra, practicing for a major fundraising concert for the community. That’s when she spots Lieutenant James Cooper, who entered her life in 1945. He still stirs deep romantic emotions, causing her to question the life she has built in the US, and to make painful choices that have national consequences, made even more difficult by her love for her son, Peter.

5. Structure: as Maria struggles to find answers about Hans and to choose between him and Cooper, the pages are turning quickly. Initial chapters are compartmentalized: the reader witnesses the plot surrounding 1945; in the next chapter, Huntsville’s players are introduced. But as the two themes interconnect, the chapters condense and fuse: a single page looks back at 1945 and then switches forward to 1957, then seamlessly races back and forth, back and forth. As Maria races for the truth, so do we.

With Maria’s truth, would you have made the same decision? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Lorraine (EnchantedProse.com)