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A GATHERING FOR CLAUDETTE
Relationships can have many sides with several perspectives. The key to this story is not its truths but its secrets. A home invasion sets Jennifer Drake on a journey of discovery and a family history she never knew existed. Events surrounding her birth—which occurred during the last few years of World War Two—centers around two men. They each provide a different bias regarding the past, the present, and the future. Each has a different reason and a different objective in mind, but both men share a common goal—to find and control Claudette. In her search for truth Jennifer unearths a shocking reality—to reach her goal she would need to pick sides, but which one? In deciding this, she is forced to learn a few of life’s tougher realities, including the fact that she and she alone, must right the wrongs of the past.An epic story with a unique writing style! Excellent and engaging – Cat Skinner
692 pages, Paperback
Published April 10, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 13, 2018
Can't really give a rating or review since it's me writing under a different pen name. The beta readers loved it, so if you give it a try, I hope you do too.
The Kindle Edition is currently available for preorder and I'm not sure when the print copy or other Ebook formats become available. Publication release is June 1, 2018.
Any genuine reviewers wanting an ARC send me a message before June 1.
The Kindle Edition is currently available for preorder and I'm not sure when the print copy or other Ebook formats become available. Publication release is June 1, 2018.
Any genuine reviewers wanting an ARC send me a message before June 1.
June 18, 2018
I bought this book on Amazon... I reviewed it under my husband's name because I took over his old kindle. It's more than a great read. I've come to goodreads for book suggestions a lot and have found some gems. This is another, so I am also putting a review here. Could be the best, most eternally timeless, portrait of a group of diverse fictional characters ever written. They became my friends as I feared for their fate and hoped for their justice. The author artistically weaves each character's story through real historical events in a way that makes us feel we are not just experiencing the past but also the parallel universe of our own present. While we ride the emotional rollercoaster of our powerlessness to stop the inevitable events of the book we start questioning ourselves as to whether or not we are following in its political footsteps. The characters connected to me in ways I feel very deeply about. Its timing is perfect. As we are taken on the slow dehumanizing journey of the evil that was the German Reich, we wonder if we are being ever consumed and controlled by the same greed and self interest in the world we live in today. Women will recognize quite a few of the male characters and laugh out loud but its best quality is being a great choice for a generation that needs to understand their own past and fear for their fragile future. Visit history in the present in a great book.
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June 20, 2018A Gathering for Claudette is mainly devoted to the World War Two. The author describes two stories. The first story tells the incidents occurred during the World War Two. By the end of June 1940, the killing of the Polish Jews had stopped on the surface, and instead, they were confined to ghettos. Each ghetto was controlled and sorted by a division of the SS and from these sorting Polish Jews were sent by quota to the extermination and labour camps. Fanrich Gunter Doenitz, a German Military authoritative figure arrests Karpinskis, a Jewish family and subjects them to various inhuman treatments in Warsaw.
The second story revolves around the Karpinski family’s quest to find Gunter Doebtiz. The book covers almost five decades: the Karpinski family’s and Gunter’s lives from that time. Jennifer Drake is the link between the enemies. Her fascination with the truth leads her on a journey of not only self-discovery, but also a discovery of her family's past, of terrible secrets. She finds herself in a position where she has to pick sides and undo wrongdoings of the past.
The author did a fine job of transitioning readers back and forth and filling in the blank spots.
The author has a knack for creating realistic characters. Gunter is a classic sociopath/psychopath. He is cold, calculated and devoid of emotions. Mikolaj seems cold and practical, but he is human and he is not perfect. Jennifer’s character is strong. She knows her mind and is sharp. I didn’t like her much all through the story (spoilers hint: because of Ursula), but she left me in awe in the end.
One thing I would say about characterization is that the characters in the story are not high on emotions. Phillippe is the only one who exhibits normal emotions. Everyone else (except for Ursula) appears somewhat indifferent when it comes to display of emotions. But then, they all are men!
It was interesting learning about the German authorities’ working hierarchy, the way their evil system worked and their inhuman treatment of the Jews. Readers will be left with a sadness for all those families torn from their lives and torn apart.
The best part for me was the first half, the story that took place during the World War two. It was an emotional roller-coaster ride: fast-paced, page-turner and sharp. Ursula’s tragic life just broke my heart. After around 400 pages, the pace of the story slows down. But as the book is an epic, that’s understandable. I feel there was still some scope to chop up a few parts and shorten the length of the book which, in turn, would have tightened the plot. The vivid descriptions are lovely but they do hamper the flow of the story. As the book falls in historical genre, I think the comprehensive financial details in last part of the book could have been brief. Chopping of some parts would’ve been nicer.
The ending compensates for slowness of the pace in the second half though. It is nicely tidied up and will leave readers thoroughly satisfied.
The brutalizing expedition of Nazi Forces, Gunter’s dream of supremacy is something readers will find familiar: they can connect with it easily. Day to day, we witness same evil forces at work all around the world. Gunter and his associates’ dream of world dominance is no different than those in today’s world.
The best thing about Fortune’s writing is that his books are very informative. For a reader like me who never reads non-fiction, his work is a lovely way to get introduced to the historic facts without feeling burdened.
A well-written, lovely piece of literature by Robert Fortune. The fans of historical as well as contemporary fiction would surely like this book.
The second story revolves around the Karpinski family’s quest to find Gunter Doebtiz. The book covers almost five decades: the Karpinski family’s and Gunter’s lives from that time. Jennifer Drake is the link between the enemies. Her fascination with the truth leads her on a journey of not only self-discovery, but also a discovery of her family's past, of terrible secrets. She finds herself in a position where she has to pick sides and undo wrongdoings of the past.
The author did a fine job of transitioning readers back and forth and filling in the blank spots.
The author has a knack for creating realistic characters. Gunter is a classic sociopath/psychopath. He is cold, calculated and devoid of emotions. Mikolaj seems cold and practical, but he is human and he is not perfect. Jennifer’s character is strong. She knows her mind and is sharp. I didn’t like her much all through the story (spoilers hint: because of Ursula), but she left me in awe in the end.
One thing I would say about characterization is that the characters in the story are not high on emotions. Phillippe is the only one who exhibits normal emotions. Everyone else (except for Ursula) appears somewhat indifferent when it comes to display of emotions. But then, they all are men!
It was interesting learning about the German authorities’ working hierarchy, the way their evil system worked and their inhuman treatment of the Jews. Readers will be left with a sadness for all those families torn from their lives and torn apart.
The best part for me was the first half, the story that took place during the World War two. It was an emotional roller-coaster ride: fast-paced, page-turner and sharp. Ursula’s tragic life just broke my heart. After around 400 pages, the pace of the story slows down. But as the book is an epic, that’s understandable. I feel there was still some scope to chop up a few parts and shorten the length of the book which, in turn, would have tightened the plot. The vivid descriptions are lovely but they do hamper the flow of the story. As the book falls in historical genre, I think the comprehensive financial details in last part of the book could have been brief. Chopping of some parts would’ve been nicer.
The ending compensates for slowness of the pace in the second half though. It is nicely tidied up and will leave readers thoroughly satisfied.
The brutalizing expedition of Nazi Forces, Gunter’s dream of supremacy is something readers will find familiar: they can connect with it easily. Day to day, we witness same evil forces at work all around the world. Gunter and his associates’ dream of world dominance is no different than those in today’s world.
The best thing about Fortune’s writing is that his books are very informative. For a reader like me who never reads non-fiction, his work is a lovely way to get introduced to the historic facts without feeling burdened.
A well-written, lovely piece of literature by Robert Fortune. The fans of historical as well as contemporary fiction would surely like this book.
July 2, 2018
A Gathering for Claudette is a story written by Hamilton Hill writing as Robert Fortune. This is a very addictive and informative book. This story is about Jennifer Drake’s journey of self-discovery and family history, which all started because of a home invasion. After digging a little too deep for the truth, Jennifer discovered terrible secrets from her family’s past. She is faced with a situation where she has to pick sides. She is determined to make things right and decided her mission at this point is to undo all of her family wrongdoings.
The author does a great job breaking the story down to make it easy to follow. It occurred during the World War Two times. The first part talks about confining Polish Jews to the ghetto, killings, and arrests. All of this is centered on two individuals that wanted the same thing, Claudette. Claudette kept going back and forth between the two men. Fanrich Gunter Doenitz and Karpinskis who despises each other.
The Karpinskis family’s quest to find Gunter Doebtiz starts in the second part. The ghetto at this point was now being controlled and Polish Jews were sent to extermination and labor camp. Jennifer Drake realized at that point, she’s somehow linked between the two men. So began her quest in search for answers but instead found out all of her family’s terrible secrets.
Let me warn you, this book is long! You will be tempted to skip a few pages, but let me advise you not to. This way you don’t miss any important parts. I couldn’t stop thinking about the characters, even when I wasn’t reading the book. I feel sorry for what the families were going through.
You will be so engrossed in his book that you would not even realize it’s about historical facts. It was very interesting learning about how the German tortured and mistreated the Jews. All of the characters in the story have their own personalities, most of them have very strong personalities. You will love some of the characters and some you will hate. Good guys, bad guys, world domination. All which makes for a very good story.
For those of you who are not familiar with this author’s work, he has a way of telling stories that transport you by taking you to another place and time of that story. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. I recommend this book to anyone that likes a little mystery and a little history.
The author does a great job breaking the story down to make it easy to follow. It occurred during the World War Two times. The first part talks about confining Polish Jews to the ghetto, killings, and arrests. All of this is centered on two individuals that wanted the same thing, Claudette. Claudette kept going back and forth between the two men. Fanrich Gunter Doenitz and Karpinskis who despises each other.
The Karpinskis family’s quest to find Gunter Doebtiz starts in the second part. The ghetto at this point was now being controlled and Polish Jews were sent to extermination and labor camp. Jennifer Drake realized at that point, she’s somehow linked between the two men. So began her quest in search for answers but instead found out all of her family’s terrible secrets.
Let me warn you, this book is long! You will be tempted to skip a few pages, but let me advise you not to. This way you don’t miss any important parts. I couldn’t stop thinking about the characters, even when I wasn’t reading the book. I feel sorry for what the families were going through.
You will be so engrossed in his book that you would not even realize it’s about historical facts. It was very interesting learning about how the German tortured and mistreated the Jews. All of the characters in the story have their own personalities, most of them have very strong personalities. You will love some of the characters and some you will hate. Good guys, bad guys, world domination. All which makes for a very good story.
For those of you who are not familiar with this author’s work, he has a way of telling stories that transport you by taking you to another place and time of that story. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. I recommend this book to anyone that likes a little mystery and a little history.
October 27, 2019
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: A Gathering For Claudette
Author: Robert Fortune
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 20
Stats
Editing: 9/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Content: 10/10
Cover: 7/10
Of the 20 readers:
19 would read another book by this author.
15 thought the cover was good or excellent.
18 felt it was easy to follow.
19 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 13 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 7 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
15 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
19 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
‘Plenty of revenge and love to keep the lover of sagas interested. Very enjoyable.’ Male reader, aged 43
‘This is such a good novel. It’s also very long so get comfortable before starting it. Lots of wonderful characterisation and clever plot twists, this story is in no hurry, slowly developing into a story of intrigue. The world War Two element is well-handled as is the mystery.’ Female reader, aged 52
‘Everybody has skeletons in the cupboard. But, possibly, not as big as the skeleton in Jennifer’s. Thrilling stuff.’ Male reader, aged 64
‘Many compelling parts to this story in particular the Germans and the way they treated prisoners. The author seems to have worked hard to understand the World War Two setting which is reflected in the writing.’ Male reader, aged 62
‘I was gripped by this novel. It starts a little slowly but once the authors and the setting grabbed me, I was hooked. The sort of story to get lost in.’ Female reader, aged 67
To Sum It Up:
‘A gripping historical saga with strong elements of Nazi genocide. A FINALIST and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Title: A Gathering For Claudette
Author: Robert Fortune
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 20
Stats
Editing: 9/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Content: 10/10
Cover: 7/10
Of the 20 readers:
19 would read another book by this author.
15 thought the cover was good or excellent.
18 felt it was easy to follow.
19 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 13 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 7 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
15 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
19 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
‘Plenty of revenge and love to keep the lover of sagas interested. Very enjoyable.’ Male reader, aged 43
‘This is such a good novel. It’s also very long so get comfortable before starting it. Lots of wonderful characterisation and clever plot twists, this story is in no hurry, slowly developing into a story of intrigue. The world War Two element is well-handled as is the mystery.’ Female reader, aged 52
‘Everybody has skeletons in the cupboard. But, possibly, not as big as the skeleton in Jennifer’s. Thrilling stuff.’ Male reader, aged 64
‘Many compelling parts to this story in particular the Germans and the way they treated prisoners. The author seems to have worked hard to understand the World War Two setting which is reflected in the writing.’ Male reader, aged 62
‘I was gripped by this novel. It starts a little slowly but once the authors and the setting grabbed me, I was hooked. The sort of story to get lost in.’ Female reader, aged 67
To Sum It Up:
‘A gripping historical saga with strong elements of Nazi genocide. A FINALIST and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
June 9, 2021
A wonderful story of intrigue, love and power.
A great read! Robert Fortune goes far in satisfying readers of all genres in A Gathering For Claudette. And, as a non- gambling person I’d even bet, when Robert sat down to write this story he didn’t know he would inadvertently reveal what life in 2021 could quickly escalate to, if people simply followed orders and not their humanity.
May 9, 2023
A finely crafted work
I personally feel that it's a work of importance to understand how the evil forces operate in this world, controlling the social, political, economic and other power domains. Yet, a single individual can fight a single unit, and together, we can change this world for better. Thanks to the author for this great resource.
I personally feel that it's a work of importance to understand how the evil forces operate in this world, controlling the social, political, economic and other power domains. Yet, a single individual can fight a single unit, and together, we can change this world for better. Thanks to the author for this great resource.
July 7, 2018
A Gathering for Claudette is a story written by Hamilton Hill writing as Robert Fortune. This is a very addictive and informative book. This story is about Jennifer Drake’s journey of self-discovery and family history, which all started because of a home invasion. After digging a little too deep for the truth, Jennifer discovered terrible secrets from her family’s past. She is faced with a situation where she has to pick sides. She is determined to make things right and decided her mission at this point is to undo all of her family wrongdoings.
The author does a great job breaking the story down to make it easy to follow. It occurred during the World War Two times. The first part talks about confining Polish Jews to the ghetto, killings, and arrests. All of this is centered on two individuals that wanted the same thing, Claudette. Claudette kept going back and forth between the two men. Fanrich Gunter Doenitz and Karpinskis who despises each other.
The Karpinskis family’s quest to find Gunter Doebtiz starts in the second part. The ghetto at this point was now being controlled and Polish Jews were sent to extermination and labor camp. Jennifer Drake realized at that point, she’s somehow linked between the two men. So began her quest in search for answers but instead found out all of her family’s terrible secrets.
Let me warn you, this book is long! You will be tempted to skip a few pages, but let me advise you not to. This way you don’t miss any important parts. I couldn’t stop thinking about the characters, even when I wasn’t reading the book. I feel sorry for what the families were going through.
You will be so engrossed in his book that you would not even realize it’s about historical facts. It was very interesting learning about how the German tortured and mistreated the Jews. All of the characters in the story have their own personalities, most of them have very strong personalities. You will love some of the characters and some you will hate. Good guys, bad guys, world domination. All which makes for a very good story.
For those of you who are not familiar with this author’s work, he has a way of telling stories that transport you by taking you to another place and time of that story. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. I recommend this book to anyone that likes a little mystery and a little history.
The author does a great job breaking the story down to make it easy to follow. It occurred during the World War Two times. The first part talks about confining Polish Jews to the ghetto, killings, and arrests. All of this is centered on two individuals that wanted the same thing, Claudette. Claudette kept going back and forth between the two men. Fanrich Gunter Doenitz and Karpinskis who despises each other.
The Karpinskis family’s quest to find Gunter Doebtiz starts in the second part. The ghetto at this point was now being controlled and Polish Jews were sent to extermination and labor camp. Jennifer Drake realized at that point, she’s somehow linked between the two men. So began her quest in search for answers but instead found out all of her family’s terrible secrets.
Let me warn you, this book is long! You will be tempted to skip a few pages, but let me advise you not to. This way you don’t miss any important parts. I couldn’t stop thinking about the characters, even when I wasn’t reading the book. I feel sorry for what the families were going through.
You will be so engrossed in his book that you would not even realize it’s about historical facts. It was very interesting learning about how the German tortured and mistreated the Jews. All of the characters in the story have their own personalities, most of them have very strong personalities. You will love some of the characters and some you will hate. Good guys, bad guys, world domination. All which makes for a very good story.
For those of you who are not familiar with this author’s work, he has a way of telling stories that transport you by taking you to another place and time of that story. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. I recommend this book to anyone that likes a little mystery and a little history.
July 6, 2018
At first, I wasn’t quite sure where this book was heading. A break-in at the residence of a new Australian citizen by a handsome stranger seemed the stuff of a romance novel. But quickly, the story transforms into a harrowing drama whose suspenseful backstory instantly gripped me. Frankly, this is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. The author takes time to slowly unfold the many layers of the story, making us realize how important finding Claudette really is. I felt invested in the well-rounded characters. Tragedy, revenge, compassion, manipulation, redemption, and finally, love fill this book to the brim. The reader will feel both breathless and fulfilled by the rich, slowly unfolding story. This is a book I will read again, to savor the characters, the history, and the delicious sense of final revenge. I can’t recommend this novel more.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews