Excerpt from LIBRARY OF FORBIDDEN BOOKS by Mario Escobar:
“Good afternoon, I do hope we aren’t interrupting. I believe we’ve met before,” he said, holding out his hand to Helene.
“Herr Kummer, I didn’t know you had planned to visit today.”
The man studied the three librarians with a penetrating stare before barking to his men, “Search the place from top to bottom!” He then turned back to the librarians. “I’ve compared the register of destroyed books with your holdings, and they don’t fully align. Some books are missing.
“I’ve been quite benevolent with you up to now, Miss Nathan. I have overlooked your Jewish blood, the fact that you’re a pacifist, and the fact that you’ve not joined the Party. Herr Krüss encouraged lenience. The old man is too soft on Jews and communists. It doesn’t hurt that your fiancé is the personal assistant to the Minister of War, but everything has a limit.” His tone grew increasingly angry. He glanced toward Klaus and Lena. “You, Miss Nathan, are endangering your colleagues. I understand you are to marry in a few days. Go on with your husband. Think long and hard about whether you should come back to the library or become a good Aryan woman and bring many children into the fatherland. Lena could take over for you with no difficulty—that is, once she joins the Party.”
Helene thought carefully about how to respond, took a deep breath, and then spoke. “I understand that there are new rules and that Germany is changing. I request that you do nothing to my assistants. I take full responsibility.”
Lena, fearing that Helene was going to confess, jumped in and said right in Kummer’s face, “If she goes, we all go!”
Kummer wrinkled his nose and stepped back at her outburst. Before he could respond, one of the Gestapo agents called, “Boss, we found something!”
They all turned and watched the agent pull the lever that opened the secret room. Helene’s heart raced. She licked her lips in preparation to give an explanation.
Then the agent said, “It’s empty.”
Helene’s heart stopped again, and she looked at Lena, who gave her a subtle wink.
“What is the purpose of that room?” demanded Kummer as he stormed toward the space and saw with his own eyes that it was completely empty. Yet the scent of old books still hung in the air.
“That’s where we used to keep rare books, but now it’s just storage,” Lena said with a smile.
The three Nazis sported lips pursed in annoyance, but they had no proof to implicate the librarians.
“As I’ve said, you would be well served to join the Party—better a latecomer than never. I will return personally to see that everything is in order.” Kummer spat out his words with hatred shooting from his eyes.
When the Nazis had gone, Helene, Lena, and Klaus stayed frozen in disbelieving silence for a moment, then burst out laughing, though they knew that Kummer was no joke.
Catching her breath, Helene asked, “What in the world did you do with the books?”
“We took them to the old butcher shop, the one that closed a few weeks ago when the owner left the country. The only downside is that now the books will smell like meat,” Klaus joked.
Helene checked the clock. It was time to leave for her fitting. Lena grabbed her purse, and together they headed downtown. That minor victory over the Nazis energized her with a strength she had never felt before.
Excerpted from LIBRARY OF FORBIDDEN BOOKS by Mario Escobar. Copyright © 2026 by Mario Escobar.
Mario Escobar has a master’s degree in modern history and has written numerous books and articles that delve into the depths of church history, the struggle of sectarian groups, and the discovery and colonization of the Americas. Escobar, who makes his home in Madrid, Spain, is passionate about history and its mysteries.
No comments posted.
© 2003-2026