Under Two Flags - a WWI-era story of resiliency and the love of music.

When we first meet Josephine Therese Marzynski, it is in January 1918, when the twenty-year-old woman has returned to Boston after spending thirteen months in Berlin. She is speaking with Eliot Robinson, who will assist her in writing her memoir about her experiences. The story takes us back to late 1916, when Josephine, a Jewish daughter of immigrants, is given the opportunity to travel to Berlin to study opera at the Klindworth-Scharwenka Conservatory. Despite Germany being at war in Europe, it does little to dissuade her. She hides a small American flag in her luggage and travels to her mother's birthplace to follow her passion. Although her mother's close friends, the Müllers, serve as her hosts and benefactors, not everyone welcomes Josephine. And once America enters the war, she is seen as the enemy.

Under Two Flags by Janis Robinson Daly is a work of fiction inspired by the real-life story of Josephine. Her grandfather was Eliot Robinson, the ghostwriter of Josephine's memoir, With Old Glory in Berlin. Daly's story is told in the first-person, making it feel very real. While there are many books about World War II, it was fascinating to read a story about Germany during the Great War (World War I). It's a beautifully written story about a determined young woman and the impact of war on ordinary lives. 

Many thanks to the author for providing an advance.

Rated 4.25 out of 5 stars.

Historical Fiction.

Publication Date: March 26, 2026

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