Fortune and Glass - by John Mutter (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Berlin, 1932. Germany's fragile democracy is fracturing, its ideals cracking like thin glass as political violence and paranoia seep into the streets. In the midst of this tension, Rudi, a young Foreign Ministry official, meets Sara, an unpredictable, morally fierce Jewish woman whose connection with him is immediate and combustible. By 1943, the Germany they knew has vanished, and Rudi works at the center of Nazi power, performing his duties by day and passing intelligence to the Allies by night-- until Sara's unexpected return threatens to unravel the life he has carefully constructed to survive. Fortune and Glass is a philosophical spy novel and literary love story about private choices, secret resistance, and the cost of staying human inside a system determined to erase individuality. Lyrical, atmospheric, and morally complex, it explores the gray zones of living under authoritarianism and asks a timeless question: Who are you when everything falls apart? For readers who crave the psychological tension of le Carré, the philosophical resonance of Ishiguro, the emotional intensity of Schlink, and the moral suspense of Graham Greene, this is the WWII novel they haven't read. Fortune and Glass is not another WWII novel-- it's a love story braided through a psychological spy narrative, unfolding at the moment when ideals, identities, and institutions begin to fracture. Rudi, a reluctant conspirator inside the German Foreign Ministry, and Sara, the brilliant, unpredictable woman he has never stopped loving, move through a Berlin where resistance and complicity live side by side in every breath. Their choices become more dangerous and more intimate as the Nazi state tightens its grip, raising the urgent and timeless question: What is to be done when everything is breaking? Lyrical, morally complex, eerily relevant, and emotionally riveting, Fortune and Glass offers something rare: a WWII-era story for readers who think they've read them all-- because this one is about who we choose to be, not the war itself.

Review Quotes

"Fortune Glass is a thoughtful, politically layered book that explores love, morality, and survival during the rise of Nazi Germany. John Mutter creates an atmosphere which feels immersive, tense, and emotionally reflective in all the best ways."

--Lara "Red Stick Reads blog and Lit with Lara Ashley"

"Debut author Mutter, journalist and cofounder of Shelf Awareness, studied in Germany, and that experience comes to the fore in this philosophical love story about the rise and fall of the Third Reich in Germany and the quiet resistance against it by two intertwined characters. Readers follow discussions at the dinner table as the votes are about to be cast in 1932, then stand with the crowd on January 30, 1933, as the unnamed narrator begins to understand what exactly has befallen his country. Through it all, he loves and protects Sara Traum, a free-spirited Jewish woman who refuses to abandon her home and her family even as it first abandons, then seeks to kill her. FORTUNE AND GLASS is an outstanding book not only for its skilled prose and relatable characters but for its unflinching portrayal of every single stage of the Nazis' rise to power. Depicting everything from the insistence by some that the Nazis will never keep power to the unexpected fervor of the protagonist's childhood friend when Hitler wins to the blatant cruelty of the Nazis themselves as they snatch people from their homes and families, this is a book that will stay with readers for a long time."

-- "Booklist starred review"

"DEBUT Mutter's first novel is narrated through the eyes of Rudi, a German Foreign Ministry official, as he navigates shifts in friendship, political loyalties, and love on the eve of World War II. It's 1932 when he first meets Sara, a Jewish woman for whom he falls head over heels. He is married with children when Sara reenters his life in 1943, yet the two cannot resist each other. Both the love story and the political storylines are slow burns, but in the best possible way--lyrical, atmospheric, and refreshingly complex. The alternating tension between Rudi's relationship with Sara and his desire to make a difference during the war creates multiple morally gray areas for readers to explore. As the Nazis gain power, Rudi's long-term friendships with men are tested, and Mutter's well-written dialog enhances the delicate power dance and ambiguity within those relationships. The ending offers just enough resolution for readers to feel satisfied while still leaving room for speculation about each character's future. VERDICT Mutter's spy novel wrapped in a love story is compelling and beautifully written, offering a unique narrative amid the crowded field of World War II fiction. Book clubs will find this debut impossible to resist."

-- "Library Journal starred review"

"From the Prologue's first sentence, I knew John Mutter's FORTUNE AND GLASS was going to be impossible to put down. And I was right. With each turning page my heart was in my throat as I was brought into a dark period in our history while being reminded that nothing is certain. The scenes are visual, the anxiety real thanks to Mutter's impressive albeit disturbing undertaking. Mutter has been a force in the book world for quite some time, and now he deserves to have his books on those shelves, too. Did I say 'books?' Indeed I did. Mutter is too talented to stop at this debut."

--Carol Hoenig, author of Before She Was a Finley and The Liberation of Jane Carter

"Gripping, atmospheric, and thought-provoking. In the dark days of wartime Berlin, Rudi Baumann devises a quietly bold and risky way to resist the Nazi regime by using his position at the Foreign Ministry as cover. Lyrically written, FORTUNE AND GLASS blends espionage and forbidden love, courage and consequences, into a captivating narrative that simmers all the way to a poignant end."

--Shannon McKenna Schmidt, author of The First Lady of World War II: Eleanor Roosevelt's Daring Journey to the Frontlines and Back

"John Mutter, who has reported intelligently and passionately on the publishing industry in his beloved newsletter, Shelf Awareness, delivers his first novel, and illustrates how love and war, different as they are, can tear us apart-each devasting, heartbreaking-and always unforgettable. FORTUNE AND GLASS will hook you from the first dangerous kiss. Here is a love story and a thriller, as well as a vivid, fresh take on the horrors and insider facts of World War II, while highlighting the beauty of Germany's great cities, culture and countryside. Suspenseful, authentic, FORTUNE AND GLASS flows like a picturesque river along its intense journey, a sexy, emotional page-turner, a tale of new beginnings, of the meaning of friendship, loyalty, honor and a poetic study of how and why we make our most difficult choices.

--Kim Dower, former City Poet Laureate for West Hollywood, Calif., and author of six collections of poetry, including I Wore This Dress Today for You, Mom

"John Mutter's "Fortune and Glass," which situates itself in 1930s and 1940s wartime Germany, will be pretty familiar fictional fare for anyone like me with an especial interest in literature about the Third Reich, which isn't to say that it doesn't make for compelling reading with its depiction of a love affair suffering under the strains of that awful time. Indeed, the novel begins with its protagonist, Rudi Baumann, an official in Germany's Foreign Ministry and no fan of the Reich, trying to get his Jewish lover, Sara, out of Germany to Switzerland. No sooner does he think he's safely dispatched her, though, than she reappears, asserting that she just can't leave behind her friends and family, including her cherished father, a psychoanalyst with whom Rudi also enjoys a warm relationship. And for a time things are able to continue as before, until more and more the tentacles of the Reich ensnare everyone in the lovers' orbit, including transforming an old friend of Rudi's, Hans (also a onetime lover of Sara) into a fervent member of the SS. Sufficiently stressful the times become that they make for the breakup of Sara and Rudi's relationship, with Rudi eventually marrying another woman, though continuing to be passionate about Sara, who as the book descends into the darkest days of the Reich comes back into his life and accelerates the novel's action toward its climactic finale. All pretty familiar fare, as I say, for those with considerable acquaintance with fiction about the Reich, though delivered in an absorbing manner and alarmingly germane in today's America, where, just as Rudi is mystified about how so many Germans continued to be taken with the Reich even with the manifest evidence of its malevolence, a staggeringly large number of Americans continue to buy into the myths and stratagems of the current administration, including now the truly outrageous attempt to set up a "compensation" fund for those who participated in the Jan. 6 insurrection and brutalized police seeking only to protect and preserve the democratic process."

--Paul "Goodreads reviewer"

"John Mutter's FORTUNE AND GLASS is thoughtful and provocative yet heart-in-your-throat fast paced. Even now, I find myself thinking about the protagonist, Rudi Baumann, an ordinary and conscientious government bureaucrat who discovers within himself the moral will and courage to confront the evils of fascism. Rather than the battle fields so prevalent in World War II fiction, Mutter gives us a rich portrayal of thirties and forties Germany and the difficult choices individual people had to make as Hitler rose to power. Historical fiction at its best!"

--Suzanne Staubach, author of A Garden Miscellany: An Illustrated Guide to the Elements of the Garden

"Not my typical read and I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked it!!"

--Desiree "Goodreads reviewer"

"Set against the turbulent backdrop of World War II, Fortune and Glass is not simply a wartime love story. Instead, it is a thoughtful exploration of loyalty, patriotism, morality, and the difficult choices faced by ordinary people living under an extraordinary regime. The story follows Baumann, a German Foreign Ministry official whose life is shaped by the rise and fall of Nazi Germany. Through his unfinished love affair with Sara, a Jewish woman who escapes to Sweden before eventually returning to Berlin, his marriage to Magda and devotion to his children, and his lifelong friendship with Hans--who rises through the ranks of the SS--we witness the personal costs of living through one of history's darkest periods. What makes this novel compelling is that the central conflict is largely internal. Baumann is neither a hero nor a villain. He is a patriotic German struggling to reconcile his love of country with his growing opposition to the Nazi regime. As the war progresses, he becomes involved in efforts to restore Germany to democratic principles, drawing him into a world of espionage, resistance, and moral uncertainty. The relationships between Baumann, Sara, and Hans provide the emotional core of the novel, culminating in a powerful final confrontation that reflects the larger questions the book poses: What do we owe our country? When does patriotism require resistance? How much can one sacrifice for love, survival, and principle. Mutter handles these themes with nuance, avoiding simplistic portrayals of good and evil. The result is a novel that feels both historically grounded and deeply human. Fortune and Glass is recommended for readers who enjoy historical fiction that focuses less on battlefield action and more on the moral complexities, personal relationships, and acts of quiet resistance that defined life during World War II. It is ultimately a story about the fragile nature of democracy, the endurance of friendship and love, and the courage required to stand against tyranny."

--onechapteronesip, Social Media Reviewer

"The rise and fall of the Nazis as seen through the eyes of a Berlin bureaucrat who keeps his fierce opposition to Hitler--and his love for a Jewish woman--secret. Rudi, a Foreign Ministry official, has somehow avoided signing up for the National Socialist German Workers' Party--a decision that puts him at odds with his childhood friend Hans, a member of the Gestapo. Both men have been romantically involved with Sara, the quirky, strong-willed daughter of a Jewish doctor. In the aftermath of Rudi's idyllic short-term romance with her in the 1930s, he marries a German woman, Magda. But years later, after Magda moves for safety to the Baltic island of Rügen with their children, Sara, for whom Rudi still has strong feelings, reappears in an emotionally weakened state. With violence against Jews rampant, he sneaks her by train into Switzerland in 1943, only to have her reject the move moments after her feet touch the platform, turning around and getting back on the train to Germany. In the face of atrocities that belie Hitler supporters' insistence that "you have to get past his shrillness," Rudi remains committed to opposing the Nazis, dispatching secret documents to an American contact in Bern. For readers expecting tense espionage and high drama, debut novelist Mutter's cool, contemplative approach may come as a surprise. Keeping explosive events offstage, the book focuses on the ironies and oddities of daily life, including Rudi's weirdly cheerful encounter with Hitler himself; the two even forge a connection over Hitler's dog. All manner of awakenings occur. "Not long ago, a lot of us didn't even know we were Jewish," says Sara. "And if we did, we didn't care." "An unusually restrained but powerful novel about the darkest of times."

-- "Kirkus starred review"

"This book was so interesting to read. I have read countless novels set in the World War II era, but none have had the kind of characters and situations that this book did. The story took on a whole different perspective to what some people were going through during that time in our history."

--Kristy "Goodreads reviewer"

"This is my first time reading something by John Mutter. He has done an amazing job writing about a love affair during such nail-biting times. The characters are well written and ones you empathize with during every chapter, the conflict and strife, the push and pull. It broke my heart apart and left me thinking about it long after I finished. Anyone interested in this era of history should add this to their shelves. I look forward to Mutters' future contributions to the literature world and to being able to read his work in the future."

--Jenna G., Bookseller, Towne Book Center, Collegeville, PA

About the Author

John Mutter is a journalist who covers the book world and is the editor-in-chief and co-founder of Shelf Awareness, the online company with publications for booksellers, librarians, and book lovers. He earlier was an editor for more than 20 years at Publishers Weekly. He graduated from Sarah Lawrence College and studied for a year in Germany. He has long been interested in history, literature, language, and politics. A resident of various points in the Northeast, including New York City, he now lives in the mountains of New Hampshire with his family.