German Lessons is both a coming-of-age novel and a work of historical fiction. It is set in Germany between autumn 1932 and spring 1933, the final months of the Weimar Republic and the early period of Nazi rule. The unfolding story of the central character, Frank Hannaford, a young Australian Catholic studying at a German university, examines the ethics of action and inaction in the context of the response of the Catholic Church to the new political realities of Germany. German Lessons is well-researched and historically accurate. Its informed exploration of ethical vacillation in the pre-WWII Catholic Church will engage and provoke older readers as well as lovers of historical fiction. It will also resonate with those following contemporary issues in the Church. The themes of ethics and personal growth will create discussion points and questions for younger readers, as well as building their knowledge of this historical period. Younger readers may also identify with Frank, a young adult trying to find his way in the challenging situations in which he finds himself, and with Anja, a young German woman who refuses to be intimidated by the Nazis.
Kieran Donaghue studied philosophy, first in Australia, then in the US and Germany. In the mid-1980s he taught at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra. Subsequently, he spent nearly twenty years working for the Australian government’s overseas aid agency (then AusAID, now part of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade), with a particular focus on the relationship between government and non-government aid programs and on microfinance, the provision of sustainable financial services to poor people. Through this work I was privileged to meet many fine people dedicated to improving the lives of others. Donaghue has a strong interest in philosophical and psychological issues, in particular in the nature of belief and its relation to reason, emotion, commitment and action. He is exercised by questions such as: What is a belief? Why do people believe the things they do? In what circumstances is faith a virtue? Is sincerity always a virtue? In this context, questions of political ideology and of religion are of particular interest to him.
A bildungsroman and love story in a time of chaotic upheaval, suitable for young adult readers: The story’s focus on ethical vacillation in the pre-WWII Catholic Church has clear resonances today; Donaghue reveals the extent to which Hitler’s rise to power harnessed the potential for violence of young men.
Publicity undertaken for German Lessons:
Book launched by Paul Collins at Paperchain Bookstore in Manuka, Canberra.
Author has his own website www.kierandonague.com
Submitted Sir Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2019
Advertised in ACT Writers Centre newsletter.
Author talk given at Das Zentrum (German association), Canberra.
Book reviewed and author interviewed by Pam Blakely, published on Vintage Reds of the Canberra Region website. https://vintagereds.org.au
Book selected for reading in Men’s Book Club run by Gregor McCuskie Essendon Football Club.
Entered in Small Press Network book awards 2020.
