Julie Freestone, about 4 years old, with her German bear, Bremen, Germany
Rudi Raab, approximately 3-years old
How likely is it that the daughter of Jewish immigrants would cast her lot with the son of a high-ranking Nazi? However improbable, reporter Sarah Stern and German-born, Berkeley, California cop Karl Schmidt fall in love and embark on an all-consuming quest, probing his tangled past and the family’s sinister secrets. Stumbling Stone chronicles their journey across two continents and the discovery of horrifying surprises they never could have imagined.
Julie Freestone and Rudi Raab wrote Stumbling Stone, a work of fiction inspired by their extraordinary histories.
Stumbling Stone and this website answer questions about what happened to Germans like Rudi and his family when the Occupation forces came and reveal a startling story about a German who refused to go along with the Nazis. (Read more about this in our blog)
With the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe on May 8, 2020, and the rise of right-wing extremism across the globe, the world recalls those horrific times and mourns those killed or displaced by the Nazis. In Europe, the victims of National Socialism are remembered by commemorative brass plaques – Stolpersteine – or stumbling stones – installed in the pavement in front of their last address. Stumbling Stone is a literary Stolperstein dedicated to the memory of Rudi’s uncle Gerhard Raab, who was a victim of the Nazis.
What’s New
Listen to the authors talk about how they wrote and published Stumbling Stone. An Ashby Village presentation – March 2021
The German version of Stumbling Stone – Der Stolperstein – is available on Amazon.de and in German bookstores.
The authors were blogging about the current corona virus pandemic. Read the earlier blogs and more recent ones
LIsten to our concert/book reading: Giving Voice to Forgotten Victims of the Nazis
Read our blogs for information that isn’t in the book
Visit our Facebook page, and click the Like button on right.
“I’m pressed for time and expected to read it over a couple of weeks of casual reading, but found it hard to put down. I also enjoyed the occasional injections of humor, which leavened what otherwise could be a very heavy topic.”
Professor Martin Hellman, Stanford University (2016 winner of the Turing Award) Read more reviews.