BookLife Talks with Stephan R. Frenkel
A sponsored Q&A with the author of 'Clara’s Secret'
What inspired Clara’s Secret?
Clara’s Secret was inspired by the discovery of a hidden album of more than 150 autographed photographs of luminaries and personal postcards from the dawn of the twentieth century collected by Clara. The realization that the cards were assembled during La Belle Époque, the Beautiful Era, a time of peace, progress, and prosperity before world wars were known to humankind, encouraged my interest in creating an optimistic story of advancing culture. This historic period coexisted with Clara’s adolescence and the remarkable development of Berlin, her city of origin. I immersed myself in Clara’s world to understand the source of enduring love and personal strength that permitted her to survive when she was forced to emigrate to America alone in 1939.
The book takes place primarily in Berlin during La Belle Époque. What historical research did you do?
After authenticating each signature, I became interested in understanding how five of the most famous figures, presented in chronologic order in the narrative, thrived in Berlin and contributed to the era through humor, literature, the lyricism dance, song and musical composition, world adventure, and diplomacy. Learning, through the translation of personal postcards, written in German, about the details of Clara’s adolescence provided a window into her closest relationships and interests. I studied the many engaging facets of the era that made it “beautiful”: the dramatic evolution of the arts, architecture, women’s rights, global economic integration, communication, and transportation. I also traveled to Berlin and documented verifiable historical, immigration, genealogical, climatological, and photographic records that informed each description, location, and date.
How did you integrate Clara’s interactions and experiences with actual famous characters?
The narrative centers on a real protagonist, Clara, who had the great fortune of interacting with primary characters, among many others represented in the book, to acquire their autographs. Activities of notable personalities were carefully researched: Mark Twain offered presentations at women’s salons, Isadora Duncan performed and created her most successful school of dance, Enrico Caruso sang at the famed Theater des Westens, and Richard Strauss composed his most provocative symphonies—all in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin, Clara’s home. Theodore Roosevelt received an honorary degree at Berlin University, after which he tipped his hat to an admiring audience. I remained true to documented accounts of each character. Clara’s chance encounters with historic personalities are creatively suggested. My close relationship with Clara helped me find her voice.How do you imagine readers at this moment will connect to Clara’s Secret?
Clara’s journey through the most wonderful and most terrifying years of her life offers a description of the most consequential periods of modern human existence. Her experiences trace the story of a flourishing and deteriorating culture in the early twentieth century. Clara’s Secret is ultimately a provocative story of the advancement and decline of humankind. These analogous historic events that threatened fundamental freedoms, voting rights, and human rights remain relevant today. Hopefully, readers will realize the positive message that there are many more opportunities afforded them through cooperation as opposed to conflict. I hope this narrative will also inspire readers to explore their ancestry.
Can readers expect another book from you soon?
I am currently researching concepts for another genealogically based creative nonfiction narrative exploring the evolution and confluence of two disparate groups and how their experiences supported and encouraged their comparative development toward an optimistic resolution. Once again, the central thesis is to present a true story of how humanity can benefit from working together in harmony toward a common purpose.
