Early Praise for The Mirror of Diana
Midwest Book Review, August 2004 Reviewer's Bookwatch: “To all the treasures lost in war” reads the dedication of The Mirror of Diana, a novel that has as its centerpiece a major, yet little-remembered, archaeological disaster of World War II: the mysterious burning of the monumental ships of the Roman Emperor Caligula as the German army retreated from Rome. Having been for many years intrigued by this mystery, I looked forward to reading more about it. But I found in this book much more than fascinating archaeological background – I discovered a novel as touching as it is exciting, and one that breaks many of the rules. A German officer in love with an Italian woman? A good German? Klaus Schmidt, a crack artillery officer but also a lover of antiquities, is the protagonist. In 1943 in Nemi, Italy, a small town south of Rome, Klaus visits the ancient ships of Caligula, housed in a museum by the side of Lake Nemi, whence they were recovered a decade earlier in an engineering feat almost as remarkable as the ships themselves. At the museum, Paolo, the ship museum’s curator, overcomes his dread of his German visitor (by September 1943, the Germans were no longer allies of Italy but occupiers) and discovers a kindred spirit in Klaus, who is also bewitched by the ships. The two develop a warm friendship, although Paolo’s dread returns as his daughter, Rosanna, and Klaus are inexorably drawn to each other. Klaus and Rosanna’s deepening love leads to complications that worsen exponentially as the pages fly by. “The Mirror of Diana” was the name by which the ancient Romans called Lake Nemi, the cobalt-blue, perfectly spherical crater lake in which the Temple of Diana was reflected. In the novel it is a double entendre - it is also a priceless artifact Paolo has found, a silver mirror upon which is sculpted the legend of Diana and Acteon, a metaphor for the theme of the book: “It not only embodied the myth of Diana, it embodied the eternal human conflict – of mind versus heart, of need versus want, of duty versus love. Since the birth of the gods it was ever thus.” Writing in clean and elegant prose, A.R. Homer evokes a vivid image of wartime Italy and draws the reader into the thoughts and feelings of the characters: “…Klaus looked across the folding field desk on which stood a family photograph; he thought of his own family and the legions of families that peered out from such pictures to German soldiers all over Europe. For how long would they have to trace their fingers over the cold images instead of embracing the living warmth?” The author breathes life into all the characters. The idealistic Klaus often vacillates and broods while Rosanna, although brave and determined, displays the immaturity of youth. Maria, Paolo’s unsentimental and survival-focused wife, is in sharp contrast to her husband, whose head-in-the-clouds obsession with the safety of the ships triggers more than one round of henpecking. Gianni, the street-smart and ever-hungry urchin, is wise beyond his years. Gunther, Klaus’s savvy sergeant, longs to be back on the farm in Bavaria, but until then believes that just following orders is the simplest way to survive (a philosophy that has brutal consequences). But Dressler, the SS commander with whom Klaus locks horns, made my stomach lurch every time he appeared on the scene: “Dressler’s extended arm lowered as it pointed an invitation through the large door, like some black vulture arrogantly inviting his prey to dinner.” This fascinating and well-researched book will appeal to a wide audience. In addition to those interested in World War II and ancient history and legends, The Mirror of Diana is a novel for all who love pulsating historical fiction. The breathtaking plot twists and the relentless suspense will hold the reader in thrall, and the poignant story of the star-crossed lovers will touch the heart of everyone. I give The Mirror of Diana my highest recommendation.
Divided loyalties and conflicted choices make this gripping World War II novel a hold-your-breath page-turner. Protagonist Klaus Schmidt, a classics professor in Berlin before the war, did not support the Nazi Party but is nonetheless drawn into the fray. Set in wartime Italy before the Germans retreated from Rome after the Allied breakout from Anzio, the novel follows Klaus as he visits the Nemi museum where the irreplaceable antiquities, Caligula's ships, are housed. This simple act leads to valued friendship with Paolo, the museum's director, abiding fascination with the antiquities, and deep love for Paolo's daughter, Rosanna, the keeper of the flame for the goddess Diana. It also brings down on Klaus's and others' heads the horrific reality of the war and an evil which rivals the legendary excesses of Caligula, once again proving the futility of the war – a lesson we seem fated to relearn too often. The novel opens in 1948, as Klaus returns to Nemi in a bid to find Rosanna and erase the images of war that threaten his sanity. His search brings the plot to a final, breathtaking climax. Homer, a World War II historian, knows his stuff, but he is also a storyteller. History is what happens. Fiction is how we feel about it. I winced at the razor-sharp conflicts Klaus encounters, the life-or-death choices he must make. Even the minor characters – Gunther, the captain's funny sidekick, Gianni, the hungry and street-smart urchin, and Maria, Rosanna's crusty but protective mother – live and breathe. And the Nazi commander positively terrifies. This amazing novel will appeal to a wide audience on both sides of the gender divide. This is a tale you won't forget.
I found the The Mirror of Diana an excellent, compelling novel – a poignant romance set in an historically-accurate wartime Italy that I recall so well. The novel faithfully captures the details of wartime daily life and the images of a beautiful place. But most of all, I found in the novel a message of hope, a sort of modern version of Amor omnia vincit et nos cedamus Amori (love conquers all, so we must yield to it). The power of the love of Klaus and Rosanna – in the midst of war, hate, and violence – can reinstill in us a new faith in the future of mankind. When Tony Homer contacted me for information about the two Roman ships of Lake Nemi, I was delighted that a novelist had been attracted by the dramatic and exciting story of Caligula's ancient ships – a story of birth, dream, awakening, fame, and death. And now, rebirth: sixty years after the destruction of the ships, a nonprofit association, Dianae Lacus, is undertaking the reconstruction of one of the ships. It is hoped that this will lead to a resurgence of interest and research in the fascinating mysteries of the lake, its ancient cults and legends, and the birth and death of the imperial ships. And now, as part of this renaissance, we have The Mirror of Diana. I extend to Tony Homer my heartiest congratulations. Bravissimo! |