The Paper War: a Novel

After a long courtship, followed by five years of engagement, Peter, a young German doctor, had reached a new stage in his life. He had graduated from Medicine University and could now start his professional career and finally marry his Swedish fiancée, Gaby. At this point fate intervened. The Second World War broke out. He was drafted as a medical officer in the navy, and with that, all hopes of a wedding in the foreseeable future were dashed. With perseverance, initiative, and the assistance of a formidable ally, Peter embarked on a private paper war, fighting the bureaucracy and regulations of the Wehrmacht and the Nazi government to receive an approval for marriage. Based on actual letters from Peter to Gaby, interspersed with details of both their lives during the early years of the war, this story weaves an enchanting tale of how love can conquer the most intractable foes.