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Kitty Schmidt: My Life As A Prostitute follows a young woman whose only option to pay for her grandfather’s burial is with sex, sending her on a path to becoming the madam of a high-class brothel for the Nazi in WWII. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I had read a magazine account of Kitty’s life and how the SS refused to let her leave Germany, instead ordering her to work for them. I wanted to know more about her impoverished background that, unbeknownst to her at the time, served to help her manage a brothel for the inner circle of the Third Reich.
In addition, I thought it was important to draw attention to the exploitation of women before and World War II. Kitty Schmidt is a fascinating character who does what she must do to survive during a time when women were not valued as highly as men. She used her position to get information to expand her mind and her portfolio to improve her life and the lives of those around her.
What scene was the most interesting to write for that character?
Two scenes stand out. First, we see how a young child witnesses her mother’s murder at the hands of her alcoholic father. How does a young child process such a situation ? Does it scar her for life? She goes to live with her elderly grandparents who are in their last day, but she won’t have it. She finds paint and brushes and begins to work on fixing their house which has fallen into disrepair. In the second scene, in order for Kitty to pay for her grandfather’s funeral, she must sell herself to a pathetic undertaker. That is when she realizes she has power over men. This power helps her pay for her groceries, her clothes, and household repairs. It opens up a world that she had not known existed.
What draws you to the period of WWII and makes it ripe for you to write such a great historical fiction novel in it?
The WWII generation witnessed many heroes and heroines who in some cases made the ultimate sacrifice. I have written several novels centered on that generation: Brazzaville, The Reluctant Nazi, and Sunrise Over Casablanca. They all embrace a theme of personal growth and self-awareness and sacrifice in the midst of external struggles as well as in their own personal conflicts.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
On the Wings of Flying Tigers tells the story of a young man named Albert who always wanted to fly to feel free. That love grows when he watches flying circus performers in the 1930s. Then his uncle gives him a one-man plane to build.
Through hardship and self-sacrifice, Albert joins the military and moves up the ranks to become a member of the Flying Tigers, a volunteer Air Force branch of the Chinese Army. His time in the air indeed makes him feel free, but that freedom comes at a price. We expect to enter the publishing stage of this book in the coming weeks.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website
When Kitty attempted to leave Nazi Germany, the Gestapo made a deal with her. Manage a bordello for their hierarchy or go to a concentration camp. They wired her bordello so they could eavesdrop on every officer, diplomat, and foreign dignitary that passed through her door. Every word was recorded and passed to the authorities.
A modern-day Berliner stumbles upon her story, and he reads it during breaks from remodeling the building that housed her bordello. In doing so, he contrasts his life with hers
Kitty Schmidt – My Life as a Prostitute
Pablo Zaragoza’s Kitty Schmidt: My Life As A Prostitute is a raw and emotional novel told through the discovered diaries of a fictionalized Katharina “Kitty” Schmidt. The story begins in post-war Berlin with a renovation worker, Paul, unearthing a secret compartment containing journals that reveal the harrowing and complex life of Kitty, a poor butcher’s daughter who becomes the madam of a high-class brothel. Through her vivid and at times unsettling voice, the reader travels from childhood trauma to sexual awakening, and ultimately to a dark but empowering life built in defiance of a cruel, male-dominated world. The narrative folds history and personal suffering into a confessional tapestry that is as gut-wrenching as it is honest.
The language is plainspoken but layered with emotion. Kitty’s voice is full of pain, grit, anger, and sometimes surprising humor. Her observations on war, love, men, and shame are deeply felt and uncomfortably real. I found myself torn, at times revolted by what she endured and at others quietly cheering her cunning, her resilience, and even her tenderness in the face of horror. There’s something deeply moving in the way Kitty carries the weight of generations of women who were used, cast aside, or forgotten, and decides to write her truth anyway.
The writing walks a tightrope. Some passages are lyrical and even poetic, while others are brutally stark. The transitions between historical commentary and personal storytelling can be jarring. But honestly, that messiness added to the charm for me. Kitty’s world is cracked and chaotic, and the structure reflects that. What I appreciated most was that the book didn’t fall into the trap of making Kitty a saint or a martyr. She is complicated. She profits off other women. She manipulates. She survives. And I believed every word she wrote because the character was built with such emotional clarity.
If you’re drawn to historical fiction with grit, if you like character studies that go deep into the soul of a person, flaws, sins, strengths, and all, Kitty Schmidt: My Life As A Prostitute is worth your time. It’s not for the faint of heart, and definitely not for those who want a sanitized version of history, but it is a very compelling read.
Pages: 210 | ASIN : B0F44SDGDY
LITERARY TITAN 