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The Present Climate of Hate and Division
The Seventh Circle follows a university student in Nazi Germany who is persecuted for his sexuality and faces the perils of a concentration camp. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
I was inspired reading a memoir of a camp survivor entitled The Men with the Pink Triangles by Heinz Heger.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I was disturbed by the present climate of hate and division in our country and across the globe and felt a lesson in man’s inhumanity to man was needed to remind us all of potential results of extremism.
I appreciated how historically accurate your novel is. What kind of research did you undertake to ensure the story was accurate?
Although the literature on the subject is scant, I read every primary source I could get my hands on. Most survivors have been reluctant to recount their struggles. I depended a great deal on Heger’s memoir and information I found about the two concentration camps most of the story takes place in.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I have just published Sundays at Simone’s, a satirical look at Los Angeles aristocracy as well as a tale of a young musician’s loves and struggles to find his niche in the musical world.
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon
Based loosely on a true story, “The Seventh Circle,” tells of the forgotten victims of the Holocaust, the men who wore the pink triangle. It is a timely tale on man’s inhumanity to man.
The Seventh Circle
![The Seventh Circle by [Thomas Bauer]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51G-FuB4FUL.jpg)
The Seventh Circle by Thomas Bauer is an impassioned historical fiction novel demonstrating the human race’s inhumanity towards others. The novel is a literary gem set in the little Bavarian town of Fussen during the Third Reich (Nazi Germany), showcasing horrors endured by people due to inhumane laws. Karl, the son of an affluent business owner, is accused of homosexuality, which is illegal during this period. He is kept in a Nazi concentration camp and endures physical, emotional, and psychological trauma at his captors’ hands. Will Karl survive this horrific trial, or is he doomed forever?
In an intense and soul-wrenching manner, Thomas Bauer writes traumatic incidents that will stay with you long after you have finished reading the novel. The writing is unfeigned brutal and keeps you engrossed till the end. Some of the scenes are sexually explicit and horrific. The details unfold in a manner that makes it difficult to experience for a sensitive reader. One of the book’s beauties is the relationship between Karl and his mother, who is aware of her son’s sexuality and supports him, but this relationship isn’t explored much. Other than the phenomenal storyline, the structure of the book is also well organized. The chapters are synoptic and meaty, with no space for fluff writing or floundering. The story begins as a simple love story, but slowly turns into a sinister tale of terror, betrayal, abuse, and survival instinct.
The only issue I faced with the book was the use of uncommon and unfamiliar terms for which I had to use a dictionary. Still, it increases the writing’s authenticity, and improves my vocabulary. Bauer is unmercifully realistic and honest in his depiction of this story. His attention to detail and detailed descriptions give the reader some visceral experiences.
The book is an extraordinary tale that brings awareness to the crimes against sexual preferences and society’s discrimination, which is prevalent today. The book will interest anyone who loves reading emotionally charged historical fiction that accurately portrays the time frame. While the subject matter is depressing, it is a must-read for the present generation, unaware of the degree of historical oppression faced by the LGBTQ community.
Pages: 230 | ASIN: B08FMTTP69
LITERARY TITAN 