Monika Held Book order

Summoned from Vienna to Frankfurt to testify at the Auschwitz trials in Frankfurt in 1964, Heiner is forced to recall the horrors of his wartime arrest, deportation and life as prisoner 63 387. In the hallway of the courthouse he collapses, falling into a woman's arms. Lena knows from that moment she must save him.At first glance they have little in common: Lena dreams of a holiday in the Pacific, Heiner spends his nights reliving the horrors of Auschwitz. Though no sooner have they fallen in love than Lena is left wondering whether she will ever understand Heiner's world, so governed by trauma. For his part Heiner wonders whether there is a limit to Lena's empathy.To confront the past they return to Auschwitz. As Heiner is transported back in time, Lena sees a different Poland — a country under martial law, gripped by a struggle that will alter the future of Europe.Subtle and engrossing, This Place Holds No Fear tells the story of love in a time after Auschwitz and the gradual awakening of a new Europe.