Elisabeth Storrs has a great love for history and myths. A former lawyer,she is the founder of the Historical Novel Society Australasia and the $155,000 ARA Historical Novel Prize. Her obsession previously lay with Rome and the Etruscans but now she is absorbed with Trojan treasure and twisted Germanic history with her new release, Fables & Lies: A World War II Novel endorsed by Olivia Hawker and Kate Forsyth. She lives in Sydney with her husband in a house surrounded by jacarandas. She is also a member of the History Girls.
Based on a true story, Fables & Lies explores WWII through the eyes of Freyja, a German museum assistant striving to protect her nation’s treasures while navigating love and loyalty amid the horrors of Nazi Germany. The book blends romance, suspense, and ethical dilemmas as Freyja discovers the moral corruption of the Regime, dark family secrets, and personal transformation in a world built on lies.
Told from the perspective of German civilians, the novel highlights the bravery of museum curators and Gentiles married to Jews, while uncovering untold stories of resistance, and the dangers of twisting history and myth to justify conquest and genocide.
In essence, the book show history is never neutral and that courage can be found in the quietest acts of defiance. A must for readers who love thought provoking WWII historical fiction exploring the complexities of survival, moral conflict and impossible choices which feature thwarted love and a journey to enlightenment. Perfect for fans of Kelly Rimmer, Laura Morelli and Anthony Doer.
Elisabeth’s ‘A Tale of Ancient Rome’ series includes The Wedding Shroud, The Golden Dice and Call to Juno. The Wedding Shroud was endorsed by Ursula Le Guin, and named by Ben Kane as one of the top three books set in the classical world. Call to Juno was endorsed by Kate Quinn and was an Editor’s Choice in the Historical Novels Review. An archaeologist loved the saga so much she created an audio-visual exhibition featuring Elisabeth’s characters voicing votive statuary at the Museo dell’Agro Veientano near Rome.
