The Kuehn family always had secrets, and Christine's father, Eberhard, rarely talked about his parents or his life as a teenager in Hawaii during the Second World War. Christine began to unravel her family's past when she received a bewildering phone call from a screenwriter, asking about her family’s connection to World War II and Nazi spies. Confronting her seventy-year-old father, Christine discovers that the Kuehns, a prominent Berlin family, initially embraced the rise of the Nazis as a means of escaping hard times. This led to Eberhard's sister, Ruth, starting an affair with Nazi leader Joseph Goebbels.
The affair ended violently when Goebbels discovered Ruth was half Jewish. Instead of executing her, he made a cold decision: he sent the entire Kuehn family to Hawaii to work as spies, shielding young Eberhard from the truth. From their home just miles from Pearl Harbor, Ruth and her parents established an intricate spy operation, passing crucial secrets to the Japanese. This intelligence contributed directly to the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. After Eberhard’s father was arrested and tried for his involvement, Eberhard finally learned the brutal truth, forcing him to make a fateful decision that would change the course of his family forever.
A compelling read for fans of World War II historical non-fiction, espionage thrillers, and true crime, Family of Spies will appeal strongly to readers interested in the attack on Pearl Harbor and the role of foreign agents operating on American soil during WWII. Kuehn's use of a dual timeline—the modern-day search for truth contrasted with the high-stakes 1940s spy operation—creates gripping suspense, making it an excellent choice for those who love deep, character-driven historical investigations.
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