The Madagaskar Plan

Starred review from June 1, 2015
Saville doesn’t sacrifice characterization for action or plot in his imaginative sequel to 2013’s The Afrika Reich, a thriller in which the Nazis win WWII. In May 1940, British forces fail to escape Dunkirk. Churchill resigns, and the new prime minister makes peace with Germany, which defeats the Soviet Union in 1943. With Europe securely under its sway, Germany establishes an empire in Africa. Instead of exterminating the Jews, Hitler has the majority shipped to Madagascar. In 1952, former British soldier Burton Cole searches for his love, Madeleine Cranley, whose husband has just learned that she’s carrying another man’s child. The way Saville interweaves this story line with that of Germans intent on conquering those parts of Africa not yet in their control is masterly. Meanwhile, the Jews imprisoned on Madagascar desperately try to draw a neutral America to their cause. Saville’s attention to detail is manifest throughout, as in a passing reference to the impact on the British economy of German territorial conquests. Agent: Farley Chase, Chase Literary Agency.