The Last Waltz - Reviews

The Last Waltz
by G.G. Vandagriff
Reviewed by Margaret Donsbach

At nineteen, Amalia, the fictional Viennese heroine of The Last Waltz, feels an almost instinctive dread of war. In 1913, with most Austrians blissfully unaware of World War I looming on the horizon, her fiancé, a gifted German violinist, has been studying music in Vienna. Infected by the martial spirit rising in Germany, he announces his eagerness to follow in his Prussian father's footsteps and prove himself as a soldier.

Amalia's family, descended from aristocracy and eager to climb back up the social rungs, is intent on preserving standards of propriety and displays of wealth that are already becoming outmoded. But her beloved Uncle Lorenz, a socialist who lives in near-poverty so he can support his favorite humanitarian projects, has a gentler, yet stronger influence on her character.

Amalia hates her titled fiancé's obvious delight at the prospect of war, but the thought of breaking their engagement appalls her. He is not, however, her only admirer. A magnetic Polish doctor whose attraction to women comes second to his yearning for a free, democratic Poland, as well as a kind-hearted aristocratic friend of her Uncle Lorenz both take an interest in her, leading to numerous complications and wrenching dilemmas of the heart.

While the focus of The Last Waltz stays firmly on Amalia and her personal life, the two world wars have as searing an effect on her as they do on other Europeans of her time. The novel offers a perceptive and fascinating introduction to the politics of pre-WWII Austria, a setting that has been neglected amid the outpouring of novels about Nazi Germany. In many ways, the Austrian setting is far more interesting, as the artistic Viennese society gradually splinters into groups that cannot neatly be classified into pro-Nazi or anti-Nazi. The dissention within Austria paves the way for a German takeover and Amalia's dramatic, hair's-breadth escape attempt.

The Last Waltz is a good choice for readers looking for a moving, well-written love story without explicit sex. (2009, 591 pages)

Jun 29, 2009, Interview with The Last Waltz author G.G. Vandagriff

It's a pleasure to have historical novelist G.G. Vandagriff visiting the blog today. G.G. is the author of The Last Waltz, about a Viennese woman and her search for love, beginning on the eve of the First World War and ending with a dramatic escape during the Nazi takeover of Austria during World War II. She has also written a contemporary mystery series featuring a sleuth who is a genealogist. Welcome, G.G.!

Before reading The Last Waltz, I didn't realize how different the Austrian experience was from the German experience of the two world wars. Did your research turn up anything that surprised you?
I actually studied the history and politics of Austria while I was living there. My professors were Austrians. I didn't know their story either. It is so full of pathos, I felt it needed to be told. I really got the impression that the Austrians have been having an identity crisis ever since they lost their empire. I came to know that they are very distinct from the Germans. Germany only came together as a nation in the late 19th century. Austria had been an empire for over 500 years. Their national culture is far more cosmopolitan and deeply ingrained. At the time of WWI, Germany was still culturally diverse - a group of nation-states.

Are any of the fictional main characters in your book inspired by real people?
The characters grew in my mind over a period of thirty-three years. To me, they seem very real, however they are totally imaginary. Their identities were inspired by the political factions they represented, but they ceased to be symbolic to me and became real somewhere along the way. For them to be more than superficial, I had to live with them daily for many years. I am sure even the men have something of me in them!

What was it like to turn to a serious historical novel after writing a mystery series?
Actually, the mysteries were a "filler" until the serious novel could be worked out. I needed real life tragedy and personal victories in the face of opposition that I didn't have when I began the novel at age twenty-seven. And I knew it. I also had to learn that an epic like this one had to have more than one point of view. I had to develop my male characters fully. Once I added scenes from their points of view, the novel came alive.

Thanks, G.G. Your novel certainly reflects your many years of living with these characters and their setting. Readers may be interested in our review of The Last Waltz, which is both a romantic love story and a fascinating look at Austria during and between the world wars.

AML Review of The Last Waltz

Reviewed by Jaymie Reynolds

It is December of 1913 in Vienna and Amalia Faulhaber is surrounded by the whirlwind that is the life of a nineteen-year-old socialite. She is comfortable and confident in her wealth, her heritage, and most of all, in her engagement to the Prussian baron, Eberhard von Waldburg. All this comes crashing to a halt the day that her fiance informs her that their engagementa is off since he is returning to Prussia to fight in what he is sure will be a glorious war.

In her distress upon hearing her former fiance’s plans, Amalia wanders aimlessly and finally ends up in a small coffee house where she meets the handsome but flippant Andrzej. Although she does not yet know it, her life will be interwoven with his in the long, hard years to come. During this same time period, Amalia is introduced to the Austrian Baron, Rudolf von Schoenenburg.

As Amalia comes to know these three very different men, she is forced to choose between them and the varying futures that each will offer her. Adding to the chaos surrounding her, Amalia’s beloved Uncle dies, leaving her in charge of his many charities and the funds he runs them with. Round out the picture with the two World Wars that her story is sandwiched between and you have a rough idea of the background for Amalia’s life. Throughout her story, it is often sheer grit that pulls her through.

G.G. Vandagriff completes her story using vivid word pictures. Once the reader adjusts to the richness of her descriptions, the story of The Last Waltz draws the reader in. This book is a very rapid read but requires an investment of some time due to its length. Ms. Vandagriff’s latest offering is very appropriately titled. Like the waltz, the storyline picks the readers up and twirls them from plot twist to plot twist in what is, at times, almost a dizzying rate of speed.

Although the tenor of The Last Waltz is somewhat different than this author’s previous books, it does have one trait similar to the author’s previous writings. For those readers who like to “cheat” by peeking at the end of the book, it is almost a guarantee that they will put two and two together and come up with nine. With many authors, one can skim through the final pages of a book and sum up a story. One thing that seems to be common throughout Ms. Vandagriff’s books is her ability to weave so many elements so tightly that one cannot arrive at the proper conclusions without actually reading her books from cover to cover.

The Last Waltz illustrates the value of so many different kinds of love…companionship, empathetic love, protective and secure love, and of course, that vibrant first love. This book is not necessarily the happily ever after type of love story that causes teen hearts to flutter. Although the sheer determination of the heroine makes one feel that the endings scattered throughout this book are not necessarily tragic, this is truly a romance more of the star struck lover variety.

This book is one that mothers and daughters alike may enjoy. It is not frilly as many romances can be. This opens the door for male readers to find enjoyment in this book as well. While teenagers might enjoy this book, they also may not have the life experience necessary to find true understanding of the characters and their choices.

The plot line of this book is set mainly in Vienna, Austria and begins at nearly the same time as the first World War. It encompasses World War I and the beginnings of World War II. The historical setting of this book serves to show the clash in cultures, views, and even individual personalities. This masterful story has an ending that does leave it open to a sequel. Nonetheless, the author does a good job of pulling in all the loose ends to give readers the closure that is necessary in a good book. In the end, The Last Waltz is well worth the time that one will put into the dance.

The Book Worm's Library Review of The Last Waltz

See Original Review

Those of you who are familiar with my blog know that my real passion in reading is historical fiction. And the reason for that is because the events of history can rarely be matched, even in the world of fiction. But by putting the best of storytelling together with the backdrops of history, you really can’t go wrong. This book is another great example of how true that is! Set against the backdrops of not only World War I, but the tragic loss of that great war, which led to the devastation of Germany and sewed the seeds for World War II; this book also relates the consequences that followed throughout Europe, and specifically Austria and Poland. It ultimately leads up to the eve of World War II and the end of the great Austrian empire through the Anschluss. This book provides a ride through some of the most dramatic events in history. And Ms. Vandagriff has demonstrated herself more than equal to the task of presenting such a moving story to equal the tragedy and loss of that time.

What is by far the strength of of Ms. Vandagriff’s writing is her ability to create characters that pull you into the story, until you become a part of that story yourself. I read somewhere that if a reader wants to see two characters fall in love, then they have to fall in love with both of those characters. And I find that this is a truism for all of fiction — and doesn’t just relate to the event of falling in love. The more enmeshed the reader becomes with the characters — the more wrapped up they will be with the story itself. And in this book there is little doubt that this was the case. There were times I wanted to throw the book against the wall, times I was deliberately ignoring people because they were interrupting the “best part,” (which, by the way was nearly the whole book — and there were certainly more than one.) and at times I would laugh, cry, mourn, and rejoice with the characters. But what is amazing is how well the characters worked into the historical setting itself.

Each of the characters in this book represented a different belief system — all of which were to be found through not only Austria, but all of Europe during these volatile years. And each of the characters demonstrated the challenges and difficulties that all of these factions endured during the political turmoil of the era. And as each of these characters go throughout the book — so went the respective nations they came from. Through the characters you are able to watch the fall of Germany, the volatility of Poland, the decline and eventual fall of Austria, and even the foreshadowing of the horrors that would visit Europe under the violent reign of Hitler and the rise of the Third Reich. To pay attention to the characters of this book, is to learn about the history of the tragic eras that passed throughout this time.

Ms. Vandagriff has brought to the genre of historical fiction, a book worthy of the history she writes about. Not only does she give us a real insight into some of the most amazing parts of history, in the beauty, savagery, and elegance of the time — but she also puts us into the story and allows the reader to experience for themselves what it meant to live sandwiched between these two tragic wars, and survive the turbulent history of the time.

Barnes & Noble Reviews

SVReese
Stunning!

Posted April 3, 2009, 6:24 PM EST: It's not very often that a fictional character comes to feel like an old friend. But that's exactly how I feel about Amalia, the heroine of G.G. Vandagriff's 'The Last Waltz'. Ever since my high school visit to Europe, where I danced around the gazebo used in 'The Sound of Music' singing 'I am seventeen going on eighteen' (Yes, I was one birthday too many for it to be the perfect moment), I've had a fondness for Austria and its rich history. The Last Waltz didn't disappoint in any way. It is a beautifully-written epic story of Amalia, an Austrian who seems to have a penchant for men falling in love with her. The romance portion is full of surprising twists and turns, while being grounded in the most gruesome parts of World War I and the ushering in of World War II. The true futility of war is highlighted, along with the power of love and strong character. There was a perfect balance of story-telling and description that allowed the reader to see the subtle contrasts between Austria and Germany while losing themselves in Amalia's anguish. I'm sure I'll never forget the poignant tale of this brave woman who loses everything without complaint, but perseveres-thinking only of others-to rise again to success. Vandagriff is truly a gifted writer. The amount of research put into the story is truly impressive. I highly recommend the Last Waltz to anyone, whether or not they consider themselves a history buff.

HBMoore
Intriguing!

Posted April 1, 2009, 1:37 PM EST: Modern teenagers of today might think people of early twentieth century Europe were a simple lot. After all, they rode in carriages, wrote letters by hand, and attended formal balls. The nobility did little else but gossip and discuss Parisian fashions. Yet, in GG Vandagriff's newest novel, pre-World War I Austria explodes with intrigue, volatile politics that would eventually bring the Austrian people under Hitler's rule, and a love story that proves that a woman's heart is as vast as the ocean. In 1913, Amalia Faulhaber is just nineteen years old, engaged to a Baron who will secure her family's social status. Her life is predictable as she follows the pattern set by the aristocracy. Then her fiance breaks their engagement, telling her he must follow his childhood dream and join the Prussian army. He leaves for Germany that same day. Amalia is devastated, but even worse, humiliated. She hides the break-up until she can deliver a valid explanation to her family. Yet as she is struggling with feelings of being rejected, she meets two men. One is another Baron-an Austrian who promises to choose her over his country. The other, a Pole, who holds the same ideals as Amalia and haunts her dreams and every waking moment. But a terrible misunderstanding drives Amalia to make a mistake that she will pay for a lifetime. Soon after, World War I breaks out, and Amalia is forced to face her ghosts and heal from tragedy. She copes by working as a nurse, becoming a witness to unspeakable horrors. Her family loses their position in society and politics and war take over any hope of Amalia ever marrying for true love. Austria is thrown into chaos as various government ideals struggle for power. Family members are forced to choose sides. Fortunes are lost. Jews are persecuted. Before reading this book, I'd never given too much thought to those who lived in pre-Hitler controlled Austria. Of course, I've seen the Sound of Music enough times to understand that those who did not swear allegiance to Hitler were in mortal danger. Yet, the events leading up to this historical time were fascinating. The Last Waltz was truly an epic love tale, spanning four decades of Amalia's life-following her through triumph and tragedy. She'd lost so much, yet came out so strong. And through all of her temptations she remained a virtuous woman. If I was to nitpick one thing, I would have liked more time and attention spent on the literal last waltz that took place near the end of the book. Yet, overall GG Vandagriff has a talent for immersing the reader in a different time and place. I was interested to read her biography and discover that she'd lived and studied in Austria. The Last Waltz is also a novel that was thirty years in the making. I'm grateful it finally made it to me.

Anne_Bradshaw
"The Last Waltz" Triumphs!

Posted March 24, 2009, 11:47 AM EST: I'm sad to have finished G. G. Vandagriff's epic historical romance, The Last Waltz, and grateful for the splendid read. What a grand, eye-opening adventure! I feel like I've lived in Austria and Germany since Page 1 and enjoyed every minute of my visit. This novel of love and war carries messages from which nations today could well take heed. Dangerous politics that produced World Wars I and II also brought immeasurable tragedies to individuals and families. Along with heartbreaks come selfless heroics, and individual growth. And this to me is the theme of The Last Waltz. One piece of dialogue that stays in my mind is found on Page 206 when the main character, spunky young Amalia, asks her friend Louisa, "And what is the ultimate tragedy, then?" Louisa replies, "To become less than we were born to be." To quote from the back cover: "In this gripping tale of love and war, a dazzling young socialite of the old world contends with deeply contradictory notions and personal crises to become a woman who would be extraordinary in any age." Amalia has to choose between a love so deep it refuses to die, and a different kind of love that holds her heart with loyalties born of sacrifice, devotion, and an iron will. I highly recommend this book for everyone who enjoys soaking up history in foreign lands and at the same time getting teary-eyed over a wonderful love story. I can well imagine The Last Waltz as a breath-taking movie production that fills movie theaters worldwide.

Meridian Magazine Review

Romance novels are often maligned because of the simplistic formula central to a large share of the books in this genre, but once in awhile one comes along that breaks free of the supposed mold and delivers a powerful love story that touches the hearts of even those who don't generally read love stories. Such is The Last Waltz by G. G. Vandagriff. There will be many who will insist this book is not a romance, but rather an historical novel. They may be right because it is also a powerful story of Austria in the years leading up to World War I and continues on through the rise of Hitler's power. The smaller print beneath the title aptly describes the content as “A novel of Love and War.”

It is the year 1913 and Amalia Faulhaber at 19 is the daughter of a wealthy Austrian merchant and great granddaughter of a Count. She moves in aristocratic circles and is trained for little more than flirting and snaring a suitable husband with a title. She is shocked and embarrassed when her fiancé, Prussian Baron Eberhard von Waldburg breaks off their engagement in order to return to Germany and a commission in the army.

Keeping her broken engagement a secret from all but her grandmother and an uncle, the impulsive young woman courts social ruin by becoming involved with a Polish doctor, Andrzej Zaleski, who has already been claimed by another woman. This is a time of great political intrigue and the rise of fascism, communism, and socialism. It's a time that saw the destruction of monarchies and the rise of dictators representing the various political factions in Europe . It is a time too when Vienna was the apex of European society. From her uncle Amalia learns a great deal about the socialist movement sweeping across Europe . She also becomes keenly aware of the tenets of democracy from his friend, Baron Rudolf Von Schoenenburg, and from her doctor friend, she learns of independence and democracy. A quarrel and harsh words send her fleeing to Berlin and the baron, who in spite of his noble sacrifice loves her. Their hasty marriage precedes three years of heartache and a solidification of her emerging views on democracy.

Schoenenburg and Zaleski continue to play a prominent role in her life as she faces personal loss, the end of the war and the devastating aftermath, growing political involvement, motherhood, and at last the rising threats of Stalin and Hitler. Torn between the love of two heroic men and her love for her country, she meets life, love, and war head on.

The background has been researched with tremendous care by the author who lived in Austria as a young woman on a study abroad program and through her years of fine tuning the story which followed. Passions ran high during the time period Vandagriff portrays concerning the different political movements in Europe prior to and during the World Wars, and she has presented these philosophies and the wars that resulted in an understandable and accurate fashion. Her characters are strong and likable, yet flawed in ways the reader can visualize and accept. The plot and theme carry brilliantly throughout the entire almost six hundred page novel without the repetition or sags often seen in novels of this length.

The Last Waltz is a book to savor. It educates; it is filled with action; the tender love story is mirrored in the political conflicts of the day, it is filled with points to ponder, and it entertains. The only fault I found with this novel is its length. It is difficult to find time to read a novel this size, and the fact that it is a hard story to set down, can conflict with getting anything else accomplished. Yet I found it worth the time expended and I recommend this book to all readers

--Jennie Hansen

INTERVIEW WITH C.S. BEZAS, JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR
April 2, 2009

Be prepared to meet an absolutely amazing person. Not only does she write lyrical stories in a way that moves your heart and enlarges your mind, but she is an altogether pleasing person. I’ve recently met GG Vandagriff via an interview and can’t wait for you to learn more about her.

C.S.: GG, tell us a little bit about yourself.
GG:I have been writing since I was little. My life was unhappy and so I created fantasy worlds with the kind of family I wanted to have. All of my books are meant to explore the true meaning of love (familial, romantic, friendship) and how it changes lives. I also got into genealogy with a lot of enthusiasm, because of my need for family. It was very healing and very helpful to my wounded psyche.

C.S.: What was the process of discovering that love for words?
GG: My best friend Dianne and I had kind of a reading club when we were teenagers. We read romantic suspense and passed our books back and forth. Then, in my honors lit class in High School, I discovered the Russians. I fell in love with Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky. My husband is a poet and studied poetry in depth when he was in college. He imparted his love for poetry to me, teaching me how reading it aloud was the only way to get the full meaning. We had poetry evenings with our kids where he recited poems all the time they were growing up. They liked “The Congo” by Vachell Lindsey the best. It scared them to death and now would not be considered “p.c.” In fact, poor Vachell has probably been burned in effigy.

C.S.: So how have you refined your ability to write? How many drafts do you have to go to until you can get the words on the page to match the scenes in your heart?
GG: I had a wonderful editor who worked with me for five years on one novel, until every word was perfect. I learned to write from her. (I am saving that novel until the time is right to publish - it is literary, which is a hard sell) I don’t work well under deadlines, because I need the freedom to layer my books. I’ll get the basic storyline down, then I go through it from each character’s p.o.v., layering in their personalities. That often changes the whole novel. The theme usually emerges when I’m at this point.
Then I go through and develop the minor characters. I remember when writing Tangled Roots, I left the three eccentric pets in the mansion where they had lived with their mistress who had been murdered. I didn’t remember until the book was finished that I had left them all alone. The book was due Monday. I spent all day Saturday layering in the pets and their idiosyncrasies. It gave the story much more texture. For some people, it was their favorite part of the story!

C.S.: I think this is why I so enjoy your writing. The effort and nuance you add make the event of reading so worthwhile! What is your process for staying engaged in a story, when you get to the huge middle portion of novel writing?
GG: David (my husband) and I call that the “Serengeti Plains.” But to answer your question, I set goals for completing so many chapters a week. I also use this part of the book to go deeper into my characters and their motivations. I use conflict between characters, or internal conflict to keep the reader engaged. Also, minor characters can help me through this section by demonstrating engaging idiosyncrasies.

In a mystery, of course, this part is where there is another murder or the hero is in danger. It is really important to keep the suspense building. But I think there is suspense in romance and straight lit too. The trick is not to reveal everything all at once, to keep the readers guessing.

C.S.: What is your process of overall story building? Do you outline? Do you not?
GG: I try to start with something I feel passionate about - a place, an idea, a historical period. Out of my passion, the plot outline develops in my head, but I keep it loose, because my books are all character driven (even when they have a strong plot). I try to stay absolutely true to my characters. This is often inconvenient, but when your characters are “alive”, it’s imperative.
The book I am writing now under deadline is driving me crazy, because I had it finished and then one of my characters reared up and said, “That’s not the way it happened!” Now I’m having to change the whole thing. It is much more engaging, but I am exhausted trying to get the whole thing revised before my deadline in 2 weeks! I would like the chance to layer a little more, but I’m not going to get it.

C.S.: Once you get back to writing, and your first draft is finished, what is your process of revising?
GG: The revising is the icing on the cake. That’s where I have fun. I take out all my hackneyed phrases and find metaphors. I look out for places where I “told” rather than showed, and change those. The revision is where the novel comes alive for me. I do the thing with the characters as explained above. I “go deep”.

C.S.: And you do it so well, GG. Tell me about your most recent book, The Last Waltz. It is an absolutely lovely story. I don’t usually read this genre, but I became enthralled with this book! It has become one of my favorites and I believe it will become a classic work.
GG: I spent years and years writing that book. I had the history down cold. I knew the plot line. But the characters just wouldn’t come alive. Last year, I finally asked myself, “What would Tolstoy do?” (This is an epic, so I could ask that kind of question.) I finally realized my problem. I was writing about the most complex society, steeped in decadence and neuroses (Vienna), the worst war in history (WW I) and I was trying to do it through the eyes of an innocent 19 year old! Of course I was having problems!

I changed the whole thing so that it came from multiple points of view. It is a complex plot that included many men. I did a whole life history for each of the men. Then I wrote Amalia (my main character) from each of their points of view. What she meant to each of them revealed their own characters, and made Amalia much more interesting. The book was always meant to be a metaphor for the society and politics of Vienna between 1913-1938. Writing it this way made that task much easier. From that point on, the book almost wrote itself because I knew the characters so well.

C.S.: Which character was hardest for you to write?
GG: My main character. She was flawed, but I had to make her sympathetic. It took years to transform Amalia fro an empty-headed beauty into a rare, principled, strong woman who could carry the story. I think I was way too young when I started the tale. I needed my own life experiences to write of a woman who had passed through fire.

C.S.: As you said, this story was years in coming, decades actually. How did you handle the research and keeping it all straight?
GG:I have massive files. Fortunately, I wrote the history first, when I still had a brain. The history was a ready-made plot. Populating it with real characters and not cardboard ones was the hard part. I had gone to school and studied with Austrian professors in my long-ago youth. So I had the “zeitgeist” (feel for the era) down cold. It was like visiting Vienna every time I sat down to write. I never could have written the book without the feel for Vienna I got while living there.

Also I should mention that I got my BA and MA in the history, politics, and economics of Central Eastern Europe, so I was pretty well educated about the times.

C.S.: What you wrote manifests that, GG. And the many reviewers speak highly of your efforts. So, since this was a book long in coming, any final words to discouraged writers out there? In your opinion, do you have to be talented to become published?
GG: I think everyone has an inner writer. If you want to tap into it, you need to pay the price. That means doing writing exercises, some times (in my case!) for a long time. You need to become acquainted with your right brain.
The best time to do them is early in the morning. You take a trigger (a poem, a picture, a piece of music, a memory, the first line of a novel) and write without stopping for 20 minutes anything that comes into your head. You do this every day. No one is going to read it, so write everything. This is the writer in you.

Then, one day, a character or a story will appear. Be patient with yourself. Two excellent books are Writing Down the Bones, and The Artist’s Way. They both go into this process in much more detail.

C.S.: Thank you, GG. You’ve been most kind. And for those who’ve not yet gotten their own copies of The Last Waltz, you absolutely must. Get it for Mother’s Day, get it for graduation gifts, get one for yourself. It is that good.