Under Two Flags by Janis Robinson Daly

TITLE INFORMATION

Under Two Flags

Janis Robinson Daly

Black Rose Writing, 291 pages

9781685137328, 3.26.2026

Overall Rating = 4.83

Storyline & Concept = 5

Writing & Delivery = 4.5

Editorial = 5

Under Two Flags is a historical novel that showcases the unique experience of a civilian in wartime Berlin. Inspired by opera singer Josephine Marzynski’s memoir, With Old Glory in Berlin, and set against the grim backdrop of WWI, it follows the young woman from Boston to Berlin in 1916 to pursue her dream of studying opera. What begins as an exciting journey quickly degrades into fear, suspicion, and deprivation as the war devastates the residents of Germany, and the United States enters the war.

The author excels at capturing the wartime atmosphere of Berlin. She balances the stark realities of starvation, repression, and fear with moments of genuine kindness, human connection, and quiet acts of courage. Josephine’s struggle is not only physical but deeply emotional. Her loyalties are torn between her American homeland and her German friends who risk everything to protect her. Her deep love of music is threaded throughout, sustaining Josephine in her darkest moments. Although based on a memoir, the author has extensively researched the period and the setting to recreate a fictionalized version of Josephine’s life, immersing the reader into an original and engaging perspective of wartime suffering and endurance. Under Two Flags would appeal to readers of historical fiction who are seeking a unique point of view of World War I, as well as those who appreciate stories that explore the fine balance between loyalty and survival.

Sublime Line: “This book transforms history into a unique, emotional, and compelling story of identity, sacrifice, and survival.”

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