Dr. B.

This illuminating debut from the former director of the Museum of Modern Art in Stockholm delves into the tumultuous and imperiled lives of German Jewish expatriates living in Sweden on the eve of WWII. After journalist Immanuel Birnbaum, a character based on the author’s grandfather, is denied the right to publish in Nazi Germany, he files dispatches from his adopted country under the byline Dr. B. for publication in both Swedish and German papers. Over the course of the episodic narrative, Immanuel links up with fellow expatriates who publish Thomas Mann, Stefan Zweig, and other writers suppressed by the Nazis. The plot thickens when he reluctantly agrees to write for a German press agency “behind-the-scenes reporting” on clandestine activities unfolding in Stockholm’s diplomatic world, resulting in a fraught showdown with local authorities. Birnbaum skillfully delineates the social and political tensions shaping a culture caught between the national interests of Germany and Russia, and he poignantly conveys the plight of individuals for whom each day is a potential tragedy waiting to happen. This auspicious debut makes for an appealing drama. (May)