The Patient Ecstasy of Fraulein Braun

Mueller's debut novel centers on the final days of the Third Reich from the perspective of Hitler's lov-er Eva Braun. With Berlin under siege by allied forces, Eva and Hitler are driven into the underground Fuhrerbunker, which becomes a claustrophobic hub of paranoia and delusion. Oblivious to the horrors of Hitler's concentration camps, Eva loves Hitler unconditionally. She envies his devotion to Germany and celebrates their entrapment in the bunker, as he is finally hers alone. Eva's closest friend in the bunker is Magda, wife of Hitler's propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, with whom she must also compete for Hitler's affection. Eva prides herself on winning the Fuhrer's love, even over sensual Magda who sleeps "at night with Mein Kampf between her legs." Eva is unflinchingly enthralled with Hitler despite his graphically-described brutality and sadism. Mueller shies away, though, from ques-tioning how such a passion could continue in the face of great evil. Without this deeper exploration of Eva's psyche, she fails to become a fully realized or sympathetic character. (Apr.)