Sister Christian

Sister Christian A Novel by P. Van Slooten "Men fight, women heal," Baron Gunther von Hesse admonished his eldest son, Hans, when the impetuous youth dared to tell him he would rather become a doctor than a soldier. How dare he even think such a thing? It was 1914 and every son, including those of lesser families, were scrambling to enlist and fight for Germany. Those boys would win honor and acclaim for their households while the baron's house and name would drift into obscurity simply because his son would rather stay in the rear and heal the wounded with the women. Needless to say, Hans was forced to abandon his dreams, along with scores of other young men from his generation, and go witness first-hand the carnage callously wrought by their fathers. Years would pass, and his own son, Christian, would also feel the call to heal the wounded, but during a different war, and as a different gender. Sister Christian is the story of the young son of a Nazi officer, and former aristocrat, who chooses to pass as a girl so he can fulfill his dream of becoming a war nurse. After his father's suicide, a nun (and an old family friend) helps a despondent Christian begin the transformation to fulfil his dream and choose life over a slow, withering death. But achieving this goal is only the first step, as a growing adolescent he must also deal with the attentions of young men who see him as a beautiful and medically talented girl. Eventually, Sister Christina finds herself trapped in a farmhouse on the edge of war with five other strangers, one who is in love with her, one who lusts after her, one who is afraid of her, one who is jealous of her beauty, and one who suspects her secret. Christina flees the farm house and imminent discovery only to find herself face to face with her older brother, now an SS officer, and horrified by what his younger brother has become. Shots are fired and Christian / Christina is left facing an uncertain future.