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1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Prodigal Sons Jan 05, 2010
By Sandra K. Stiles
In this fictional book Jan Goldberg, a Polish Jew and former resistance fighter has taken on the persona of Horst Vogle a museum curator. He is working to find and kill the Nazi's that were not brought to justice for whatever reason. He is also hunting for the gold and other valuables that were stolen by the Nazi's and used to send Nazi dignitaries to South America. This is where they hide out to escape punishment for their war crimes.
Things are going smoothly until he meets Greta Furster. She is an up and coming pianist. Some of her social crowd are the very people he is hunting. He has to make some tough decisions that involve his love for Greta and who he really is. This was a good story that I have happily passed on to one of our history teachers.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
`We all live among the shadows of the past.' Dec 03, 2009
By J. Cameron-Smith
"Expect the Unexpected"
Munich, 1950: Horst Vogle seems to be one of many former German soldiers adapting to post-war life. Horst is a museum curator trying to reassemble Munich's scattered art collection. In reality, Horst has another life and another mission: as a member of an Israeli group terminating former Nazis. Horst's life becomes complicated after he meets Greta Furster, an aspiring pianist. He is torn between his identity, his mission and his feelings for Greta.
Greta introduces Horst to a group of war veterans who belong to an organisation trying to restore German pride and providing relief for East German refugees. When Horst also discovers that members of this group are using stolen Nazi gold to fund Egyptian weapons, he must act to stop this.
The events of World War II provide the frame for this novel and its themes of hope, despair, revenge and reconciliation. Horst Vogle's struggle is as much about the iteration of identity as it is about attempting to right some of the wrongs of this war. I enjoyed this novel, not so much for the subject matter and setting as for its promise of hope for a brighter future for Greta and Horst.
There are no real victories in war, just varying degrees of loss.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Prodigal Sons is a Great Read Aug 25, 2009
By Paul A. Henning
Greene has another great story for readers, and this one is a real page-turner. Set against the backdrop of the Polish resistance in WW II, the founding of Israel, and post-war Munich, Prodigal Sons has something for everyone -- sadness, anger, despair, revenge, spies, murder, art, music, intrigue, a multi-million-dollar heist, and finally a triumphant romance. Highly recommended.
 The Prodigal Sons, by Sheldon Greene Jul 09, 2010
By Rich F
The reviews for this book were too good to be true, literally. This was in no way a "page turner" for me. I thought it was slow; I found myself skipping pages just to get through it. The character development was poor, and the plot seemed to be taken from the pages of Daniel Silva's The English Assassin. The characters have no color or flavor. I guess I've been spoiled by the likes of Ken Follett, A.R. Homer and Daniel Silva. There was no holding my breath waiting for the good guy to be caught and wonder "How will he get out of this one?" Very dull and predictable. A total and complete let down.
an excellently written, suspense-filled story, with universal appeal and importance Feb 10, 2010
By P. Bloom
I have loved Sheldon Greene's books, beginning with "Lost and Found" and now Prodigal Sons. I really enjoyed this book the first time through and now I look forward to reading it again, slowly, with special attention to certain passages, for their beauty, their wisdom, their expressions of love and of heartbreak. I read quickly, as I was eager to learn what would happen next and finally, how the story would end. But, as I read, I savored such clear and intimate portraits of people and relationships, such real and compelling descriptions of their thoughts and feelings, with vivid imagery and attention to background details of each scene, both historical background, as well as descriptions of where the action was taking place.
From a spiritual perspective, this story has much to offer. Toward the end, the main character thinks to himself, "Life itself was the only God and the earth and universe it's place of worship." I love that. It expresses so well, what I've struggled so long to put into words.
The symbolism throughout this book is also compelling and universally important. The last scene where Jan is looking at the mountain of ruble was expressed so well and extends our imagination to both personal and universal concerns. The end of the book is perfect, with questions and decisions remaining for the main characters, and also for us, expressing our existential choices- who am I, what matters to me, what do I believe, how should I live my life until I die?
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