21 Aldgate - Hardcover

21 ALDGATE is a historical novel by British-born author Patricia Friedberg, who grew up in London during WWII. A feature film, titled "The One I Love", based on her screenplay of 21 ALDGATE, is presently in development by Progress Pictures, Ltd., U.K. (progresspicturesltd@gmail.com) together with The Future Film Group, U.K. (http://www.futurefilmgroup.com, Links: Our Films — Projects in Development).21 ALDGATE is character-driven historical fiction set in pre-WWII London’s Jewish East End and fashionable Chelsea, as well as in Germany and France. It is a fictionalized story of the relationship between the French artist, Paul Maze, and his young married assistant, Clara, during and after the writing of his memoir of WWI. The target audience includes WWI and WWII history buffs, Jewish history enthusiasts, Anglophiles across the globe, and readers who enjoy a great love story. Similar to The Postmistress in tenor, 21 ALDGATE is a story of love and war that bears witness to the prejudice, bias, aggression and propaganda that influenced British society during the buildup to WWII. First and foremost, however, 21 ALDGATE is about a place in time, a place that no longer exists except in rapidly fading memories. It tells a story of class distinction, people and their traditions, a family and its fate, a country and its fight against fascism.

When young Clara Simon suddenly quit her steady job in Ernest Maxwell Abbott's law firm over his increasingly shabby treatment of Jewish clients, she soon realized the seriousness of her actions. Giving up any job in struggling, post-WWI London meant taking a chance. Clara knew her family at 21 Aldgate would not be supportive. With that in mind she did the only thing a Londoner could do: she looked for a quiet place to have a cup of tea and think over her hasty decision. A coincidental meeting with a former Abbott employee resulted in the suggestion of a job offer in Chelsea.Clara, reluctant to consider venturing into affluent Chelsea, finally agreed to meet with the important French artist, Paul Maze, who needed an assistant to help write his memoir of his work as a field artist during the First World War. Their working relationship ignited a passionate love that forever changed and haunted her. On the tides of political and social chaos prior to the Second World War, Clara was forced to make decisions that risked both her life and her marriage.