Rosengoldz & Reilly

Rosengoldz was born in Russia of a Jewish father and Croatian Catholic mother. His parents met in Mos-cow where Patrick’s father was a diplomat and his mother’s father was an official representative from Croa-tia.
Despite protests from their parents, they married, had a daughter and then a son, before moving to Zagreb to a new posting. World War II was beginning ... German influence was strong in Zagreb and Patrick’s fa-ther (Max) was arrested and sent to a labor camp.
His mother (Milka) tries to get her husband released through an old Croatian boyfriend (Viktor), now in high rank of local military; he turns her out of her home, now needed for military purposes.
When the Germans are pushed back and the Russians and local Communists take charge, Milka and the children are arrested and sent to a camp.
After the war they wander to Italy and finally to Australia.
This is where the story begins, with Patrick beginning his adult life. He meets Judith Reilly, they marry and set up home in a seaside suburb of Melbourne.
The combination of Christian and Jewish names in both is intentional, since this conflict runs through the story. Nazi, Communist, Christian and Jew are equally inhumane in pursuit of power.
Patrick’s mother, at Max’s request, had a surgeon insert a precious family diamond in her breast when it was clear that the war would bring hardship.
Patrick’s experiences during the war (seeing his father in a line of prisoners with barbed wire around their necks marched to a crevice, where the first man was pushed over dragging the others with him, seeing his mother raped, he starved and stole) affected him seriously - he was unable to make love, he over-ate and he cheated to gain wealth.
Still, he created a new self and had a fairly successful life, while he suffered inside. A tragic event brings his final admission.