Plot summary, “Address Unknown” by Kathrine Kressmann Taylor in 5 Minutes - Book Review

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Published on August 13, 2025 11:00:28 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFISiK6LaDo

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Address Unknown (1938) by Kathrine Taylor is an epistolary novella chronicling the rise of Nazi Germany through letters between Max Eisenstein, a Jewish art dealer in San Francisco, and Martin Schulse, his former business partner who has returned to Germany. What begins as a warm correspondence deteriorates as Martin embraces Nazi ideology, leading to betrayal, the death of Max’s sister Griselle, and Max’s calculated use of coded letters to orchestrate Martin’s downfall. The story explores themes of radicalization, censorship, antisemitism, and the destruction of personal bonds under totalitarian regimes.