Refugee Romances: Solidarity, Love, and Care in the Exile Novels of Adrienne Thomas

Abstract: German-Jewish author Adrienne Thomas became a bestselling author with the pacifist novel Die Katrin wird Soldat (1930; Katrin Becomes a Soldier , 1931), but her later novels written in exile are less well known. These works— Reisen Sie ab, Mademoiselle! (1944; Travel on, mademoiselle!) and Ein Fenster am East River (1945; A window on the East River)—both romances, intervene in the contemporary 1940s discourse surrounding what it meant to be a refugee. Drawing on recent work in critical refugee studies, this article argues that Thomas adopts the popular genre of romance to show the power of friendship, love, and care in the face of racial and political persecution. The novels' refugee characters and their allies give voice to the experiences of those persecuted and displaced during the years of National Socialism, while also staging scenes of solidarity that imagine hopeful futures for refugees.