Theodor’s Choice

Past and present collide in Theodor’s Choice, a compelling multigenerational love story that sweeps from Canada in the present-day to Germany, Russia and Poland during the Second World War.Sylvia Baintz discovers a diary written by her late mother. Not only does the diary give her a glimpse into her grandmother’s and mother’s troubled lives, but it also leads her to a secret that has remained hidden for many years. On a whim, she travels from Vancouver to Oxford Mills, a hamlet in eastern Ontario, where she hopes to find an answer to the mystery. In Oxford Mills, her search for the truth takes an unexpected turn and, suddenly, she finds herself on an emotional journey that leads to self-discovery, healing, and a new life. Theodor’s Choice explores the question of identity, abandonment, atonement, and the impact of fate on the lives of three women.

Raised in Bremerhaven, Germany, I lived five years on the Isle of Mallorca, Spain, before moving to Montreal, Canada. After a two-year residency in Durham, North Carolina, I returned to Canada and settled in Ottawa. Fluent in four languages (English, German, Spanish and French), I am also an accomplished watercolour artist and was the founder and artistic director for 33 years of the New Edinburgh Players, a fundraising community theatre in Ottawa. I am inspired by strong, visual elements as well as powerful storytelling and I feel that these elements are reflected in my trilogy. Add my creative experience as an actress and artistic theater director and occasional drama teacher to children; twenty years as an artist of decorative watercolors; and a lifelong passion for the Brothers Grimm fairy tales. ＂Theodor’s Choice＂ is my first adult novella and is based on a true story.