Family of Spies

A World War II Story of Nazi Espionage, Betrayal, and the Secret History Behind Pearl Harbor

By: Christine Kuehn

Narrated by: Erin Bennett

A propulsive, never-before-told story of one family’s shocking involvement as Nazi and Japanese spies during WWII and the pivotal role they played in the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

It began with a letter from a screenwriter, asking about a story. Your family. World War II. Nazi spies. Christine Kuehn was shocked and confused. When she asked her seventy-year-old father, Eberhard, what this could possibly be about, he stalled, deflected, demurred, and then wept. He knew this day would come.

The Kuehns, a prominent Berlin family, saw the rise of the Nazis as a way out of the hard times that had befallen them. When the daughter of the family, Eberhard’s sister, Ruth, met Nazi leader Joseph Goebbels at a party, the two hit it off, and they had an affair. But Ruth had a secret—she was half Jewish—and Goebbels found out. Rather than having Ruth killed, Goebbels instead sent the entire Kuehn family to Hawaii, to work as spies half a world away. There, Ruth and her parents established an intricate spy operation from their home, just a few miles down the road from Pearl Harbor, shielding Eberhard from the truth. They passed secrets to the Japanese, leading to the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor. After Eberhard’s father was arrested and tried for his involvement in planning the assault, Eberhard learned the harsh truth about his family and faced a decision that would change the path of the Kuehn family forever.

Jumping back and forth between Christine discovering her family’s secret and the untold past of the spies in Germany, Japan, and Hawaii, Family of Spies is fast-paced history at its finest and will rewrite the narrative of December 7, 1941.

"[Narrator Erin] Bennett’s reading is never overdone; her directness neither shies away from [author Christine] Kuehn’s unpleasant revelations nor sensationalizes them...her light expression lets the dramatic details speak for themselves."—Booklist

A Macmillan Audio production from Celadon Books

Critic reviews

New York Post - "Most Exciting Books to Read This Fall"
New York Times: 21 Nonfiction Books Coming This Fall

"A brilliantly researched and dramatic story which will captivate the reader till the very end. The humanity of this story underlies the terrible acts undertaken, and a testament to the power of truth, and love, above all."
—Heather Morris, New York Times bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz

"This true tale of espionage in wartime is full of plot twists worthy of a Hollywood thriller. Christine Kuehn takes on an intriguing, sometimes startling journey into a family’s dark past—her own."
—Evan Thomas, author of Road to Surrender

"Deeply researched and evocatively written, Family of Spies is that all too rare combination of accurate history and great storytelling. An honest and unflinching exploration of the role Christine Kuehn's grandparents played in facilitating the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the book deftly weaves geopolitics, espionage and strained familial relationships into a spellbinding whole. Highly recommended."
—Stephen Harding, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Battle

"Absorbing niche history about a grandfather’s secret Nazi identity."
—Kirkus

"Taut as a spy thriller—but shockingly real—Family of Spies unearths the dark secret of an American family swept up in Nazi ambition, deception, and a covert role in one of the most devastating days in U.S. history. Christine Kuehn’s journey into her family's past will leave you stunned. This is history that haunts."
—Adam Makos, author of the New York Times bestseller, Devotion

Poignant story of family, fascism and the quest for redeeming truth

The quest for truth in a family with dark secrets was difficult and complicated. The author’s tenacity and desire to unmask her father’s pain is a testament to a daughter’s love. Finding, facing and sharing the truth in a world full of repeated ideologies and renewed ethnic hatred is much needed.

new information to me

I did not realize there was a spy for Japan in Pearl harbor. the hook is that the woman who wrote the book was related to the family of spies.

Must Read!

Story flow and level of detail was perfect! Author gives incredible perspective on the anguish caused by learning your DNA has a horrific legacy.

Wish it had an accompanying PDF

The story was engaging and informative. I would have enjoyed seeing photos of the family that I imagine are in the printed book.

The story

Knowing all the researcher and time she put into it was great. Me being off Jewish descent and American it frustrated me to know that the family was freed. All my grandmother, grandfather and father’s family’s all were killed by the Nazi’s so I feel the family should have paid with the same. It frustrated me to know so many Nazi’s got off Scott free.