Flattered and relatively shocked, Elinor smiled. She later giggled with Gwyneth about the encounter. Who was this POW approaching her in the mess hall so boldly? Flirting with a German prisoner of war was the furthest thing from Elinor’s mind. He was probably just a kid, anyway. She remembered being told that some of the POWs were as young as fifteen.27 In 1944, Elinor was twenty-three years old. If she had been anywhere else—Boston, New York, or even Fort Huachuca—she would have had the attention of numerous African American men, but that was not going to happen in Florence. She had to admit that the handsome German made her day a bit lighter.

It wasn’t a complete shock to Elinor that a white man found her attractive. She had true friendships with white people growing up in Massachusetts, as did her parents. But it’s not entirely clear if Elinor had ever shared a romance with a man of a different race.

Still, she figured the encounter with Frederick was amusing and harmless, a onetime episode. POWs were bored, as bored as the nurses. She had just met one who wanted to have some fun. A simple flirtation, nothing else.

Frederick had trouble sleeping after he met Elinor. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. He didn’t even get her first name because he had to rush back to the kitchen. He only saw that her badge said “Powell.” He would volunteer to serve as many meals as possible so he could see her, stare at her, and get to know her. He hadn’t felt joyous or passionate about something for a long time. Now suddenly he felt alive, and he knew he had fallen in love. It sounded ridiculous and immature, and given his background, the fact that she was black also made it incomprehensible. But Frederick knew something magical had happened when he looked into Elinor’s eyes. She was what he had been waiting for all his life.28

6. A Forbidden Romance

6.

A Forbidden Romance

FREDERICK HAD FALLEN IN LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT. He had limited experience with women, but his desire for Elinor was genuine, raw, and unburdened by any remnants of Nazi doctrine. His life had changed instantaneously the moment he spotted her in the officers’ mess. Everything about his POW experience shifted from dull and routine to thrilling and purposeful. Elinor became the key to his happiness; she was the focus of all his thoughts. And Frederick was determined to do everything in his power to ensure the feelings were reciprocated.