Sally Carson's novel Crooked Cross, set in Bavaria during the rise of fascism in 1933, follows the Kluger family and Moritz Weissmann, Lexa's fiancé, as their lives are upended by the political upheaval following Hitler's election. The story intimately portrays the gradual shift in relationships and attitudes within a small town, as the new regime's influence leads to increasing acts of persecution and fear.

Carson's firsthand experiences in Bavaria inform the narrative, capturing the uncertainty and terror that gripped ordinary people during this period. The novel, originally published in 1934 and recently republished, is noted for its prescient depiction of the events leading to another world war and the Holocaust. Though Carson died young and her works faded from view, Crooked Cross has resurfaced, offering a powerful reflection on the consequences of unchecked power and societal change.