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

Family of Spies tells the story of the Kuehn family, a prominent Berlin family whose members served as Nazi and Japanese spies during World War II and played a role in the attack on Pearl Harbor. When screenwriter contacts Christine Kuehn about her family's involvement in espionage, her father Eberhard initially resists discussing the matter. The family's story begins when Eberhard's sister Ruth meets Nazi leader Joseph Goebbels at a party and begins an affair with him. When Goebbels discovers that Ruth is half Jewish, rather than having her killed, he sends the entire Kuehn family to Hawaii to work as spies. There, Ruth and her parents establish a spy operation from their home near Pearl Harbor, passing secrets to the Japanese that contribute to the devastating attack. After Eberhard's father is arrested and tried for his involvement, Eberhard learns the truth about his family and must make a decision that alters the family's future. The narrative alternates between Christine's discovery of her family's secrets and the untold history of the spies in Germany, Japan, and Hawaii, covering events leading up to December 7, 1941.