The Secret History of Audrey James by Heather Marshall is a dual timeline story from World War II Germany and Northern England decades later. After a tragic accident has left her floundering, Kate Mercer leaves London to work at an old guest house near the Scottish border. After she arrives, she begins to unravel her past and she discovers her new boss also has secrets from the past of her own. In 1938 Berlin, Audrey James has been living with her best friend, Ilse Kaplan and her family, while she studies at a local prestigious music school. When Ilse’s family disappears and Nazis take over the house, Audrey is forced to become their housekeeper as Ilse hides in the attic. She soon finds herself in an anti-Hitler movement. Can she protect those she loves or must she sacrifice everything to do her part to end the war?
The Secret History Audrey James was inspired by the true stories of courageous women who did their part in the German resistance during World War II. Audrey’s story could have been a standalone story and been captivating and the tie-in with Kate was a bit unnecessary. Unfortunately, World War II resistance stories, while interesting, are starting to blur together that I feel like I’ve read this before. However, I read this story for “the unbreakable bonds of friendship, the sacrifices we make for those we love, and the healing that comes from human connection.” The Secret History of Audrey James delivers on that; however, there was so much going on that the story started to get bogged down and I was getting bored. Overall, the story started off well; but did not end there. If you enjoy World War II resistance stories, I recommend The Secret History of Audrey James.
The Secret History of Audrey James will be available on February 25, 2025
The Porcelain Maker by Sarah Freethy is a story of love, betrayal and art inspired by the actual porcelain factory in Dachau. From the horrors of World War II to America, two lovers are caught at the crossroads of history and a daughter’s search for the truth. In 1929, Germany, Max, a skilled Jewish architect, and Bettina, an avant-garde German painter, met and the sparks were immediate. Their whirlwind romance takes them to the dazzling lights of Berlin but they are met with the darkness as Nazism becomes the rising threat to all they love and hold dear. When Max is arrested and sent to the Dachau concentration camp, Bettina is determined to rescue him and escape Germany. In 1993, Clara, Bettina’s daughter, is on a journey to discover the identity of her father, a second her mother took to her grave. As she traces her mother’s past, Clara is left with questions as to why her mother fought so hard to keep her past hidden.
While I have a bit of World War II fatigue with the ever growing number of books which feature World War II, I was intrigued by a story I haven’t heard before. I was hooked in by the opening chapter as Clara is tracing down porcelain figures linked to her mother. I loved the electric and flirtatious meeting between Max and Bettina. However, the book fell fast. I was confused by the back and forth in time and places. Who’s who and how they all fit into the story of the concentration camp and the porcelain factory. Sadly, even the emotional moments that should have been more powerful and poignant fell flat. I didn’t care for Bettina or even Clara as she is on this journey. Max was a decent character. Overall, I appreciate the author’s desire to bring the story of Dachau to light, but The Porcelain Maker was uninteresting and too drawn out. However, if you enjoy World War II stories, you may enjoy The Porcelain Maker.
The Porcelain Maker is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook
An Affair of Spies by Richard H. Bolson is a spy mission to get a defector from Germany and prevent the Nazis from creating an atomic bomb. Nathan Silverman grew up in Berlin, the son of a theoretical physicist. His idyllic life was soon shattered by the increasing levels of hostilities toward the Jewish communities. He leaves for New York City in 1938 with only his mother’s wedding ring to sell for survival. He enlists in the Army with the desire to help fight the Nazi regime. He is quickly selected for special training and ordered to report to the Manhattan Project. As he learns that the Americans are racing to beat the Nazis in the nuclear arms, he discovers that an old friend of his father’s wishes to defect and it is his mission to get him safely out of Germany. He is joined by Dr. Allison Fisher, a brilliant young physicist, and together they embark on a dangerous mission deep in enemy territory.
An Affair of Spies is described as “an action-packed tale of heroism and love in the face of unspeakable evil.” While it is a tale of heroism and love in the face of unspeakable evil, I would hardly call it action packed. As a man who has been trained as a spy, Nathan breaks every rule and makes bad decisions after bad decisions that I would hardly call him a hero. He often takes his own agenda ahead of his mission and forgets the importance of stealth and secrecy. While the explanations of the physics is appreciated, Mr. Balson tends to explain and reexplain repeatedly that it bogged down the flow of the story. Even the close calls and almost catches were melodramatic. The historical research is well done. Unfortunately, it was not the spy thriller novel I was expecting. It seems to be more about the budding relationship between Nathan and Allison than espionage. Overall, An Affair of Spies wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great either.
An Affair of Spies is available in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook.
The Dressmaker’s Gift by Fiona Valpy is the story of three women faced with impossible choices during a desperate time. Paris, 1940, the city is occupied by the Nazis, three young seamstresses, Claire, Mireille, and Vivienne, go about their normal lives as best they can. Each hiding secrets. After seeing the horrors of the Nazis first hand, Mireille joins the French Resistance. Claire becomes involved with a German officer and Vivienne keeps her secrets very close to the vest. 2017, Paris, Claire’s granddaughter, Harriet, arrives in the city to begin an internship at a local public relations agency. Still grieving from her mother’s sudden death, Harriet discovers she is living and working in the same building her grandmother lived and worked in many years ago. As she begins to learn the story of her grandmother, she unravels a story darker and more painful than she ever managed. How do they survive history’s darkest times and how will they be judged for those choices?
Fiona Valpy is a phenomenal storyteller! She has a way to open up the stories of the past through the eyes of those who lived it with all its complicities. The Beekeeper’s Promise (2018) introduced Mireille and in The Dressmaker’s Gift, readers can experience her story. Ms. Valpy doesn’t shy away from the horrors that were experienced during the war. Filled with emotional and heartbreaking moments, The Dressmaker’s Gift is a story of hope, courage and resilience. From the beginning, the story of Claire, Mireille and Vivienne gripped me until I couldn’t let go. Reading the choices they were forced to make and actions that they took to survive, I kept asking myself would we be able to do the same today? What would we do in times of impossible choices? I also enjoyed Harriet’s story as she finds a new sense of purpose and personal strength as she learns her grandmother’s story. I highly recommend The Dressmaker’s Gift as well as The Beekeeper’s Promise.
The Dressmaker’s Gift is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook.
Under the Golden Sun by Jenny Ashcroft is a story of how one decision can change the course of one’s life. March 1941, England, Rose Hamilton is desperate for a change when, by chance, she comes across a want ad. A companion is needed to escort a young orphaned child to Australia. There are so many reasons she should ignore the ad but she is drawn to the plight of this poor child. On a whim, she meets with the child’s dying great-aunt and within weeks boards a ship on her way across the treacherous seas during wartime against the misgivings of her family and her fiancé. After the long journey, Rose and Walter arrive at his family’s cattle station home but their arrival isn’t as welcomed as she thought. Rose is determined to leave Walter when he is happy and settled and his wounded fighter pilot uncle, Max Lucknow, is the key. It becomes clear that she has grown to love Walter and his new family. How can she leave him behind when he isn’t the only reason she wants to stay?
Ms. Ashcroft can be counted on for a beautiful story and Under the Golden Sun is no exception. I enjoyed each character as they are hardened by life’s harsh circumstances but through the magic of love and forgiveness, they find themselves softening and open to a better life. Though it doesn’t come easily, I liked the progression the characters go through as they face the demons they’ve been running from. I particularly like Rose as she battles feeling in limbo as she had suffered a terrible loss and life went on but she wasn’t the same. Even though the question of whether Rose stays or goes back to her life in England was fairly obvious; however, how it was answered was beautiful and heartwarming. It certainly brought a huge smile to my face. It was a hard book to put down as I was engaged in the family’s history and drama. I also enjoyed reading about the events of World War II through the eyes of another country. It isn’t just Americans or Europeans who experienced the war. I highly recommend Under the Golden Sun.
Under the Golden Sun is available March 15, 2022 in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook.
Tears of Amber by Sofia Segovia and translated by Simon Bruni is the story of two families uprooted by war and united by the bonds of love and courage. The Hahlbrock and the Schippers families are living quiet lives on their respective farms. As war breaks out, they shout in support of the Fuhrer and the Fatherland. But as war looms close to home, they must learn the hard lessons of survival. In the harshness of winter, the Hahlbrock join the massive exodus as the Russian army is closing in, leaving their future full of more uncertainty. Ilse Hahlbrock listens to the enchanting stories of the family’s young Polish laborer, Janusz. His stories of the besieged kingdom in the Baltic Sea keeps her mind off the cold, the hunger and the horrors surrounding them. Not far away, the Schippers family is also trying to flee from the Russian army while hiding out in the ruins of a mansion, holding onto the hope that their fractured family would be together again. Arno and his mother find themselves dodging bombs and scavenging in the rubble. Caught in the crosshairs of two warring enemies, hope is the only thing that carries Ilse and Arno as they learn resilience against extraordinary odds.
Tears of Amber is the type of book that you need to take your time on, stopping at moments when you need a break and picking it back up. Told in an epic style, Tears of Amber is the story of two families and their wartime experiences. The connection between the two families isn’t made clear until the end. It is heartbreaking at times but a story that needs to be told and read. I had read a lot of reviews that knocked down their rating based on the depressive moments. To me, that is not a good enough reason to knock down a rating. War is depressing and destructive with women, children and families torn apart by the actions of those in power. Tears of Amber serves as a reminder that while governments can claim victory, it is the people who suffer and survive to tell their stories are the true victors. It is a bit slow at times but it is a satisfying story of the resiliency of the human spirit and their ability to survive when times seem their bleakest. The details that Ms. Segovia describes is breathtaking and heartbreaking at times but she captures the horrors these people witnessed and survived. I highly recommend Tears of Amber.
Tears of Amber is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook.
Obachan: A Young Girl’s Struggles for Freedom in Twentieth-Century Japan by Tani Hanes is the story of her maternal grandmother, Mitsuko Hanamura. Born in 1916 in rural Japan, as the oldest girl of eight children and no money, she wanted very little in life. Just a place to call her own with a garden with lots of flowers and shelves full of books. A place where she could be alone, no need to share a bed, meal or clothes, with anyone. The only thing she could depend on was her clever brain and her determined spirit. She held her head high as she was sent to live with relatives at 13, hired out as a maid at 15 to pay off the family debt. She was desperate for an education, when she found a way to educate herself and leave the poverty behind. With so much against her, will Mitsuko find a way to break free and achieve her dreams?
From the very beginning I was drawn to Mitsuko’s story. From the countryside of Japan to war-torn Kawasaki, Ms. Hanes chronicles her grandmother’s journey as she fights for her dreams. Bound by the social expectations, Mitsuko secretly plots and searches for ways to escape to the life she has always dreamed of. Called ungrateful and selfish by her parents, Mitsuko’s spirit could have been beaten and broken by her lack of control over her very life. But she refused to give up. She would bide her time and wait until the moment is right to break free. And every time there was a roadblock to her plan, she would plan again. Nothing was going to stand in her way of achieving her dreams. I eagerly read as I wanted to learn if Mitsuko achieved her dreams. I loved her determination and tenacity and I loved that Ms. Hani included family pictures as she retells her grandmother’s story. I highly recommend Obachan.
Obachan: A Young Girl’s Struggle for Freedom in Twentieth-Century Japan
The Living and the Lost by Ellen Feldman is the story of love, survival and forgiveness. Meike “Millie” Mosbach and her brother, David, managed to escape to the United States just before the Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, leaving their parents and little sister in Berlin. Once in America, Millie attends Bryn Mawr and David enlists in the army and trains in intelligence. Now they are both back in Berlin, haunted by the ghosts of the life they knew and the devastation from the war. They are hoping against hope that they will find their family. Millie works for the army in the office responsible for rooting out the most dedicated Nazis from publishing. She is consumed with anger at her former country and its citizens. David works trying to help displaced people rebuild while operating secret nighttime activities. Living and working in war-torn Berlin, a latter day Wild West, where danger seems to be around every corner. Millie must come to terms with a decision she made as a girl in a moment of panic. Will she discover what happened to her parents and little sister? Will she be able to come to terms with her life now?
I read Ms. Feldman’s Paris Never Leaves You last year and I grabbed the chance to read her newest book. The Living and the Lost is a different type of story as she deals with the occupation after the war as many World War II stories tend to focus on the war itself and leaves the aftermath as an afterthought. As I read, I was torn. It is very emotionally, in depth, touching on topics that many of us don’t think about. As the story progressed, I couldn’t help but find connections to the events of the world today and I found myself asking what would I do if I were Millie? The Living and the Lost is not a book to be read lightly. It deals with heavy topics and I had to put it down a few times in order to process what I just read. However, the desire to find out what happens kept drawing me back. I like that the story ended with no clear cut answers as to the whys as life doesn’t always give us answers to our satisfaction. I enjoyed that Ms. Feldman tackled the events in the aftermath of the war and the tensions and prejudices that were present. I recommend The Living and the Lost.
The Living and the Lost is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook, and audiobook
Lana’s War by Anita Abriel is a story of loss, courage and strength in uncertain times. Paris, 1943, Lana Hartmann is a happy woman. Despite the Nazi occupation of Paris, she is on cloud nine. She is happily married to Frederic and she has learned that they are now expecting a baby. Her happy world ends in a heartbeat. While on her way to tell Frederic her happy news, she witnesses a SS officer shoot and kill Frederic because he dared hide a Jewish child he was teaching. Later that day, it becomes evident that she loses the baby as well. Fast forward three months, Lana is going through the motions of life when she gets the offer that will change her life. A man offers her the chance to stop the man who killed her husband. The French Resistance needs her help on the Riviera. As the daughter of a Russian countess, she has the perfect background to socialize with the community of Russian aristocrats who socialize and sympathize with the German officers who occupy the area. Together with Guy Pascal, she gathers information and finds ways to bring the Jewish people to safety. She doesn’t expect to become attached to a young Jewish girl left on her own. Will she succeed in her mission? Or will her attachments lead to her capture?
Lana’s War is the second book I’ve read by Anita Abriel and she writes a story that pulls you in and keeps you intrigued until the end. I enjoyed reading Lana’s journey as she deals with the sudden loss of her husband and their baby. At the beginning of the story, she is a woman without a care in the world, despite the growing Nazi presence in Paris. As long as she has Frederic, she doesn't care about anything else. She learns quickly that the war will touch you and everything you care about eventually. She’s prepared to do what she can to avenge her husband and their baby. I loved that intrigue and the uncertainty of who Lana could trust and who she shouldn’t. Even as a member of the Resistance, is Guy a man she can trust with her life? The relationship between Guy and Lana was also great as they treated each other with cold indifference before they slowly learned to trust each other. The story was wonderful, filled with suspense and drama. I eagerly devoured the pages as I wanted to see if Lana completes her mission and survives. Unfortunately, I felt the ending was rushed but it doesn’t take away from the story. Overall, I enjoyed Lana’s War and highly recommended it. If you love World War II stories and stories about the French Resistance, you will enjoy Lana’s War.
Lana’s War is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook
Paris Never Leaves You by Ellen Feldman is the story
of Charlotte Foret who survived the Paris Occupation in WWII with her young
daughter, Vivi to escape to New York City where she works as an editor for a
publishing company. She receives a letter from someone she has no desire to
speak to, wanting the past to remain the past, she ignores it. Vivi is now 14
year and has many questions about their life in Paris, the war and her father
who died in battle. Charlotte is unsure how to answer her questions as she
desperately wants to leave the past in the past. The alternates between Paris,
1944 and New York City, 1954, as she tries to leave the past in the past, a
story she desperately wishes would be ignored. She is no stranger to hardship, as
she is a survivor. Is her most challenging situation coming? What will her
survival cost her? Will she be forced to tell the story she is so reluctant to
reveal? The war may be over, but will the past stay in the past?
Paris Never Leaves You is a beautiful story of resilience,
love, and impossible choices for survival. Alternating seamlessly between 1944
and 1954, the reader is taken on a journey of an extraordinary struggle to
survive as Charlotte is faced with choices many of us hope we never have to
make. The switch between timelines is very subtle that if you are not paying
attention you will miss it. This book is a story that you must take your time
with and take in the imagery that Ms. Feldman paints and the story she weaves,
the twists and turns. It is not the story one would expect. Paris Never
Leaves You is a change from the WWII stories I have read before. I enjoyed
each character as they felt real with their virtues and faults. I loved the
relationship between Charlotte and Vivi. At times it was like a normal
mother-teenage daughter relationship and at others, it was a very unique
relationship. It leaves you wondering what you would have done if you were in
Charlotte’s shoes. I highly recommend Paris Never Leaves You.
Paris Never Leaves
You
is available in
hardcover, paperback, eBook, and audiobook
The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel is a story
of the French Resistance, the underground network which worked to fight against
the Germans during the French occupation. The story opens in May 2005 when a
German librarian is featured in newspapers as he announces that he wishes to
return the books the Nazis looted from their rightful owners. An elderly woman
sees the article and recognizes the book the librarian is holding is hers! She
sets out to Berlin to retrieve the book and remembers the events which centers
around it. The story then rewinds to France, 1942 when Eva Traube is a student
living with her parents. She gets a warning from a friend that the police are
rounded up the Jews and shipping them off. Not heeding the warning, Eva’s
father is taken in the night and Eva and her mother must now run for their
lives. They reach the small village in the Free Zone where Eva becomes a member
of the underground network and their dangerous work against the Germans. Will
Eva be safe? Will she survive? Will she be reunited with her father?
The Book of Lost Names is a gripping, heartbreaking
and inspirational story of a people’s resilience and fortitude to fight back.
From the opening chapter to the final pages, Ms. Harmel takes the reader on a
journey of heartbreak and danger. Every character was great. Even the villains
with their nasty attitudes are those you love to hate. I loved Eva with her
courage and resolve although she was a bit naïve at times. Based on the real
French Resistance, it captivated me as I realized that people did fight back
and at the cost of their lives to save many more. It is hard to imagine the
strength and courage these people had to risk life and limb for their cause. As
one character notes, “With courage and a bit of faith,” the individuals of the
Resistance did what they could to fight back, never truly knowing if it would
work or if they would survive. Many of the events and attitudes in the book are
eerily similar to events happening today and it saddens me that we still
haven’t learned our lesson. I highly recommend The Book of Lost Names.
March 12, 1933 marks the first of President Franklin D.
Roosevelt’s Fireside Chats. The Fireside Chats were an evening radio address
given by the president between 1933 and 1944 on various topics from the
economy, the New Deal initiatives and later the progress of WWII. Remembered as
a great communicator, FDR’s Fireside Chats kept him in high regard with the
American people throughout his presidency and he used radio to quickly spread
word about his policies and actions of government. Each chat lasted between
13-44 minutes and allowed him to directly speak to the American people as a
friend speaks to another friend.
Radio was fast overtaking newspapers as a major source of
information. In 1932, 42% of Americans had radios in their homes (Biser, 2016).
President Roosevelt wasn’t the first president to utilize the radio, President
Calvin Coolidge used the radio to deliver President Warren G. Harding’s eulogy and
President Herbert Hoover used the radio to as a campaign tool (Biser, 2016). Roosevelt
felt the newspapers were controlled by his opponents; therefore, couldn’t trust
them to provide the public with the correct information. Eight days after his
inauguration, he gave the first Fireside Chat as president. In the first chat,
he discussed how and why the banking crisis occurred and the resulting bill,
the Emergency Banking Act. As a result of this first chat, there was a great
turnaround in the public’s confidence. Within 2 weeks of the chat, people took
the money they were hoarding and deposited back in the banks. In future chats,
he appeals to listeners for help in getting the initiatives passed and the
audience responded. Letters would pour into legislators, urging their support
for all measures that the president proposed. There are many different theories
about who coined the term, “fireside chat,” some sources cite Stephen Early,
the president’s press secretary (Higgins, 2018), while others cite CBS station
manager Harold Butcher (Biser, 2016).
Many historians agree that President Roosevelt’s Fireside Chats
were different from other presidential radio speeches before for many reasons.
First, Roosevelt kept the speech of each chat informal. He would address the
audience as “My friends” or “My fellow Americans.” He liked to use common
analogies and informal conversational speech. 80% of the words he used were the
thousand most used in English; so that even the uneducated listening could
understand and follow his plan. Second, the chats allowed a level of intimacy
and importance to the people that they were truly a part of the governmental
process than ever before. One listener wrote to the White House stating, “It
made me feels as though you were really one of use” (Biser, 2016). As a result,
the American people trusted Roosevelt like no other president before. Lastly, for
many Americans, chats were a source of comfort. A reassurance that the
president had a steady hand on the wheel during the crises of the Great
Depression and, later, World War II (Biser, 2016). He would often urge the
American people to face the difficult times with patience, understanding and
faith.
Roosevelt’s Fireside Chats began a presidential precedence
that every president after him would utilize. With periodic speeches,
addressing the American people, first by radio, then television and later the
internet. On October 5, 1947, President Harry S. Truman would be the first
president to address the American people by television (History.com Editors,
2019) as well as other presidential firsts. The practice of a regularly
schedule address began in 1983 with President Ronald Regan who would deliver a
radio broadcast every Saturday. Roosevelt was one of the first presidents to
appeal to the American people as a friend and fellow American a tactic that
many politicians today are trying to recreate. Today, politicians hold town hall
meetings, an intimate setting, for the public to voice their concerns, hear the
politicians take on upcoming legislation or regulation or other various topics
concerning their communities or the nation. If they connect with their
audience, the way Roosevelt did is often a matter of opinion.
In conclusion, today marks an important day in history as
President Roosevelt held the first of his Fireside Chats. The utilization of a
new media and the skills of a great communicator, Roosevelt was able to gather
support for his policies from the American people who saw him as the great
leader to help pull the country out of the Great Depression and later victory
in WWII. He spoke as a friend, a neighbor and fellow American. By using the
radio, Roosevelt avoided being misquoted or misrepresented as the newspapers
often do. Today, politicians try to appeal to the American people as Roosevelt
did, some are successful, and others are not.
References
Biser, Margaret (August 19, 2016). The Fireside Chats:
Roosevelt's Radio Talks
A Prophet without
Honor by Joseph Wurtenbaugh is a novel of alternative history. The story
begins with the birth of Karl von Haydenreich and the tragic death of his
mother, Charlotte, while his father, Captain Henrich Haydenreich, is fighting
on the western front in World War I. Told through a series of letters,
telegrams and memoirs, the reader hears how young Karl is raised by his
stepmother, Rosamunde. Rosamunde was his mother’s best friend and a Jew.
Despite both families’ objections, Henrich and Rosamunde marry and have a
wonderful life until her death during the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918. Left in
the care of his father, Karl is groomed to follow in the family’s footsteps and
have a career in the military. When he comes of age, Hitler is coming to power
in Germany and the road to World War II is set. In 1936, Hitler sets his army
to occupy the Rhineland and bluffs the French and British thinking the German
army would retreat at the first sight of opposition. The bluff works and
Hitler’s military machine marches across Europe with utter destruction. In a
world where history took a different path, it is a story of danger, spies, and
romance. Would Hitler fully take over the world or would there still be a force
to stop him? Who would have the courage to lead such a charge? Is Karl that man?
A Prophet without
Honor is an interesting retelling of history if one event had taken a
different course. I have never read an alternative universe story before and I
found the idea intriguing. The characters’ voices and actions have a tone of
such accuracy you feel you could really be reading a book about our history. As
Karl follows his orders, the thought is in the back of your mind that he was
raised by a Jewish woman who he called “Mummi” Surely he couldn’t believe in
such hatred against the Jewish people. I enjoyed the story as there is no clear
hero or villain such as with life. I loved the realism that we often cannot and
will never know the heroics of the men and women who fought against Hitler. If
you enjoy reading a story about an alternative universe but reads with such
realism, I recommend A Prophet without
Honor.
We were Strangers Once
by Betsey Carter is the story of immigrants in America. A story told in three
parts. Part 1 opens in the Old Country, Germany 1890 with 21 year old Elisabeth
Arnstein meeting with Professor Rudolph Schneider about an illustration job for
his books. The two eventually marry and have their son, Egon. Egon grows to
love animals as his parents do but when it’s time to head to university, he
decides to study medicine. At university, he meets his roommate, Meyer Leavitt,
who is there to be a writer. As Egon graduates and establishes his practice,
the outside world starts to intrude. It soon becomes apparent that it is no
longer safe for Egon to be in Germany. He leaves in 1928. Part 2 opens in the
New Country, New York City 1904 with Rose McFadden in Hell’s Kitchen when she
meets Ryan Walsh. They are both Irish immigrants from County Mayo. They marry
and have four children which only two survives. Ryan soon finds himself unable
to care for his young family and he leaves for Chicago never to return. Rose
now must raise her children, Catrina and Kiefer, on her own. Catrina grows up
head strong and her path of failed love, she meets Egon. Part 3 opens as the
war in Europe is raging but America has yet to join the fight. Catrina, who was
born in America and Catholic, and Egon and his German friends, who are recent
immigrants and Jewish, learn to interact and live in the land of the free. Some
find it hard to assimilate and find the anti-German, anti-Semitic sentiment
become too hard to endure. When Egon is threatened to be deportation and returned
to his certain death, friends of all races and religions band together to fight
to keep Egon in the country. Will they be successful? Will Egon have his
American Dream?
I thoroughly enjoyed We
were Strangers Once. While reading it, I will guarantee you will be on a
roller coaster of emotions. Sadness, fear, elation but the one I felt the most
was anger. Anger at the horrible attitudes Egon and his friends experience as
they try to rebuild a life in American after the horrors they left behind.
However, I feel it is an accurate depiction of what immigrants experienced as
they came to the land of the free with dreams and promises of opportunity. Their
fight is real and the tensions are high. But somehow the different cultures
learn to come together when it matters. The story ends in June 1941. I would
have liked to have seen the characters’ reactions in the aftermath of the Pearl
Harbor attack. I highly recommend We were
Strangers Once
While You were Mine
by Ann Howard Creel is a story of one woman’s world coming to an end with the
end of World War II.
The story opens in August 1945, Gwen Mullen is a nurse in
New York City when she hears the news of the Japanese surrender. At her door is
the one man who will tear her world apart. A man who has come for his daughter.
Gwen had become the adoptive mother of Mary whose mother, Alice, left when she
was a few months old and her father, John, is presumed dead in Europe. With the
help of her German neighbors, Lisen and Geoff, and her new roommate, Dot, Gwen
takes care of the baby. John learns that Alice has left the baby with Gwen and
he is determined to find her. When he can’t, he returns to New York determined
to raise his daughter. Gwen agrees to help John learn how to take care of Mary
and ease himself into Mary’s life. Soon, the two become close and plan a future
together until Alice returns. Will Gwen have to say goodbye to Mary and John
for good? Will she be able to walk away?
While You were Mine
is a great story filled with drama and twists and turns. I loved the realistic
depiction of life for the returning soldiers. The memories, the nightmares, the
difficulties returning to civilian life are portrayed honestly and
realistically. The characters are real and relatable. You feel the heartache
for some, feel anger for others and you begin to understand the hard transition
of life after war. I recommend While You
were Mine. It’s a great story of life, love and starting over.
Sometimes the treasures of legend lend themselves to appear in real
life. The Nibelungen Hoard by Edwin
M. Todd is a mystery surrounding a treasure which disappeared in the final
months of World War II as certain German officials realized that the war was
ending and they were on the losing side.
The story opens with the legend of the Nibelungen Hoard with King
Siegfried of the Netherlands as he attacked and conquered the land of Nibelung.
There he accumulated a great treasure which he gave to his new bride,
Kreimhilde of Burgundy and the king is killed and the treasure goes missing. It
is said that “Whoever possesses the Nibelungen hoard shall be called the
Nibelungers and that the cursed treasure waits patiently to reappear.” Fast
forward to Beelitz, East Germany, November 4, 1989 where an old woman waits for
her grandson, Christopher. She must give him an important task, a task that she
wasn’t able to fulfill. Her last words as she hands him the family Bible, are
“Find. Give.” Rewind a little bit to March 1945, as Lena Mueller, a nurse at a
field hospital takes care of a young soldier who mysteriously appears. The soldier’s
name is Johann von Ritter, who was tasked by Himmler to hide treasure as
Himmler sees the signs that Germany is losing the war and intends to run as the
Allies are closing in. However, von Ritter does not do as Himmler instructs and
he hides the treasure and leaves clues to its whereabouts in two letters: one
to his sister and another he entrusts with Lena. Fast forward again to 1989,
Christopher must decipher his grandmother’s wishes as the cold war spies from
Germany, Russia and America are searching for the letters and to discover the location
of the treasure. Who can he trust? And will the treasure be found?
I enjoyed this thrilling mystery of the end of the Cold War with its
twists and turns. While I can’t say if the treasure is found, I will say the
ending left me wondering what other mysteries this story will bring. I hope the
author intends to write a sequel (if he hasn’t already) and give more to this
great mystery. If you enjoy mystery thrillers, I highly recommend The Nibelungen Hoard.
Letters to Loretta
from the Radio Shack by Laura Lynn Ashworth is a World War II love story
told through the letters of Sal, a radio operator aboard the U.S.S. Signet and
his lady love back home in Chicago, Loretta.
The story opens in January 1943 as Sal begins to write back
home to Loretta who is 16. At the beginning, their letters are filled with life
back home, popular music of the day and movies. They debate who is better: Glen
Miller or Artie Shaw, two of the biggest band leaders of the 1940s. As the
years go by and the war heats up in the Pacific, the letters from home become
fewer and fewer. As February 1945 comes around, Loretta writes to Sal but gets
no reply from him (as the reader knows that February 1945 is the battle of Iwo
Jima). As book approaches March 1945, Loretta’s letters stop, Sal keeps writing
in desperation as life on board is wearing thin. He continues to write even as
his free time is greatly limited as the Signet approaches Okinawa. The story
closes with a letter from Loretta after months of silence.
I really enjoyed this story and I highly recommend it. I
could easily imagine life back home for Loretta as she grew up in a world at
war and Sal, at sea, who is trying to stay close to home when he is so far
away. Ms. Ashworth really compared the era of the 1940s: the music, the movies,
the slang. Even though my grandparents didn’t met until after the war, I found
myself imagining what if this was my grandfather writing home from war to my
grandmother. The reader gets to see Sal and Loretta fall in love, have lover’s
spats and make up in letter all awhile aware of the timeline of the war and
where Sal is at that moment. Letters to
Loretta from the Radio Shack brings a human view of the events of World War
II. I also liked that the author, Ms. Ashworth, self-published this book so
that she could control the proceeds. She gives 10% of the proceeds to the USO (United
Service Organizations) and the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars).
Letters to Loretta
from the Radio Shack
By Laura Lynn Ashworth
Is available on Amazon for the Kindle for $9.99 and in
paperback for $13.39
Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner is the story of one woman’s journey through WWII in England as her life is torn apart by the London Blitz. The description on the back of the book says it all: “She stood at a crossroads, half-aware that her choice would find her down a path from which there could be no turning back. But instead of two choices, she only saw one- because it was all she really wanted to see…”
The story opens with Kendra Van Zant, an American college student studying abroad at Oxford, is on her way to interview Isabel MacFarland, a survivor of the London Blitz and who has refused interviews until now. Kendra arrives on the day of Mrs. MacFarland’s 93rd birthday party. As they settle down for the interview, Mrs. MacFarland opens her story with she is not Isabel and she’s not 93. The story then turns to London in 1941, as Emmy Downtree, 15 years old and her seven year old sister, Julia, are admiring dresses in the window of a bridal shop. Soon, Emmy and her sister are sent to the country as the children are evacuated from London. Even though Emmy enjoys her stay in the country with her foster family, she foolishly heads back to London. Her world would be torn apart on September 7, 1940 as the London Blitz begins. Emmy is separated from her mom and sister. We know that she survives the Blitz but will she find her sister and how does she change her name is Isabel?
I received a copy of this book through Goodreads as a part of their book giveaway. Since I have read a couple of books by Ms. Meissner before, I was anxious to read this one. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I loved the detailed about wartime England, the descriptions of the London Blitz were terrifying and the reader will get a sense of what it was like to be in London at the time. I loved reading how Emmy becomes Isabel and how she rebuilds her life after the war. I highly recommend this book.
Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner
Will be available February 3, 2015
On Amazon for the Kindle $7.99 and paperback for $15
