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Annette Oppenlander

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Annette Oppenlander

Goodreads Author


Born
in Solingen, Germany
Website

Twitter

Genre

Influences
J.R.R. Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, James Alexander Thom, Michael Crichton

Member Since
August 2014


Annette Oppenlander is an award-winning writer, literary coach and educator. As a bestselling historical novelist, Oppenlander is known for her authentic characters and stories based on true events, coming alive in well-researched settings. Having lived in Germany the first half of her life and the second half in various parts in the U.S., Oppenlander inspires readers by illuminating story questions as relevant today as they were in the past. Oppenlander’s bestselling true WWII story, Surviving the Fatherland, was elected to IWIC’s Hall of Fame and won the 2017 National Indie Excellence Award. Her historical time-travel trilogy, Escape from the Past, takes readers to the German Middle Ages and the Wild West. Uniquely, Oppenlander weaves act ...more

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Annette Oppenlander Hello Rhonda,
Thank you so much for reaching out to me with your question! I'm happy you enjoyed 'Surviving the Fatherland.' In 2002 I visited them in…more
Hello Rhonda,
Thank you so much for reaching out to me with your question! I'm happy you enjoyed 'Surviving the Fatherland.' In 2002 I visited them in Germany and asked them to retell their stories. I recorded everything with a small old-fashioned tape recorder. Quite often I asked additional questions so they'd go deeper. They were very open about the actions and occurrences during these years.

At the same time, a lot of the emotion you experience in the book is my interpretation of what they felt. Particularly my mother suffered greatly under her upbringing and was not able to express everything. It took me 15 years to get this story written and I think one reason it took so long was, to write it in a deeply moving way. I think writing the book helped me understand my parents a lot better. Sadly, my mother passed away in 2004 at the age of 72. My father is still alive at 89.

Thanks for reading and reaching out!
Annette(less)
Annette Oppenlander In 2012 I visited Castle Hanstein in Thuringia, Germany. Walking through the ruins I found a note about Knight Werner von Hanstein who'd feuded with D…moreIn 2012 I visited Castle Hanstein in Thuringia, Germany. Walking through the ruins I found a note about Knight Werner von Hanstein who'd feuded with Duke Schwarzburg over a beautiful woman in the late Middle Ages. I was hooked.(less)
Average rating: 4.28 · 3,934 ratings · 434 reviews · 42 distinct worksSimilar authors
Surviving the Fatherland

4.38 avg rating — 2,508 ratings8 editions
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47 Days: The True Story of ...

3.85 avg rating — 668 ratings5 editions
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Everything We Lose: A Civil...

4.35 avg rating — 165 ratings4 editions
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When They Made Us Leave

4.33 avg rating — 96 ratings2 editions
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A Different Truth

4.15 avg rating — 100 ratings — published 2015 — 3 editions
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Escape from the Past: The D...

4.17 avg rating — 86 ratings — published 2015 — 4 editions
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The Scent of a Storm: A Gri...

4.45 avg rating — 76 ratings5 editions
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Where the Night Never Ends:...

4.54 avg rating — 48 ratings — published 2019 — 5 editions
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When the Skies Rained Freed...

4.57 avg rating — 28 ratings2 editions
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A Lightness in My Soul

4.44 avg rating — 25 ratings2 editions
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More books by Annette Oppenlander…

Coal Dreams and the Kindle Storyteller Award

The German translation of Coal Dreams – Kohlenträume – won the Kindle Storyteller Award 2025 from Amazon Germany. Needless to say I’m over the moon about being selected. Just attending the award ceremony with Marit Bernson and Nika Lubitsch,  my fellow finalists, in Munich was super exciting. I met the jury, several book bloggers, fellow […]
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Published on November 24, 2025 04:32
Surviving the Fatherland When They Made Us Leave The Scent of a Storm: A Gri...
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Escape from the Past: The D... Escape from the Past: The Kid At Witches' End
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The Grapes of Wrath
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Blood Red Snow: T...
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Annette Oppenlander wrote a new blog post

Coal Dreams and the Kindle Storyteller Award

The German translation of Coal Dreams – Kohlenträume – won the Kindle Storyteller Award 2025 from Amazon Germany. Needless to say I’m over the moon ab Read more of this blog post »
Annette made a comment in the group Young Adult Historical FictionIntroduce Yourself! topic
" Hello,
I read and write historical fiction, particularly biographical and WWII fiction. Glad to be here and find out about new stories and suggested re
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Quotes by Annette Oppenlander  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“The endless tasks of surviving had become infinitely worse.”
Annette Oppenlander, Surviving the Fatherland

“the kitchen, his eyes bright with excitement. “I’ve been drafted.” At the sink, Mutti abruptly dropped her sponge and stared at him. Her mouth opened, then closed without a sound. I didn’t understand”
Annette Oppenlander, Everything We Lose: A Civil War Novel of Hope, Courage and Redemption

“We write in response to what we read and learn; and in the end we write out of our deepest selves.”
Andrea Barrett

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