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White Picket Fences
When her black sheep brother disappears, Amanda Janvier eagerly takes in her sixteen year-old niece Tally. The girl is practically an motherless, and living with a father who raises Tally wherever he lands? in a Buick, a pizza joint, a horse farm?and regularly takes off on wild schemes. Amanda envisions that she, her husband Neil, and their two teenagers can offer the girl stability and a shot at a normal life, even though their own storybook lives are about to crumble.Seventeen-year-old Chase Janvier hasn't seen his cousin in years, and other than a vague curiosity about her strange life, he doesn't expect her arrival will affect him much, or interfere with his growing, disturbing interest in a long-ago house fire that plagues his dreams unbeknownst to anyone else. Tally and Chase bond as they interview two Holocaust survivors for a sociology project, and become startlingly aware that the whole family is grappling with hidden secrets, with the echoes of the past, and with the realization that ignoring tragic situations won't make them go away. Will Tally's presence blow apart their carefully-constructed world, knocking down the illusion of the white picket fence and reveal a hidden past that could destroy them all, or can she help them find the truth without losing each other?
Paperback
First published September 25, 2009
About the author
Susan Meissner
39 books9,855 followersSusan Meissner is a USA Today bestselling novelist with more than a million books in the hands of readers, and in eighteen languages. Her critically acclaimed works of historical fiction have been named to numerous lists including Publishers Weekly’s annual roster of 100 best books, Library Reads Top Picks, Real Simple annual tally of best books, Goodreads Readers’ Choice awards, Booklist’s Top Ten, and Book of the Month.
She attended Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego and is a former managing editor of a weekly newspaper. Susan’s expertise as a storyteller and her thoroughly researched topics make her a favorite author of book clubs everywhere. Her engaging and warm speaking style appeal to all manner of women’s groups, literary organizations, libraries and learning institutions, and service clubs.
When she is not working on a new novel, she enjoys teaching workshops on writing, spending time with her family, music, reading great books, and traveling.
She attended Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego and is a former managing editor of a weekly newspaper. Susan’s expertise as a storyteller and her thoroughly researched topics make her a favorite author of book clubs everywhere. Her engaging and warm speaking style appeal to all manner of women’s groups, literary organizations, libraries and learning institutions, and service clubs.
When she is not working on a new novel, she enjoys teaching workshops on writing, spending time with her family, music, reading great books, and traveling.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 326 reviews
August 17, 2011
I liked this book well enough, but was drawn more to the subplot than the ongoing saga of the protagonist's utterly dysfunctional family. In fact, I wished that more had been discussed about the two Holocaust survivors who were sent to concentration camps in Poland because of their participation of successfully rescuing babies from the Jewish ghettos. That story was both fascinating and eye-opening to me. The rest of the book could have been somewhat shortened if the Janvier family could have ceased in keeping all of their problems silent and taken several opportunities to simply talk with one another. That aspect got a bit old after a while - enough already, spill your guts and get on with your lives.
August 1, 2022
Two stories intertwine each other.
Amanda and Neil Janvier welcome their sixteen year old niece Tally into their home, while her father Bart is in Poland digging into the family history.
Tally's cousin Chase haven't seen each other many years. They just seemed to click.
Chase is finally facing his ghost of the past. When he remembers a fire when he was four years old.
he was saved and a baby girl died. Chase was doing a project for school about the Holocaust and meets up with two survivors in a rest home.
With Tally 's presence old secrets are revealed and the Janvier Family is brought back together.
Amanda and Neil Janvier welcome their sixteen year old niece Tally into their home, while her father Bart is in Poland digging into the family history.
Tally's cousin Chase haven't seen each other many years. They just seemed to click.
Chase is finally facing his ghost of the past. When he remembers a fire when he was four years old.
he was saved and a baby girl died. Chase was doing a project for school about the Holocaust and meets up with two survivors in a rest home.
With Tally 's presence old secrets are revealed and the Janvier Family is brought back together.
August 5, 2010
I won "White Picket Fences" quite a while back from another blog giveaway. I have to admit I had so many books to read that this one went into my "to be read pile" where it stayed for quite a while. The other day I was looking through those books for my next read. For some reason this one caught my eye. I really had no idea what the genre was or what the book was about. I just started reading.
The protagonists were three cousins as well as a friend to one of them. When I first started reading I thought it was geared to young adults, but after reading a while longer I discovered this was a story for all ages! It is a story of people holding onto secrets and not wanting to let them go for fear of what might happen - but in the long run the secrets begin to come out and effect those who are involved. This story is about the Janviers family who appear to have the perfect life to those who know them, but inside of their home more than one person is holding onto a secret that is beginning to destroy their lives from the inside out. Can an unexpected visit from their niece/cousin be the catalyst that begins a healing for this family. I urge you to read the book and find out. I believe this is something everyone can relate to at one time or another in their lives. I love it when I am pleasantly surprised.
The protagonists were three cousins as well as a friend to one of them. When I first started reading I thought it was geared to young adults, but after reading a while longer I discovered this was a story for all ages! It is a story of people holding onto secrets and not wanting to let them go for fear of what might happen - but in the long run the secrets begin to come out and effect those who are involved. This story is about the Janviers family who appear to have the perfect life to those who know them, but inside of their home more than one person is holding onto a secret that is beginning to destroy their lives from the inside out. Can an unexpected visit from their niece/cousin be the catalyst that begins a healing for this family. I urge you to read the book and find out. I believe this is something everyone can relate to at one time or another in their lives. I love it when I am pleasantly surprised.
February 13, 2016
Engrossing and enlightening, this book weaves the story of a contemporary family in emotional crisis with WWII tales of Nazi capture, escape and death. The author who believes all things turn around human relationships, takes a teenager's early trauma where he is desperately trying to remember key events, and introduces the family to two rest home residents who survived the concentration camp of Treblenka. These men, now in their nineties, express the concept of remembering as a function of need and capability. Do you truly want to know, are you capable of surviving that knowledge or is the failure of the memory a defense mechanism for something you couldn't bear to learn. The story is exquisite and the characters are perfect for their function. I could hardly put the book down.
June 20, 2016
I especially liked the two main characters in this novel - teen-aged cousins grappling with what to do regarding their secrets and their memories. I also liked that, although this is "Christian fiction," it was not "obviously" and in-your-face Christian. There were moments where you saw the family's faith and values impacting their thinking; there were other times when you didn't see Jesus reflected in their lives. Sort of like reality, right?! I liked this book, enough to try some other books by Meissner.
May 24, 2019
Eloquent, touching, and as always with Meissner, the ability to tap into true thoughts and feelings and portray them sensitively. She does "real" well.
April 1, 2018
I am such a fan of Susan Meissner. I have only read 4 of her books but look forward to reading each and every one that she has written and will write. She is an auto buy author for me. I love the way she weaves two stories from two different time periods together. I also love anything that has to do with WWII and many of the books I have read from her do just that. I also just find her writing to be so easy to read. She has a way of captivating you and drawing you into the lives of her characters. This book did just that. You feel the tug for each of them as they go through deep hurt and loss and the way she pulls them all together is just so beautiful. What a treasure to have discovered this author!
September 11, 2019
Decent premise and Meissner is a talented writer, but this isn’t so much a story about coming to terms about a family’s past during WWII as it is a morality tale with heavy Christian themes. It annoyed me that it was taken for granted that the Christian truth was the only truth and all of the POV characters were into prayer and church with no doubt or questions. I don’t mind Christian characters. Jennifer Mathieu’s Devoted is one of my top books. But to have no different point of view made the characters very samey. My favourites were the two holocaust survivors and they don’t have POVs. The main character Talley was two dimensional, more a prop than a character. The ending was also too tidy. Overall, the story lacked chutzpah.
June 30, 2018
White Picket Fences (2009)
• by Susan Meissner
A story about a treasure hunt in Warsaw, the gold and jewelry a Jewish family hid from the Nazis about 70 years ago and two aging Holocaust Survivors living in a San Diego nursing home (2008). Eliasz was born blind and Josef longs to know what happened to his love Katrine. And a child pyromaniac who has his mother worried. He's obsessed with the flame and even named it Ghost and has been collecting lighters and matchbooks. It's been 13 years since her son was rescued from the fire at the in-home daycare, but now she saw him entranced, staring at the barbecue fire and he seemed to be talking to it.
Bart Bachmann inherited a small box containing a few mementos and a letter when his dad (Aron Bachmann) died 2 years ago. His sister Amanda inherited his father's estate. She's the successful sibling, married with two teens and living in the right neighborhood with white picket fence prosperity. Bart leads a mostly hapless life, moving often, working various jobs (some of them nefarious) and seeing a variety of women, but he's doing his best to provide for his sixteen-year-old daughter Tallulah "Tally."
He has finally opened that letter and in it his father confesses family secrets and tells of the gold and jewels in a strong box, buried in the yard of the family's former home in Warsaw. Bart promises to buy his beloved Tally her own Corvette and a much better life once he unearths the treasure. They're currently living in a double-wide in Texas, which is a big improvement from living out of their car. Tally is to stay at her maternal Grandma's (Virginia Kolander) house in Tucson, AZ while he dashes off to Poland.
Unfortunately the old women dies and Tally's mom has been dead since she was an infant. Dad can't be reached in Europe, so Tally is taken to San Diego, CA to live with her Aunt Amanda and Uncle Neil. Amanda and Neil Janvier have two kids of their own, Chase age 17 and Delcy 13. Tally and her cousin Chase get along and collaborate on a school project, interviewing the two survivors who escaped the Treblinka concentration camp (death-camp) in Nazi-occupied Poland during World War II.
Chase is troubled over recent thoughts he's having about that fire when he was 4 years old. As a family they've never talked about it. Far too much of the story is spent with hand-wringing over whether they should talk to their son, mom's idea or leave it alone, dad's idea. Chase himself can't even remember whether he started the fire or not; Dad fears he did by playing with a cigarette lighter. A baby died in the fire. Of course the daycare mom was actually at fault; no batteries in the smoke alarms, children unattended while she's outside and her teenage son leaving a lighter where small children could find it.
Amanda is on her way to her own meltdown. She's upset over the fire argument and Neil seeming to escape into his garage-woodshop, their lack of communication and her recent infatuation with Gary, a co-worker (teacher) at her school. She's even started writing an "I'm leaving you," letter.
Eventually we learn Bart can't find the treasure, but has found another woman and a job. He's going to bring Tally to Warsaw for a visit and plans to keep digging. Why not just get a beachcomber metal detector, they're cheap and common?
Katrine was shot by the Nazis while rescuing little Aron from the Warsaw Ghetto. Josef now learns of her fate. Her co-conspirator Sofia shelters the boy. Sofia passes herself off as Aron's mom and assumes her identity, Marta Bachmann. After the war they immigrate to the US and "mother" and son maintain this fiction. It's easier than bringing up the past horrors they endured. Aron's real family all died.
Chase finally remembers it was another child who dropped a lit cigarette on the bed. When dad's garage-woodshop catches fire Chase overcomes his fear of Ghost and rescues Tally from the house. They plan to rebuild, its a wonderful neighborhood, and they'll rebuild their marriage through counseling.
Mostly a well-done story of the Warsaw Ghetto, Treblinka and surviving the Nazis. The "my son is haunted by fire" story is just too tedious and the "happily ever after" ending is as believable as this perfect family with their white picket fence.
The Rachael Flynn Stories
Widows & Orphans (2006)
Sticks & Stones (2007)
Days & Hours (2007)
Novels
Why the Sky Is Blue (2004)
A Window to the World (2005)
The Remedy for Regret (2005)
In All Deep Places (2006)
A Seahorse in the Thames (2006)
Blue Heart Blessed (2008)
The Shape of Mercy (2008)
● White Picket Fences (2009)
Lady in Waiting (2010)
A Sound Among the Trees (2011)
The Girl in the Glass (2012)
A Fall of Marigolds (2014)
Secrets of a Charmed Life (2015)
Stars Over Sunset Boulevard (2016)
A Bridge Across the Ocean (2017)
As Bright as Heaven (2018)
••
• by Susan Meissner
A story about a treasure hunt in Warsaw, the gold and jewelry a Jewish family hid from the Nazis about 70 years ago and two aging Holocaust Survivors living in a San Diego nursing home (2008). Eliasz was born blind and Josef longs to know what happened to his love Katrine. And a child pyromaniac who has his mother worried. He's obsessed with the flame and even named it Ghost and has been collecting lighters and matchbooks. It's been 13 years since her son was rescued from the fire at the in-home daycare, but now she saw him entranced, staring at the barbecue fire and he seemed to be talking to it.
Bart Bachmann inherited a small box containing a few mementos and a letter when his dad (Aron Bachmann) died 2 years ago. His sister Amanda inherited his father's estate. She's the successful sibling, married with two teens and living in the right neighborhood with white picket fence prosperity. Bart leads a mostly hapless life, moving often, working various jobs (some of them nefarious) and seeing a variety of women, but he's doing his best to provide for his sixteen-year-old daughter Tallulah "Tally."
He has finally opened that letter and in it his father confesses family secrets and tells of the gold and jewels in a strong box, buried in the yard of the family's former home in Warsaw. Bart promises to buy his beloved Tally her own Corvette and a much better life once he unearths the treasure. They're currently living in a double-wide in Texas, which is a big improvement from living out of their car. Tally is to stay at her maternal Grandma's (Virginia Kolander) house in Tucson, AZ while he dashes off to Poland.
Unfortunately the old women dies and Tally's mom has been dead since she was an infant. Dad can't be reached in Europe, so Tally is taken to San Diego, CA to live with her Aunt Amanda and Uncle Neil. Amanda and Neil Janvier have two kids of their own, Chase age 17 and Delcy 13. Tally and her cousin Chase get along and collaborate on a school project, interviewing the two survivors who escaped the Treblinka concentration camp (death-camp) in Nazi-occupied Poland during World War II.
Chase is troubled over recent thoughts he's having about that fire when he was 4 years old. As a family they've never talked about it. Far too much of the story is spent with hand-wringing over whether they should talk to their son, mom's idea or leave it alone, dad's idea. Chase himself can't even remember whether he started the fire or not; Dad fears he did by playing with a cigarette lighter. A baby died in the fire. Of course the daycare mom was actually at fault; no batteries in the smoke alarms, children unattended while she's outside and her teenage son leaving a lighter where small children could find it.
Amanda is on her way to her own meltdown. She's upset over the fire argument and Neil seeming to escape into his garage-woodshop, their lack of communication and her recent infatuation with Gary, a co-worker (teacher) at her school. She's even started writing an "I'm leaving you," letter.
Eventually we learn Bart can't find the treasure, but has found another woman and a job. He's going to bring Tally to Warsaw for a visit and plans to keep digging. Why not just get a beachcomber metal detector, they're cheap and common?
Katrine was shot by the Nazis while rescuing little Aron from the Warsaw Ghetto. Josef now learns of her fate. Her co-conspirator Sofia shelters the boy. Sofia passes herself off as Aron's mom and assumes her identity, Marta Bachmann. After the war they immigrate to the US and "mother" and son maintain this fiction. It's easier than bringing up the past horrors they endured. Aron's real family all died.
Chase finally remembers it was another child who dropped a lit cigarette on the bed. When dad's garage-woodshop catches fire Chase overcomes his fear of Ghost and rescues Tally from the house. They plan to rebuild, its a wonderful neighborhood, and they'll rebuild their marriage through counseling.
Mostly a well-done story of the Warsaw Ghetto, Treblinka and surviving the Nazis. The "my son is haunted by fire" story is just too tedious and the "happily ever after" ending is as believable as this perfect family with their white picket fence.
The Rachael Flynn Stories
Widows & Orphans (2006)
Sticks & Stones (2007)
Days & Hours (2007)
Novels
Why the Sky Is Blue (2004)
A Window to the World (2005)
The Remedy for Regret (2005)
In All Deep Places (2006)
A Seahorse in the Thames (2006)
Blue Heart Blessed (2008)
The Shape of Mercy (2008)
● White Picket Fences (2009)
Lady in Waiting (2010)
A Sound Among the Trees (2011)
The Girl in the Glass (2012)
A Fall of Marigolds (2014)
Secrets of a Charmed Life (2015)
Stars Over Sunset Boulevard (2016)
A Bridge Across the Ocean (2017)
As Bright as Heaven (2018)
••
January 11, 2020
I really like Meissner's books. This one was good. But it wasn't my favorite of her books. I almost felt like there was too much going on. I also got a bit annoyed with the Amanda character. I wanted to have the two old men's stories developed more. All that said still a good book, just not one of my favorites of hers.
Content: clean, no language. It does deal with the holocaust subject matter, death, and a struggling marriage.
Content: clean, no language. It does deal with the holocaust subject matter, death, and a struggling marriage.
December 30, 2024
Another great book from Susan Meissner. If I was to separate each aspect of the story happening from a birds eye view, I probably would have focused more on Josef and Elias’ stories or even traveled with Bart to Poland (and he would have had more exciting adventures than he did 🥱), instead of dragging on about Chase hiding toddler secrets and Amanda being infatuated with smelly old permanent substitute Gary. But maybe that is just me. Still, it wrapped up nicely and I’m always happy with Susan Meissner and will continue to read her books. This was an earlier written book for her so I know she continues to get better.
May 22, 2023
I loved the plot/storyline of this book!!! My favorite part was the discovery of family history & how it connected with the two Holocaust survivors from the nursing home that Tally & Chase happened to interview for a school project. Susan Meissner is such a great story teller & this book is no exception. I adored the book. The only part that really bothered me is there was so resolution mentioned in the ending to Amanda & Neil’s relationship. Super frustrating. Amanda is going to make Chase keep her secret? After he just found peace with his secrets from the fire? There should have been a part in the end where Amanda confessed to Neil her mistake of kissing Bart & they make an amends. & where Chase understands & they can move on as a family. Otherwise I loved this book & recommend it. I only gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because there are other Susan Meissner novels I loved more. Not my favorite of hers but I still really enjoyed the book!!!
November 17, 2018
I found the stories far fetched but I do love her books
May 25, 2024
The power of family unity, the significance of family history and mystery all in one page Turner.
July 10, 2017
I picked up this book at the library in a last minute attempt to find something to read. Recently I read Secrets of a Charmed Life and loved it! So I thought I would try another book by the same author.
This book, however, fell short for me. The characters and dialogue seemed a bit off and the main storyline wasn't compelling. There were also some character connections that were a stretch to believe.
I did enjoy the parts about the Warsaw Ghettos and longed for more of those stories instead of the main family.
This book, however, fell short for me. The characters and dialogue seemed a bit off and the main storyline wasn't compelling. There were also some character connections that were a stretch to believe.
I did enjoy the parts about the Warsaw Ghettos and longed for more of those stories instead of the main family.
January 16, 2021
It was an interesting story..
July 13, 2026
Typically dysfunctional suburban family book.
August 18, 2023
A quick and easy summer read.
May 31, 2022
This was just meh for me. I had a tough time tying the past/present storylines together as nicely as two others I’ve read of hers.
May 23, 2026
This book wasn’t as good as most of the books I’ve read by this author. It held my interest but was just sorta ho hum. It’s a generic story, a typical story, a story without any huge moments. Tally comes to live with her cousins family because her Dad is chasing down some hidden money his grandfather told him about. The cousins love each other and get along famously. One of the boys is traumatized by a fire in his youth. The parents are growing apart in their relationship but nothing momentous happens. Somehow in the end they are all one big happy family and all is well. Yawn!
June 29, 2023
This audio book was enjoyable as are most Ms Meissners books. It was interesting as she webbed together 3 different storylines. I did like the book just not one of my favorites by this author. If you’re looking for a quick read pal this one is it.
February 16, 2017
Not my favorite of Meissner's books....but I did like it.
May 28, 2021
A page turner typical of Meissner...two time periods (2008 and WWII) which she deftly weaves together. Tally’s spur of the moment dad temporarily drops her off with his somewhat estranged mom to go on a short secret mission. No one knows what happened when he doesn’t return. Tally’s circumstances drastically change, and she finds herself with her aunt’s “picket fence” family. Though a good home and loving family, unknowns and secrets from the past haunt the family and threaten to tear it apart. Meanwhile Tally and her cousin take on a school project to tell the story of two elderly Holocaust victims who were in Treblinka where their Grandfather also once was. Here the stories intertwine and unfurl.
I truly enjoyed this read and will continue to follow Meissner.
I truly enjoyed this read and will continue to follow Meissner.
October 11, 2016
I really like Susan Meissners books You can see that from my past reviews. Although this one was good it didnt keep me wanting to come back to it I felt they should have developed one of the stories more and one less lol That being said still a good book just not one of my favorites
December 22, 2010
Meissner once again skillfully weaves together contemporary and historical storylines. Her characters are complex and engaging, and her writing is beautiful.
June 24, 2014
This was a quick read, not bad either, kind of sad, but would still recommend it
August 22, 2015
Audio'book
October 9, 2016
I enjoyed this book and it held my attention throughout, no slow parts. I liked the way they merged the stories of the Holocaust survivors and the main story. Truly enjoyable book.
September 12, 2019
One of my favorite books of all time is Meissner's "Fall of the Marigolds" so I have been trying to read all of her books, and this one I was able to find in the audio version, and I'm glad I read it. Unlike "Fall of the Marigolds," this is one straight narrative, and It was easy to listen to --- it deals with Amanda, whose estranged brother doesn't come back for his mother-in-law's funeral --- he had left his daughter with the woman while he left the country -- his sister and her family (two kids) travel to the funeral to support the niece and they end up taking her in since there is no one left to take care of her. The teenage girl is about the same age as the son and starts to do a holocaust project for school with him --- they interview two elderly men who live in the local senior citizen center --- that's a secondary story --- another sub-story is that the girl notices the son has a secret --- evidently he was in a fire when he was little and he is experiencing some PTSD with it, unbeknown to his parents. The third substorm follows her dad who periodically sends notes to her about what he is doing in Europe. It all comes together for a good, solid conflict. I liked this book a lot, and I would give it more than the 3.6 that goodreads is giving it. It's a 3.9 to 4 to me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 326 reviews