In The Fields Of The Eagle

by Chad Lehrmann

In a time when the world is consumed by Nazi philosophy, one group of teens is willing to risk it all to oppose the rise of evil. Klaus Volk is a young boy born on the day Adolf Hitler first tried to take over Germany in 1923. Growing up in 1930s Germany, Klaus watches as his own brother embraces beliefs he despises and his family is torn apart. His parents and friends inspire him to take it upon himself to fight to free Germany from Hitler's grasp, and he and his friends form an alliance to frustrate and irritate the rising fascist powers in their hometown of Munich. When the iron grip of the Third Reich tightens, they decide to flee to the countryside, and find new and inventive ways to stand for those who cannot stand for themselves. Klaus and his friends follow in the footsteps of the real Edelweiss Pirates, risking everything to save those they love. Follow Klaus Volk's inspiring journey as he attempts to free his family, friends, and nation from the grips of madness. Similar to The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, if you enjoyed that book, you'll love this one.

This book contains depictions of violence and Holocaust and pre-WWII German treatment of ethnic groups such as Jewish citizens, Romani, and Homosexuals, among others. While these acts are shown for the evil that they are, they may be unsettling for some readers.

Genres: Historical Fiction

348 pages, Paperback

Published August 1, 2023

About the author

The only child of a family that lived on a ranch in the Central Texas Countryside, Chad Lehrmann learned early on to use his imagination to entertain himself. Creating stories in his head and acting them out eventually led to him entertaining the idea to write stories. He began this process in his teens, but life got in the way. After eleven years in ministry, Chad became a public school teacher in College Station, Texas. Working with teenagers (and raising two of his own), he began to read young adult fiction like Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. Combined with his love of the works of Stephen King, Chad began to recall those stories and ideas from his youth, but with a new perspective. Tired of explaining to his students that if he was not a teacher, he would be a writer, but doing nothing to validate that- he penned his first novel, The Sawyer Shepherd Chronicles: Rites of Passage. It would be the culmination of characters and story beats that had been germinating in his head for over twenty years. He hopes you will join him on this journey!

Chad still teaches at College Station High School, where he is currently the Psychology, Sociology, and Debate teacher. He is married and has two teenage daughters and as a family they love vacationing in the mountains (which are a strong inspiration for the stories he writes). He also has hobbies of woodworking and collecting action figures.

Reviews

[Carolyn M Caufman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Should be in all middle and high school libraries

I'm an older adult who reads a lot of WW2 books,both fiction and nonfiction. This adds another slice of the picture. Content and vocabulary are both appropriate for students.

[jeannette Dooley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jean38no

I devoured this book in one day. I laughed and cried as I read the tale of brave school children that took on the fight against Hitlers evil regime. How brother was turned against brother as one believed in Hitlers ideology and went on to become an SS soldier. A younger brother found himself fighting with the resistance against Germany’s murderous times. Their adventures lead to a brother being redeemed and finding his way back to his family before a the family was able to be united. I love the way the author pulls you right in to the story.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Stunning Read, Suitable for Adults Too!

This powerful book begins in Munich, long before World War II, giving the reader an inside view of Hitler's spreading malignancy from the onset. The characters themselves represent each group targeted for hate and persecution by the Nazis. The story moves along at breakneck speed and sugarcoats nothing so be prepared to be outraged and heartbroken. Although classified as "young adult" reading, it feels very adult. If I weren't retired, I would teach this novel in a heartbeat as part of my Holocaust unit. Since I can't, I will give this stunning book to my grandchildren. Deftly written to touch your soul...kudos to the author, who is also a teacher!

[Freyja Vanadis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had I realized this was a young adult book, I would never bought it. At least it was a used book, so I didn't pay full price.
I hate it when authors who write stories from earlier time periods write it in today's lens. For starters, pantyhose weren't invented until the early 1960s, so there's no way the kids could have thrown pantyhose at each other back in 1938. That was extremely sloppy of the author. And the way the kids talk to each other and had a way of thinking that simply wasn't done back then made me just shake my head. Maybe the young kids who read this book nowadays will think it's all valid and real, but it's not.

[Soni Barney · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!!! A MUST read!!! POWERFUL

This book gets deep into the brave, remarkable courage of the resistance that I am so fascinated with. A BRILLIANT story of loyal friends willing to fight for their country, family and each other.
A well written book that puts you there !!!!
Breathlessly running to escape the evil chasing you.
Crawling through wet-muddy fields to save yourself and friends. The deep sobbing sorrow of the horror brought on by a mad man.
An excellent read; WE MUST NEVER FORGET