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When We Meet Again
Listening Length: 10 hours and 20 Minutes
Emily thinks she’s lost everything…until a mysterious painting leads her to what she wants most in the world. The new novel from the author of international bestsellers The Sweetness of Forgetting and The Life Intended shows why her books are hailed as “engaging” (People), “absorbing” (Kirkus Reviews) and “enthralling” (Fresh Fiction).
Emily Emerson is used to being alone; her dad ran out on the family when she was a just a kid, her mom died when she was seventeen, and her beloved grandmother has just passed away as well. But when she’s laid off from her reporting job, she finds herself completely at sea…until the day she receives a beautiful, haunting painting of a young woman standing at the edge of a sugarcane field under a violet sky. That woman is recognizable as her grandmother—and the painting arrived with no identification other than a handwritten note saying, “He always loved her.”
Emily is hungry for roots and family, so she begins to dig. And as she does, she uncovers a fascinating era in American history. Her trail leads her to the POW internment camps of Florida, where German prisoners worked for American farmers...and sometimes fell in love with American women. But how does this all connect to the painting? The answer to that question will take Emily on a road that leads from the sweltering Everglades to Munich, Germany and back to the Atlanta art scene before she’s done.
Along the way, she finds herself tempted to tear down her carefully tended walls at last; she’s seeing another side of her father, and a new angle on her painful family history. But she still has secrets, ones she’s been keeping locked inside for years. Will this journey bring her the strength to confront them at last?
Emily thinks she’s lost everything…until a mysterious painting leads her to what she wants most in the world. The new novel from the author of international bestsellers The Sweetness of Forgetting and The Life Intended shows why her books are hailed as “engaging” (People), “absorbing” (Kirkus Reviews) and “enthralling” (Fresh Fiction).
Emily Emerson is used to being alone; her dad ran out on the family when she was a just a kid, her mom died when she was seventeen, and her beloved grandmother has just passed away as well. But when she’s laid off from her reporting job, she finds herself completely at sea…until the day she receives a beautiful, haunting painting of a young woman standing at the edge of a sugarcane field under a violet sky. That woman is recognizable as her grandmother—and the painting arrived with no identification other than a handwritten note saying, “He always loved her.”
Emily is hungry for roots and family, so she begins to dig. And as she does, she uncovers a fascinating era in American history. Her trail leads her to the POW internment camps of Florida, where German prisoners worked for American farmers...and sometimes fell in love with American women. But how does this all connect to the painting? The answer to that question will take Emily on a road that leads from the sweltering Everglades to Munich, Germany and back to the Atlanta art scene before she’s done.
Along the way, she finds herself tempted to tear down her carefully tended walls at last; she’s seeing another side of her father, and a new angle on her painful family history. But she still has secrets, ones she’s been keeping locked inside for years. Will this journey bring her the strength to confront them at last?
11 pages, Audible Audio
First published June 7, 2016
1897 people are currently reading
44320 people want to read
About the author
Kristin Harmel
28 books16.4k followersKristin Harmel is the New York Times bestselling, USA Today bestselling, and #1 international bestselling author of The Paris Daughter, The Forest of Vanishing Stars, The Book of Lost Names, The Winemaker’s Wife, and a dozen other novels that have been translated into more than 30 languages and are sold all over the world.
Kristin has been writing professionally since the age of 16, when she began her career as a sportswriter, covering Major League Baseball and NHL hockey for a local magazine in Tampa Bay, Florida in the late 1990s. In addition to a long magazine writing career, primarily writing and reporting for PEOPLE magazine (as well as articles published in numerous other magazines, including American Baby, Men’s Health, Woman’s Day, and more), Kristin was also a frequent contributor to the national television morning show The Daily Buzz. She sold her first novel in 2004, and it debuted in February 2006.
Kristin was born just outside Boston, Massachusetts and spent her childhood there, as well as in Worthington, Ohio, and St. Petersburg, Florida. After graduating with a degree in journalism (with a minor in Spanish) from the University of Florida, she spent time living in Paris and Los Angeles and now lives in Orlando, with her husband and young son. She is also the co-founder and co-host of the popular weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction.
Kristin has been writing professionally since the age of 16, when she began her career as a sportswriter, covering Major League Baseball and NHL hockey for a local magazine in Tampa Bay, Florida in the late 1990s. In addition to a long magazine writing career, primarily writing and reporting for PEOPLE magazine (as well as articles published in numerous other magazines, including American Baby, Men’s Health, Woman’s Day, and more), Kristin was also a frequent contributor to the national television morning show The Daily Buzz. She sold her first novel in 2004, and it debuted in February 2006.
Kristin was born just outside Boston, Massachusetts and spent her childhood there, as well as in Worthington, Ohio, and St. Petersburg, Florida. After graduating with a degree in journalism (with a minor in Spanish) from the University of Florida, she spent time living in Paris and Los Angeles and now lives in Orlando, with her husband and young son. She is also the co-founder and co-host of the popular weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,796 reviews
April 15, 2017
My first book by Kristin Harmel was charming, complex, well-researched, and nostalgic. Emily Emerson receives a painting from Germany, and in doing so, uncovers an enormous secret about her family. There were times when I had to suspend disbelief a little regarding the romance between Emily's grandparents, and I definitely could; but overall, it made the book "feel" more like a dramatic romance with a great historical backdrop, rather than meatier historical fiction. Written in two timelines, the present day, and around WWII (involving the POW internment camps in Florida), When We Meet Again was a compelling read about families, forgiveness, and finding peace with the past.
May 29, 2016
After reading some of Kristin Harmel's previous novels and loving them, I knew I had to get my hands on this one too. Kristin has proven herself once again to be a skilled storyteller. When We Meet Again reminded me of The Sweetness of Forgetting, but there are some differences, as well. Both are about women who are in a rut in their own lives, searching for answers about their grandparents' lives. The historical aspects of both stories was around World War II. While "Sweetness" started in France, this story started in Germany. Also, both women looked like their grandmothers. In When We Meet Again, we get the male perspective from the past, which I thought was interesting.
If I had more time, I would have devoured this book in one sitting. The mystery of who Emily's grandfather really was, and how she would even be able to find him, carried the story from beginning to end. We got glimpses of what life was like for her grandfather, as well. (Let's just say, the circumstances were heartbreaking.) Emily also had her own issues, such as dealing with the aftermath of her father's abandonment and the sacrifice she made for the two loves of her life.
Kristin has delivered another winner and I hope everyone gets a chance to pick up this haunting story of redemption.
Hollywood casting:
Emily: Elisabeth Moss
Victor (Emily's father): Richard Jenkins
Margaret (1940s): Sarah Bolger
Peter (1940s): Billy Magnussen
If I had more time, I would have devoured this book in one sitting. The mystery of who Emily's grandfather really was, and how she would even be able to find him, carried the story from beginning to end. We got glimpses of what life was like for her grandfather, as well. (Let's just say, the circumstances were heartbreaking.) Emily also had her own issues, such as dealing with the aftermath of her father's abandonment and the sacrifice she made for the two loves of her life.
Kristin has delivered another winner and I hope everyone gets a chance to pick up this haunting story of redemption.
Hollywood casting:
Emily: Elisabeth Moss
Victor (Emily's father): Richard Jenkins
Margaret (1940s): Sarah Bolger
Peter (1940s): Billy Magnussen
February 5, 2017
A wonderful book about a woman who finds a painting of her grandmother and uncovers a secret dating back to the internment of Germans in the southern United States during World War II. Nostalgic and bittersweet.
October 2, 2023
***3.5 Stars****
This is our next book group choice. I enjoyed the novel, but it was more of a romance than historical fiction…not my favorite genre. I do love ancestral research so the search for a mysterious, German grandfather from WWII was most interesting.
Maybe I’m just jaded in my old age, but the love story got in the way of historical fiction. I couldn’t suspend disbelief in the excessively romantic storyline, and the various coincidental family connections that felt contrived.
Please read other fine reviews because I’m an outlier on this forum and I’ll probably be one at my book group.
This is our next book group choice. I enjoyed the novel, but it was more of a romance than historical fiction…not my favorite genre. I do love ancestral research so the search for a mysterious, German grandfather from WWII was most interesting.
Maybe I’m just jaded in my old age, but the love story got in the way of historical fiction. I couldn’t suspend disbelief in the excessively romantic storyline, and the various coincidental family connections that felt contrived.
Please read other fine reviews because I’m an outlier on this forum and I’ll probably be one at my book group.
June 12, 2016
I really don't know where to begin and I am not the best at writing long reviews. I think I will stick to explaining my reaction to the book.
I won this book and was so excited to read it. I did not expect to love both the writing and the story as much as I did. The author, Kristin Harmel, is new to me but I loved this book so much that I will probably read other books by her in the near future. Additionally, this book was perfect for me because in addition to the wonderful story, it includes art, Atlanta (where I live) and a trip to Europe. A few of my favorite things!
The story takes place during WWII and modern day. We flip amongst the stories with baited breath trying to figure out what happened to Peter Dahler. The story filled me with angst as many of the characters in the book are afraid of love, betrayal, desertion and acted accordingly. However, it also warned my heart. The biggest takeaways from the book are to tell people how you feel sooner rather than later, always try to make things right, and to not give up on true love.
Bottom line - when you find yourself reading a book while brushing your teeth, sitting at red lights, eating your lunch in your car just so you can finish a book, you know it is good. Loved it.
I won this book and was so excited to read it. I did not expect to love both the writing and the story as much as I did. The author, Kristin Harmel, is new to me but I loved this book so much that I will probably read other books by her in the near future. Additionally, this book was perfect for me because in addition to the wonderful story, it includes art, Atlanta (where I live) and a trip to Europe. A few of my favorite things!
The story takes place during WWII and modern day. We flip amongst the stories with baited breath trying to figure out what happened to Peter Dahler. The story filled me with angst as many of the characters in the book are afraid of love, betrayal, desertion and acted accordingly. However, it also warned my heart. The biggest takeaways from the book are to tell people how you feel sooner rather than later, always try to make things right, and to not give up on true love.
Bottom line - when you find yourself reading a book while brushing your teeth, sitting at red lights, eating your lunch in your car just so you can finish a book, you know it is good. Loved it.
August 28, 2023
A beautiful story of enduring love and finding forgiveness. I read it in one sitting in 2017 because it moved me to want more!
July 14, 2016
I have very mixed feelings about When We Meet Again by Kristin Harmel. A granddaughter receives an anonymous painting of what appears to be her grandmother, who has recently passed, with an unsigned note essentially saying that her grandfather never forgot about her grandmother (who he abandoned), that she was the love of his life. The mystery surrounding the painting is interesting and engaging, and I did learn about German POW(s) who were put to work as laborers in America during WW II.
However, the dialogue of the characters, tells more than it shows, and it is not believable. The main character is 36 years old, but her conversations make the reader think that she is much younger. Additionally, characters who have never met start revealing intimate, hidden details of their family's history without any reservation or suspicion. The romance story-line was clichéd and sappy in parts. Further, there was no real credible explanation of how a young southern woman came to be so accepting of race and ethnicity during such an emotionally tumultuous time.
Historical fiction is tricky for an author and his/her reading audience because the historical time frame, the beliefs, mores and actual events, naturally limits the story as to plausibility. That being said, within parameters, I am willing to believe any story-line that the author puts forth as long as there is a convincing argument, well-developed characters, and a story that rings true, especially taking into account the historical time frame. I just wasn’t convinced. Clearly, I am in the minority as this novel is very highly reviewed and rated, but ultimately I was disappointed.
However, the dialogue of the characters, tells more than it shows, and it is not believable. The main character is 36 years old, but her conversations make the reader think that she is much younger. Additionally, characters who have never met start revealing intimate, hidden details of their family's history without any reservation or suspicion. The romance story-line was clichéd and sappy in parts. Further, there was no real credible explanation of how a young southern woman came to be so accepting of race and ethnicity during such an emotionally tumultuous time.
Historical fiction is tricky for an author and his/her reading audience because the historical time frame, the beliefs, mores and actual events, naturally limits the story as to plausibility. That being said, within parameters, I am willing to believe any story-line that the author puts forth as long as there is a convincing argument, well-developed characters, and a story that rings true, especially taking into account the historical time frame. I just wasn’t convinced. Clearly, I am in the minority as this novel is very highly reviewed and rated, but ultimately I was disappointed.
June 24, 2019
This book hooked me, and I read it all the way through in a few days.
Why?
A new book club I joined has been reading a few too many "ladies' books." After sticking with two of them (with the aid of audio versions), I abandoned the next two after 100 pages or so.
This was one of a similar genre.
Historical characters just like today. German soldiers who "disagreed with" Hitler's "ideology" and remained otherwise unsullied. Pretty much Jew-less Holocaust with universalized values of equality. Romanticized notion of love with your one special somebody out there somewhere. Heroes or villains. Ability to hit "undo" after twenty, twenty-five--or seventy--years. Implausible in multiple ways. Forgiveness as an obligation. Tearjerker.
Wait a minute. Is "tearjerker" a bad thing? Or, better, is this book like a drug? or could there be positive reasons it hooked me, above and beyond its flaws? Does it differ from the ones I abandoned, and, if so, how?
The author started out by making the young-lady protagonist a journalist in the context of the problems journalism is having today. The author did a good job with the present. She wrote what she knew. Of course, the main thrust of the story doesn't have much to do with character-as-journalist, but the character does use phone, computer, the internet. The author writes very naturally of people living in today's world, whereas many books seem to be set in an unchanged and imaginary present. The author has some facility with characters living in the present.
And then there's the fact she set the action in Orlando, where my husband grew up, and in Atlanta and Decatur, where I did. That didn't hurt. She made up some of her specific locations and street names, but she got the interstates right, that is, bothered to do her research.
How about the love stuff, though? Genre, maybe; canned, maybe. But there is Romeo and Juliet to be considered. This is Romeo and Juliet without the immediate denouement. Result: star-crossed lovers forever.
For what it's worth, this author knows how to play on the tropes of Western civilization. The reader may or may not be a full-fledged member of said Western civilization, may be "other" in some ways, I mean, but the home-grown reader (myself, I mean) has nevertheless been pickled in her culture and will respond as expected when the correct strings are plucked.
...As I wrote that, I was thinking "musical instrument," but then I saw could be "puppet" as well. I could watch myself dance as my strings were being pulled.
So it is that this one I finished. I think it's even destined for a relative instead of the Little Free Library.
One last touch: this book reflects what I call The Thornbirds effect, meaning that characters are impregnated after having sex one fateful time -- here, for good measure, not just once but in two generations.
Music to dance and read to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIGfw...
Why?
A new book club I joined has been reading a few too many "ladies' books." After sticking with two of them (with the aid of audio versions), I abandoned the next two after 100 pages or so.
This was one of a similar genre.
Historical characters just like today. German soldiers who "disagreed with" Hitler's "ideology" and remained otherwise unsullied. Pretty much Jew-less Holocaust with universalized values of equality. Romanticized notion of love with your one special somebody out there somewhere. Heroes or villains. Ability to hit "undo" after twenty, twenty-five--or seventy--years. Implausible in multiple ways. Forgiveness as an obligation. Tearjerker.
Wait a minute. Is "tearjerker" a bad thing? Or, better, is this book like a drug? or could there be positive reasons it hooked me, above and beyond its flaws? Does it differ from the ones I abandoned, and, if so, how?
The author started out by making the young-lady protagonist a journalist in the context of the problems journalism is having today. The author did a good job with the present. She wrote what she knew. Of course, the main thrust of the story doesn't have much to do with character-as-journalist, but the character does use phone, computer, the internet. The author writes very naturally of people living in today's world, whereas many books seem to be set in an unchanged and imaginary present. The author has some facility with characters living in the present.
And then there's the fact she set the action in Orlando, where my husband grew up, and in Atlanta and Decatur, where I did. That didn't hurt. She made up some of her specific locations and street names, but she got the interstates right, that is, bothered to do her research.
How about the love stuff, though? Genre, maybe; canned, maybe. But there is Romeo and Juliet to be considered. This is Romeo and Juliet without the immediate denouement. Result: star-crossed lovers forever.
For what it's worth, this author knows how to play on the tropes of Western civilization. The reader may or may not be a full-fledged member of said Western civilization, may be "other" in some ways, I mean, but the home-grown reader (myself, I mean) has nevertheless been pickled in her culture and will respond as expected when the correct strings are plucked.
...As I wrote that, I was thinking "musical instrument," but then I saw could be "puppet" as well. I could watch myself dance as my strings were being pulled.
So it is that this one I finished. I think it's even destined for a relative instead of the Little Free Library.
One last touch: this book reflects what I call The Thornbirds effect, meaning that characters are impregnated after having sex one fateful time -- here, for good measure, not just once but in two generations.
Music to dance and read to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIGfw...
Want to read
May 28, 2016I loved this author's last standalone and am looking forward to this one!
Emily Emerson is used to being alone; her dad ran out on the family when she was a just a kid, her mom died when she was seventeen, and her beloved grandmother has just passed away as well. But when she’s laid off from her reporting job, she finds herself completely at sea…until the day she receives a beautiful, haunting painting of a young woman standing at the edge of a sugarcane field under a violet sky. That woman is recognizable as her grandmother—and the painting arrived with no identification other than a handwritten note saying, “He always loved her.”
Pre-order: http://amzn.to/1WycVox
Emily Emerson is used to being alone; her dad ran out on the family when she was a just a kid, her mom died when she was seventeen, and her beloved grandmother has just passed away as well. But when she’s laid off from her reporting job, she finds herself completely at sea…until the day she receives a beautiful, haunting painting of a young woman standing at the edge of a sugarcane field under a violet sky. That woman is recognizable as her grandmother—and the painting arrived with no identification other than a handwritten note saying, “He always loved her.”
Pre-order: http://amzn.to/1WycVox
March 8, 2021
This is an entertaining, well-written, historical fiction novel set during WWII and in the present day. It is informative, heart breaking, and heart warming. It is a captivating page turner which held my interest from the beginning until its bittersweet ending. I am looking forward to reading Ms. Harmel's other novels with great anticipation.
September 16, 2017
3.5- lots of good things in this book unfortunately I was just wanted to scream- "we get it! They loved each other."
June 14, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I absolutely loved reading this very heartfelt story.
I absolutely loved reading this very heartfelt story.
December 28, 2016
I really enjoyed this book! The amount of research done was incredible-- and I learned about a portion of history that I didn't know.
It was a beautiful story that's about family secrets and the power of them.
I highly recommend it.
It was a beautiful story that's about family secrets and the power of them.
I highly recommend it.
June 20, 2016
I was very interested in the premise of this book, as I like stories about researching family history that jump between different time periods. However, I was hoping for literary historical fiction and this was decidedly pop historical fiction. The writing is amateurish, full of cliches, and has awful dialogue. Even more frustrating was the plot line in which one character (who was a young white woman born in the south in the 1920s) was mysteriously, unusually kind to a young black boy to the point of putting herself in harm's way. It was a terrible example of the white savior, which is both pandering to naive white readers and completely unbelievable without a very strong explanation and back story (utterly lacking). I just couldn't believe that someone living in her context was completely without any racial bias whatsoever. It's idealistic and cheap. I wanted to like this book, but it was such a disappointment.
March 15, 2016
I am an official reviewer for NetGalley. With that being said, I had the honor and privilege of reading When We Meet Again. I discovered Kristin Harmel last weekend, first reading The Sweetness of Forgetting and then The Life Intended. After reading When We Meet Again, I can honestly say that her style of writing is phenomenal. She keeps you asking questions the entire time. The way she weaves the stories in and out and the words, it makes for a wonderful read. I loved When We Meet Again. I love anything about WWII, but this book I could relate to on so many levels. We live once, try to live with no regrets!!!! I highly recommend if you love a good historical fiction novel, if you love a good story that has love and mystery intertwined.
June 20, 2016
Here's my blurb for this fantastic book. Love Kristin Harmel's work!
Centering on a lesser-known facet of American history, WHEN WE MEET AGAIN is a gripping novel of history, art, and the power of love. Kristin Harmel’s work is always riveting but her storytelling reaches new heights with a tale that is layered, complex, and satisfying to the last page.
Centering on a lesser-known facet of American history, WHEN WE MEET AGAIN is a gripping novel of history, art, and the power of love. Kristin Harmel’s work is always riveting but her storytelling reaches new heights with a tale that is layered, complex, and satisfying to the last page.
May 6, 2017
Oh the cheese .... so predictable and unrealistic.
May 14, 2024
This is my third book by this author and there is a familiar formula to her books. Emily has a painting sent to her anonymously the woman in the picture resembles her grandmother, this starts her on hunt to figure out the connection this picture has to her grandmother who has passed away. It is a dual timeline skipping back and forth from present to WW2 and forward. I enjoyed the WW2 history, well developed characters, the growth of Emily as the story progresses. This is a mystery and so much more, wonderful messages on forgiveness and love, leaving the past where it belongs and moving forward. The ending is tied up nicely, not my favorite book from this author but I still enjoyed the story.
March 23, 2021
A woman who recently lost her grandma gets anonymous gift of a painting of her grandma with a note stating that her grandpa never forget her. Had a compelling story but it didn't work for me, I ended up skimming most of the book and being very unfocused on thw story. The writing isn't bad and I think I could like another book by Kristin Harmel but this story wasn't it. Might be because I'm not much for world war II books
June 17, 2016
This book - This book. It hit me hard in all sorts of places. Parts of this story are so sad and gut wrenching. Emotional and unbelievable. But a story that offers hope too. The author tells us that it is never too late for family.
Kristin Harmel has the magic touch with amazing stories that you just can't help but love. A craft master in creating stories so realistic you can imagine being right there too. This book made me sad and had me crying several times, so much that I didn't even want to continue reading at one point. But I knew that there has to be a good part coming and I wasn't wrong.
With a story rich in American and European history, this family saga is one that you will devour. But don't forget the tissues.... And don't say I didn't warn you.
Kristin Harmel has the magic touch with amazing stories that you just can't help but love. A craft master in creating stories so realistic you can imagine being right there too. This book made me sad and had me crying several times, so much that I didn't even want to continue reading at one point. But I knew that there has to be a good part coming and I wasn't wrong.
With a story rich in American and European history, this family saga is one that you will devour. But don't forget the tissues.... And don't say I didn't warn you.
January 23, 2018
2.5 Stars
Very mixed feelings about this one. I wanted to know what happened next and was into the storyline despite my internal eye rolling. The issue I really had was the writing style. It was a bit too melodramatic and maudlin for my taste. Also, Emily, despite being a journalist, wasn’t a great researcher and really had a hard time linking facts together. She was a bit dim to me. The linkage of family issues were also too much tell when the show was fine. Still, I blew through this and it held my interest despite my issues with the overall book.
Very mixed feelings about this one. I wanted to know what happened next and was into the storyline despite my internal eye rolling. The issue I really had was the writing style. It was a bit too melodramatic and maudlin for my taste. Also, Emily, despite being a journalist, wasn’t a great researcher and really had a hard time linking facts together. She was a bit dim to me. The linkage of family issues were also too much tell when the show was fine. Still, I blew through this and it held my interest despite my issues with the overall book.
January 14, 2021
I only finished this because I found the topic of German POW camps in the US extremely interesting. I wish the character development had been better. The way the author tried to get the reader engaged with the characters ended up being a redundant describing of feelings (I mean the same words being used, over and over all throughout) which failed. I actually felt more for some of the ancillary characters' stories.
This is my second attempt with this author and I'm not sure I'll be making a third. This reads extremely YA (that being said as a young adult/teen I wouldn't have read this either so I hate to use the generic phrase of YA to describe something, especially when there are a lot of books in the YA category that are very well written). Better put: it was the writing style I had issue with, it felt very basic and undeveloped; and the storyline, it was predictable at every turn.
There were some good passages here and there: "..for every path you decide to walk down, there's a path you've decided to turn away from. Each fork in the road leads us further from where we began. And you cannot look back. Only forward. Otherwise you'll get stuck standing in place." In fact I think that quote sums up 3/4 of the book.
I finished it because I hate not finishing books, and because the *few* instances of actual history were very interesting.
This is my second attempt with this author and I'm not sure I'll be making a third. This reads extremely YA (that being said as a young adult/teen I wouldn't have read this either so I hate to use the generic phrase of YA to describe something, especially when there are a lot of books in the YA category that are very well written). Better put: it was the writing style I had issue with, it felt very basic and undeveloped; and the storyline, it was predictable at every turn.
There were some good passages here and there: "..for every path you decide to walk down, there's a path you've decided to turn away from. Each fork in the road leads us further from where we began. And you cannot look back. Only forward. Otherwise you'll get stuck standing in place." In fact I think that quote sums up 3/4 of the book.
I finished it because I hate not finishing books, and because the *few* instances of actual history were very interesting.
November 11, 2017
Ik was tot tranen toe geroerd door dit boek, waarin de zoektocht naar het verleden een rol speelt. Juist door deze zoektocht weet de hoofdpersoon Emily uiteindelijk familiepatronen te doorbreken. Prachtig geschreven verhaal. Het boek springt af en toe terug naar het verleden, waardoor je van de stukjes familiegeschiedenis die Emily in het heden terugvindt echt de emoties van destijds voelt. Aanrader.
November 23, 2021
Heartbreaking story
Emily was feeling down in life having lost her job. She looked around at what life had become for her. She felt alone surrounded by the losses her life had dealt her.
She received a package of a painting of her grandma. The mystery of the package and its note inside sparked something inside Emily to get to the bottom of her family history.
Her and her dad who she had a strained relationship with due to him leaving her when she was a child went on the journey together to find the answers and along the way were able to repair some of the damage from the past.
Emily on her journey to find answers of the past also had to find forgiveness for herself and the decisions she made as a teenager that impacted the lives closet to her.
The answers that were found from her grandmas past was heart-wrenching as the lies and deciet that surrounded her grandma's life had shaped the outcome of her life, her dad's life, and even Emily's herself.
The journey grandma Margaret and Paul had was heartbreaking due to other's hatred and lies that kept them apart and what they believed of one another.
This was a wonderful story, beautifully written. However for Margaret and Paul there wasn't a happy ending but pain of what could have been.
Emily was feeling down in life having lost her job. She looked around at what life had become for her. She felt alone surrounded by the losses her life had dealt her.
She received a package of a painting of her grandma. The mystery of the package and its note inside sparked something inside Emily to get to the bottom of her family history.
Her and her dad who she had a strained relationship with due to him leaving her when she was a child went on the journey together to find the answers and along the way were able to repair some of the damage from the past.
Emily on her journey to find answers of the past also had to find forgiveness for herself and the decisions she made as a teenager that impacted the lives closet to her.
The answers that were found from her grandmas past was heart-wrenching as the lies and deciet that surrounded her grandma's life had shaped the outcome of her life, her dad's life, and even Emily's herself.
The journey grandma Margaret and Paul had was heartbreaking due to other's hatred and lies that kept them apart and what they believed of one another.
This was a wonderful story, beautifully written. However for Margaret and Paul there wasn't a happy ending but pain of what could have been.
February 2, 2021
A very compelling read about families, their secrets, separation, regrets & learning to forgive yourself. This book has it all.
A mysterious painting sets Emily off on a journey to hunt for answers to questions that have always haunted her about her past. This book grips you from the first page. I thought this was going be a lightweight romance but i was wrong. It's about the importance of families, anger forgiveness & ultimately finding peace.
Highly recommended!
A mysterious painting sets Emily off on a journey to hunt for answers to questions that have always haunted her about her past. This book grips you from the first page. I thought this was going be a lightweight romance but i was wrong. It's about the importance of families, anger forgiveness & ultimately finding peace.
Highly recommended!
January 22, 2021
I was hoping to love this book like I did Harmel's The Book of Lost Names, but this book stretched the bounds of believability so much that I found the last third of the book difficult to get through. Just like an artist can work too much on a painting and ruin it, a writer can add too many plot twists and ruin the story.
February 10, 2025
Kristin Harmel is an incredible storyteller. This book had me glued to the pages. So so good.
December 1, 2024
This was the perfect chick lit HF read! It delivered just what I was hoping it would. An easy read, but still full of interesting details surrounding WWII. It tells a lot about the Germans who were kept as POWs here in America! It also said the majority of Americans had no clue that was even happening. It’s also a beautiful, tragic love story. I really liked the way it integrated racism from this time & the civil rights movement, as well as exploring generational curses & trauma, & death & grief. Glad I finally read this one!
“But maybe the world that lies beyond the sky is everything, maybe life is just a beautiful prelude.”
“But maybe the world that lies beyond the sky is everything, maybe life is just a beautiful prelude.”
April 8, 2025
I don’t normally read things like this but my librarian neighbor recommended it and let me borrow it, and I loved it. The mystery of who the FMC’s grandfather is, and the relationships along the way were all beautiful. Margaret and Peter😭 The love and heartbreak consumed and destroyed me.
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