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Postcards from Onkel Henry
Carrie Denzler lives an adventure, but not the one of her dreams.
She grieves the departure of her beloved nearly-twin, Henry, the last of four brothers leaving northern Germany to escape conscription into Otto Bismarck's encroaching army. At twelve, she travels alone on a steamship in search of a Brooklyn reunion, only to discover she can no longer capture her brothers' attention. She slings her mother's worn leather bag onto a train bound for Charleston, to a man she adores, children she has no clue how to raise, and domesticity that strains against her adventurous nature.
Carrie runs headlong into unwelcome expectations for 1880s women. She discovers her own inability to build the connections for which she yearns. She learns to make choices, but nothing fulfills her longing for deep connection with her most beloved brother. She yearns for the spirit of days spent fishing, flying kites on the beach, and playing pirates on the bow of an unfinished construction project.
A story of connection, loss, persistence, and getting close enough to the truth to let it work its miracles.
She grieves the departure of her beloved nearly-twin, Henry, the last of four brothers leaving northern Germany to escape conscription into Otto Bismarck's encroaching army. At twelve, she travels alone on a steamship in search of a Brooklyn reunion, only to discover she can no longer capture her brothers' attention. She slings her mother's worn leather bag onto a train bound for Charleston, to a man she adores, children she has no clue how to raise, and domesticity that strains against her adventurous nature.
Carrie runs headlong into unwelcome expectations for 1880s women. She discovers her own inability to build the connections for which she yearns. She learns to make choices, but nothing fulfills her longing for deep connection with her most beloved brother. She yearns for the spirit of days spent fishing, flying kites on the beach, and playing pirates on the bow of an unfinished construction project.
A story of connection, loss, persistence, and getting close enough to the truth to let it work its miracles.
313 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 23, 2025
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December 20, 2025
Louise Bender has a great way of dropping the reader right into the era and the mind of the main character. This book is a bit historical fiction and a great reflection on finding inner strength to face the world. A wonderful read.
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