Back to Bremen

by Cecelia Wilson

Edith Röpke, her seven siblings, and their mother have learned to be silent and live inconspicuously.... It is 1939. On the cusp of World War II, the city of Bremen holds its breath with quiet unease. For years, the Jews have been excluded from everyday life, persecuted at the hands of the Nazis. Now, all of Germany will suffer for their Führer's mad ambitions. In his quest for an Aryan utopia, Adolf Hitler invades Poland and Britain declares war on Germany. As Bremen's ports and factories bear the brunt of payloads from RAF Wellington and Lancaster bombers, Edith's childhood is shaped by unrelenting Allied bombing raids, streets strewn with dead bodies, and the ever-present reminder to trust no one outside the family. Seen through Edith's eyes as a child and through her memories as an adult seventy years after the war's end, Back to Bremen depicts her harrowing nine-week journey through war-torn Germany. It's the story of the fear of a child and the sheer determination of a mother risking it all so she and her children can return home. Most of all, it's a vivid reminder of how war creates countless victims, but hope can make heroes of the most common among us.

Genres: Book Club

208 pages, Paperback

First published March 23, 2017

Reviews

[Taylor Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Inge, one of the youngest children in the book, is my Oma. I had the amazing opportunity to read part of my family history I had never heard before.

[Jimmie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed!

[Suzy Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back to Bremen is a different take on World War II. In this true tale, a little girl journeys with seven of her siblings and their mother as they escape almost nightly bombing by Allied troops on their German town. With Father and eldest brother Gunter conscripted to service, Mother and the children must escape east until the war is over, then make the journey back home to Bremen.

I had the pleasure of meeting adult Edith, who was 3 at the beginning of Back to Bremen, and one of her daughters at a book signing over the summer. It was a great pleasure hearing firsthand the gripping story of little Edith and her German family and getting to meet the grown Edith and a member of her modern family.

I came home from the book signing and spent the next several hours devouring the book. It was too good to put down until I turned the last page!

[Christine Patke · Rating 1 out of 5]

incredible book

I am the first born in the US on my mother’s side of the family. My mama was born in Bremen in 1947. My Oma and Opa immigrated in 1951 to Canada, spent ten years there before moving to CA. My Oma, named Elfriede was the oldest of six and was the only one who left Bremen. I still have family there and connected with them when my Oma passed in 2013. My great Opa died in one of the bombings in Bremen 14 Oct 1944. Reading this book gave me a greater appreciation for the lives they lived during this tumultuous time in Germany’s history. We just returned last Friday from a ten day trip in Bremen, spending time with family was the best part of the trip. Bremen is beautiful and I just absolutely love the architecture. Thank you Mrs. Harris for sharing your story.

[Kel]

I don't want to give a star rating for this... it's not right. This was a story about some, a real someone and their life and issues and troubles. The book didn't resonate with me and I think that was because I wasn't focused enough. It's hard for me to read books about real people becaues it's not as flashy as those SciFi and Fantasy novels i like.
I was loaned this book by a co-worker and friend and he knew these people, he and his wife so he had that connection. I didn't know them so I didn't have it.
What I did read was okay, not bad, but not super grabbing.

What it boils down to... if you enjoy reading about peopes lives and this time period you will like this book. Very simple really.

[Lydia Grenier · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was privileged to meet both the lovely author and Edith at a special event. Both were utterly delightful, as is their storytelling! What a beautiful, poignant tale of a mother’s love for her children in wartime Germany. This book is quite unique, the first I’ve read from a German family’s perspective during WWII. It was very interesting seeing the war from their perspective. Her father was forced into Nazi service but her family did not hold to those values. Their struggle to survive with their large family intact was very moving. I enjoyed this book a lot and read the whole thing in one day!

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read

I couldn't stop reading until I finished. What a fascinating and heart rending story. I had read about some of the horrific bombing of Dresden and Bremen, but when told through a witness at such a young age, it has so much more impact. A friend and former co-worker told me about this book, which was of particular interest, because we worked with Edith at Little Rock AFB for a number of years before she retired. I am so grateful that her story was shared .

[Kristie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved every page! What a different view of WWII. A heart-warming tale of a family which, against formidable hardships, struggles to survive. I highly recommend it for its readability and engaging characters— real life!

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story! Incredible that it’s true.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is unlike other books about WWII. This book is about a German family's struggle to survive. This is a very readable book.