Send for Me

by Lauren Fox

An achingly beautiful work of historical fiction that moves between Germany on the eve of World War II and present-day Wisconsin, unspooling a thread of love, longing, and the powerful bonds of family.

Annelise is a dreamer: imagining her future while working at her parents' popular bakery in Feldenheim, Germany, anticipating all the delicious possibilities yet to come. There are rumors that anti-Jewish sentiment is on the rise, but Annelise and her parents can't quite believe that it will affect them; they're hardly religious at all. But as Annelise falls in love, marries, and gives birth to her daughter, the dangers grow closer: a brick thrown through her window; a childhood friend who cuts ties with her; customers refusing to patronize the bakery. Luckily Annelise and her husband are given the chance to leave for America, but they must go without her parents, whose future and safety are uncertain.

Two generations later, in a small Midwestern city, Annelise's granddaughter, Clare, is a young woman newly in love. But when she stumbles upon a trove of her grandmother's letters from Germany, she sees the history of her family's sacrifices in a new light, and suddenly she's faced with an impossible choice: the past, or her future. A novel of dazzling emotional richness that is based on letters from Lauren Fox's own family, Send for Me is a major departure for this acclaimed author, an epic and intimate exploration of mothers and daughters, duty and obligation, hope and forgiveness.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, World War II, Historical, Audiobook, Holocaust, Germany

271 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2021

About the author

I was born in a suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, into a family full of love, support, and very little grist for the dramatic mill. I knew from an early age that I wanted to be a writer, and decided that my best bet was to make stuff up. My first attempts at fiction included a tragic story about a blind Mexican orphan, and a tragic tale about a horse who dies, tragically, in a barn fire.

By the time I got to college and enrolled in a few creative writing classes, I learned the adage, “write what you know,” and began churning out stories about the unhappy love lives of young, thin-skinned, near-sighted, sarcastic, curly haired girls. My first published short story, which appeared in a nationally distributed college magazine, used the structure of the game show Jeopardy! to trace the demise of a relationship. (I’ll take ‘the slow erosion of my self-esteem’ for $200, Alex.) I was pleased that I had finally created fiction out of my two favorite pastimes: tv-watching and borderline obsessive pining over unavailable men.

After college I moved around a bit, living in Washington, DC and then for a while back in Madison, Wisconsin, bravely conducting field research for my stories about lonely women in their twenties who can’t find a date. In graduate school in Minneapolis, I took a brief detour from fiction and began writing about my family’s history and the Holocaust, which was fun.

When I was twenty-six, I met a nice boy from Dublin who put an end to my anthropological studies of loneliness and heartbreak. Luckily, I had gathered enough material to last for a while.

I now live in Milwaukee with my husband and two daughters.

Reviews

[Regina · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know the blueprint by now. WWII historical fiction. Alternating timelines that weave between characters in war-torn Europe and their grandchild(ren) in the present. Said grandchild stumbles upon something that makes her want to connect more with that lineage.

And there you have the basic structure of Lauren Fox’s Send for Me. A notable deviation from the norm is that the earlier time period is not quite war-torn Europe, but rather Germany just prior to the war. We follow young Annelise as she slowly begins to experience the spread of anti-Jewish sentiment that will of course alter the course of her and her family’s lives forever. One scene in particular where her best friend essentially breaks up with her because of societal pressure is truly heartbreaking. I wish I could say I didn’t feel any connection between this part of the story and the prejudices of the world we live in today, but sadly it felt all too relatable... and cautionary.

There are sentences in Send for Me that are simply exquisite. I also marveled at the fact that I enjoyed the granddaughter’s modern-day narrative as much as Annelise’s. So why only 3 stars?

Because for me it was a wisp of a novel that blew in and out of my life without much fanfare. At a mere 272 pages, I formed no attachment. I’ve sat on writing a review for a few days because, quite honestly, I’ve had to rally to care enough to do it. It’s a good book. A fine book. And that’s about all I got.

Send for Me is the February 2021 Read with Jenna book club selection.

My apologies if you were as bored reading this review as I was writing it.

[JanB]

DNF. The writing style is not for me. I feel no connection to the characters due to the writing style. The story bounces around between eras and characters with no warning or organization.

When I see prose described as "beautiful" I know my eyes will roll. Some readers love it. I do not. This sentence is when I decided to abandon the book:

"Is elation exponential, does it multiply and circle and alight on everyone, sooner or later? Is it possible that she is not the only one? Does everyone else, on occasion, take flight?"

[Elyse Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having enjoyed “Days of Awe”, by Lauren Fox, years ago, I always knew I wanted to read more of her books.
So....when I saw this new release “Send For Me”....(with it’s beautiful book cover)...a short novel (217 pages), I read it quickly in 2 sittings.

It’s a quiet book ...character driven ....( a style I often love)....and I ‘did’ enjoy this novel...( in fact some parts were so truthfully forthright - especially shackles, restraints, and linkage between mother and daughter)....that I felt as though I was in the same room with mother and daughter.
But....it was also somewhat too thin in scope.

I loved the beginning ....GREAT START....I was excited: just what I was in the mood for: powerful prose with thoughts about ‘standing tall as a woman, regret, “Regret is a low constant throb”....
And a mother looking at her own intolerance of her child who is almost 15 years of age at the start.
Annalise remembered when your child used to be happy and helpful..
as a teenager she was dreamy and remorseful. Annalise struggled with her thoughts and even behavior towards her teen daughter.

It’s such a short book — so I don’t want to give much away... ITS GOOD...PASSIONATE.....PERSONAL....
family history, family relationships, ... moving from present day - midwest- and the end of the war in Germany ....we feel the love and loss between family generations....
But it was the authors notes themselves that put added special ‘wow- punch for me.

Where the novel felt a little svelte and scanty...yet tender and beautiful....it was Lauren’s sharing -in her notes- her journey in writing this book that will stay with me the longest. ....
And then....this one sentence....invigorated my ‘own’ passion for the entire novel. I just wanted to hug Lauren. This was a life changing story ‘for’ Lauren.....
“The names are changed but every word of the letters are true”

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of the story was good. The story jumped around and then abruptly ended. I want to like the book, but it is so unfinished.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

From a bakery in Germany, to a town in Wisconsin, this novel follows three generations of mothers and daughters. Annelise never wanted to leave Germany with her daughter and husband, leaving her mother and father behind, but as friends turn to enemies, Jewish businesses forced to close, unable to freely walk down the street, they have little choice. It is the opening days of Jewish persecution before WWII and they are lucky enough to get visas to leave, hoping to bring her parents over at a later date.

A quiet book, in many ways a sad book, but also a book filled with love. The special bond between mothers and daughters. Memories, cherished and not forgotten, lingering effects on the present, the future. New places, new challenges, friends, but difficult to adjust, to forget, overcome. Baggage, knowingly or not, passed down, what do we chose to keep, let become part of our story. Klara, Annalise, Ruth and Clare, mothers and daughters, loving, grieving, trying to make it through life with themselves and their relationships intact.

I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be reading more from this talented author.

ARC from Edelweiss

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book went off in so many directions that I’m not sure what the plot was. It also jumped between timelines way too much to even understand when and where we were located.

Instead of being split into chapters with dates and characters labeled so that the reader doesn’t struggle it was separated into 5 large sections.

I was very confused and still don’t know what the real point of the story was other than something horrific was going on in Feldheim, Germany and Annalise got the opportunity to escape it.

The storyline with granddaughter, Clare, and her reading the letters was barely there ( as it states in the synopsis) and if it was, it wasn’t well thought out or explained.

I feel like this author had one too many ideas all crammed into one book, which would’ve been alright if it was made longer and broken down better.

I didn’t like the open-ended conclusion that came out of nowhere either.

2 ⭐️.

[MicheleReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Klara, Annelise, Ruth and Clare are four generations of women who are bound together by love of family and the trauma that was created when the family’s once happy life, which began in Germany, was forever changed by the onslaught of anti-Semitism. Annelise, the central character of Send for Me, worked alongside her parents in their thriving bakery. She was a typical young woman. She dreamed of a happy life and had no reason not to expect it. Yet over time, the people she once viewed as neighbors and friends would no longer associate with her. The simple, everyday freedoms of Jews in Germany started to be taken away until almost none existed. Once married and a new mother to Ruthie, Annelise and her husband get the chance to emigrate to America with plans for Annelise’s parents to follow as soon as it can be arranged. This highly emotional story shifts to life in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In present day, Annelise’s grown granddaughter Clare is struggling with her own quest for happiness. She finds a collection of letters written to her grandmother Annelise from her great-grandmother Klara, who she is named after, and it opens her mind and heart. The letters will break your heart as Klara, missing her family terribly, awaits with great hope for her turn to come to America.

As historical fiction, this book is wonderful. Beautifully written with engaging characters whose emotions of love, yearning and heartbreak leap off the pages. But Send for Me is much more. While this is a work of fiction, it is lovingly based on author Lauren Fox’s family. The letters that are interspersed throughout the book are the actual letters written by her great-grandmother. The emotions of the four generations of women are authentic. And this makes for one incredible, haunting and memorable book.

Rated 4.75 stars.

Review posted on MicheleReader.com.

[L A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspired by actual letters written by her great-grandparents in Germany from 1938-1941 , Lauren fox writes a moving historical fiction about a family's powerful bond. WWII was one of the saddest, darkest periods in our history told through the eyes of the people who experienced is a sentimental treasure.

The fictional characters live a similar story. Annelise, her husband and their daughter make a decision to leave Germany for America during the Holocaust to escape what so many Jews could not. The emotional farewells of leaving her parents behind carries a guilty weight throughout her life. As they settle into their new surroundings, the letters between Annelise and her parents are heartbreaking as she frantically works to get her parents to America before it's too late.
A very touching, emotional read.

[Marialyce]

Quit at 60%. Between the overdone language and the abrupt changes, it was just one that had too much eye rolling (mine) going on! 🥱

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this novel, but it never grabbed ahold of me. I didn’t care for the author’s writing style and found the story to be boring for the majority of the book. The characters were very flat and didn’t really invoke any type of feeling from me, whether it be dislike, sympathy or support. Overall, I was just really disappointed with the novel and probably would not recommend.

[Marilyn (not getting notifications) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Send For Me by Lauren Fox was a touching and heartfelt historical fiction novel about the complex and beautiful relationships between mothers and daughters over several generations. The story alternated between Germany just prior to the onset of World War II and Wisconsin in America. Send For Me was Lauren Fox’s first attempt at writing a historical fiction novel. Her attempt resulted in this beautifully written story that was based upon her own family’s history. Lauren Fox grew up in the Midwest with her parents, brother and maternal grandparents. Her grandparents and mother had luckily escaped from Germany in 1938 but not without remorse, guilt and even possible regrets. It has been pointed out, over the years, since World War II and the Holocaust occurred, that many Jewish families had a difficult time talking about their lives in Nazi Germany even after the war and the Holocaust were long over. Many that survived or were lucky enough to escape were burdened with feelings of guilt and remorse. Lauren Fox’s grandparents were no exception. Their overprotective ways toward her and her brother spoke volumes about all they kept bottled up deep inside them. It wasn’t until Lauren Fox was in her twenties and her grandparents had come to live with her family that she discovered a very old box of letters that her great-grandmother had written to her grandmother that were dated between 1938 to 1941. Through those letters, Lauren Fox was able to put the pieces of her own family history together and write Send For Me.

In Feldenheim, Germany, a family owned bakery thrived and proved to be popular and successful with all its customers. Klara and her husband Julius and their only child, Annelise, began each day before sunrise, suffered through the heat of the afternoons and painstakingly measured each ingredient and paid close attention to the timing of all they prepared, baked and displayed in their bakery. Klara was not outwardly affectionate toward Annelise but she loved her daughter with her whole heart. The bakery, Klara’s pride and livelihood, demanded so much of her time and energy, that sometimes there just wasn’t time for those outwardly affections. Klara was determined to train Annelise “ to function without her.” “ A mother teaches her daughter to perpetuate the tedious rituals of of her own imperfect life.” In Klara’s private thoughts, “ she aches for the moments she didn’t touch Annelise as she passed, the times she didn’t praise her beautiful cello playing; how easy it would be to whisper to her what she is, my treasure, to kiss her dark head. Regret is a low, constant throb.” It wasn’t until Annelise married and had a child of her own that Annelise recognized the love her mother had for her and now for her young granddaughter. As things got worse in Germany for the Jews, Annelise and her husband, Walter, were granted the opportunity to escape Germany to America but they had to go without Annelise’s parents. There would not be a day that Annelise would not question herself about how her mother would have done something, accomplished a task or what she would have said in a given situation. Annelise would never give up hope of trying to bring her parents to America.

In America, in a city in the Midwest, Clare, Annelise’s granddaughter, found herself in love with a man who had a son from a previous marriage. The young son lived in England, where Matthew, Clare’s boyfriend, was from. Shortly before Clare joined Matthew on a trip to England to visit his son, Clare discovered a collection of letters that her great-grandmother had written and sent from Germany during World War II. As Clare began to read the letters from her great-grandmother, she began to understand the complex history and relationships the women in her family shared. That new information and insight made the decision Clare was going to be forced to make very difficult. Clare could hear the thoughts in her head. “I don’t think...I’m just really connected to my parents. I can’t live so far away from them.” Could Clare live with herself if she choose to move away from her mother and choose a life with the man she loved? Would her complicated family history influence her decision?

Send For Me by Lauren Fox was more about the inter generational relationship between the mothers and daughters in Lauren Fox’s family than the horrific and specific circumstances of the Holocaust and World War II. It was about hope, forgiveness, love between parent and child, heartbreak and the past vs the future. Send For Me was a tender and thoughtful story that weighed heavily upon decisions that were made out of necessity and discovery. I enjoyed the snippets of the actual letters that Lauren Fox interjected within the pages of this book. They really gave insight to what was occurring in Germany and the sadness that was truly felt through separation. This was the first book that I read by Lauren Fox but I would definitely read other books by her. I highly recommend this book.

[MaryBeth's Bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is a bit different from all the other historical fiction books I have read about World War II and the Holocaust. Set in dual timelines, we first meet Anneliese, a young girl growing up in Germany in the late 1930's. We see more of what happened before the camps; how the Nazi's slowly closed the noose around the Jews' necks by first kicking them out of schools and closing their businesses. Anneliese and her husband, Walter, are lucky enough to emigrate to America. But, at the cost of leaving their families behind.

Two generations later, we meet Clare, who faces her own struggles. When she finds a box filled with letters from the past, she begins to understand the sacrifices made by her family during a most horrific time.

This book is beautiful. The writing is just gorgeous, and heartbreaking, and profound. I loved the letters, written from a mother to a daughter, that punctuated the story. Those letters were even more important when I read the author's note and realized that they were taken from real letters between the author's great-grandmother and grandmother during a most tragic period in history. But, I felt like the story only skimmed the surface and I didn't have a chance to really connect with the story. It almost felt like one of of those silent movies that jumps from frame to frame before you really have a chance to fully understand the depth of what is happening. I still liked the book and I am glad that I read it. As the granddaughter of Holocaust survivor's I appreciated the author sharing her story.

[Carol Kluznik · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sweet story about the impact of Nazi Germany on 3 generations of a Jewish family. It was hard to differentiate characters so I put together a family tree. It helped but the reader shouldn’t have to do that.

[Lesley Kagen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucky me, I was able to read an ARC of SEND FOR ME and was absolutely enthralled. Touching and so beautifully written. I think it's her best.

[Cheri McElroy · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️

A quick, easy read of a Jewish family torn apart during WWII. The abrupt ending reduced this to three stars for me.

[Anuradha Rajurkar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the privilege of reading an advanced copy of SEND FOR ME, and am still reeling from its brilliance and emotional resonance. A powerful intergenerational story that deftly explores the trauma of leaving family behind during the insidious rise of Nazi Germany, SEND FOR ME follows the life of Annelise, who grows up working at her Jewish parents' bakery. Soon after she marries and has a daughter, the dangers in Germany begin to reveal themselves. The three of them have the chance to emigrate to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and they take it, promising that once they're settled, they will send for Annelise's parents to join them in America.

The author gives us a finely attuned view into the life of Annelise and her daughter, Ruthie, and what it means to be a recent first-generation Jewish immigrant in America amid seemingly fruitless attempts to reunite your family. One of the most breathtaking aspects of the story is the present-day scenes told through the eyes of Annelise's granddaughter, Clare, who stumbles upon a trove of letters written by her great-grandmother to her grandmother, Annelise. The storyline seamlessly moves us through its different eras, spinning a complex tapestry of a family managing generational trauma, longing, and guilt amid the everyday joys of family and romantic love. The ending is profound: moving, simple, and pitch-perfect.

Lauren Fox's oeuvre is luminous; her other novels to date are gorgeously written stories of love, loss, humor and the beauty in our fallibility. This work of fiction is all of that but dives deeper and feels ever more personal, revealing the author's staggering range. I cannot recommend this book enough; its loveable characters brim with humanity, and their story will leave its indelible mark on your soul. Five stars.

[Andrew Kincaid · Rating 5 out of 5]

An epic wrapped up in prose dipped in poetry. What Lauren Fox has created here is phenomenal; she has packed a history of generational loss and renewal into an emotional, fast-faced, lyrical drama. This book will move you, teach you, undo you, and repair you. It's brilliant!

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

What is the absence of fear? It’s not courage. Is it boredom? Is it peace? (p 386 Send for Me)

Author Lauren Fox draws from her own family memories and letters she discovered in the family’s basement that were written by her great-grandmother. Send for Me is the fictionalized version of her family’s story, three generations of mothers, daughters, grandmothers.

I wish I could say that I loved this book. The opening pages failed to connect, but I stuck with it. While I became involved in the story and grew curious about the outcome of the characters' plights, I failed to find it “emotional,” as many reviewers have termed it. I felt a growing sense of the fear of being left that builds, both in Annelise’s experience and behind the words of her mother’s letters, each sounding more desperate. However, without details of what is going on in Germany in those pre-war times, there seemed a sense of detachment on the part of Annelise. She certainly missed her parents, but she had her new life in America, her own family now. I didn’t feel urgency or worry, at least not as much as I thought I should have, for her parents.

I found the changes in time, place, and perspective challenging and confusing at times, more so than in other books, and for quite a while I had difficulty keeping track of who was mother, daughter, child. There was no character that I truly loved, and while there is a fog of sadness pressing down, causing a heavy atmosphere through much of the novel, I felt like an outsider watching it rather than experiencing it.

That’s not to say that I didn’t feel the tension when family members expressed feelings of hesitancy or frustrations over being shunned by customers, friends, and neighbors. Or the danger they sensed whenever their papers were requested. But I did wonder how some were able to emigrate while others were not, why the strict regulations against Lise’s parents, for example? And once Annelise and Walter were safely ensconced in Milwaukee, I wondered why Lise did not express more concern for her parents or follow the events in Germany more closely, especially since her mother did not answer her questions. I found that frustrating at times. It is her granddaughter, Clare, who finds the letters and shows a real interest in the background of her German Jewish family.

I did admire those who gave up everything familiar to emigrate to strange new countries in order to save themselves and their children from danger. The focus throughout is very much on family and the things that bind them together – shared work, food, relationships, the rigors of daily life, and the hope of a better future.

3 stars

[Chelsey (a_novel_idea11) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a unique book that primarily takes place just before WWII. It covers three generations of women and the impact of Annelise fleeing Germany during the Nazi occupation. It’s a story about mothers and daughters, love and loss, and the trauma that is passed on from generation to generation.

This is a beautifully written novel and I loved the fresh perspective of WWII. Often, WWII novels begin during the occupation and the prior stories of the years of brainwashing and discrimination are pushed aside.

I felt that though this was ultimately a beautiful and heartbreaking book, so much was left unsaid. Much of the themes and feelings were insinuated and the vagueness left me feeling disconnected from the story and the characters. The novel also weaves and intermingles the stories of the different women and it was often hard to keep track of who was who and how they were related.

I loved that the author used real letters to add to the story, but often they too felt vague and even random and I didn’t really understand where they were coming from or what their purpose was until much farther in the book.

Ultimately this was a miss for me and not one I would be inclined to recommend unless you have a real passion for the WWII genre and are seeking something unique. However, I did love the conversations it sparked with my literary lovelies and as an incredibly quick read, I am glad I read it.

[Karl Jorgenson · Rating 2 out of 5]

If we categorize a book by its most prevalent topic, this book is about the joy of motherhood, and how flirting, falling in love, and marrying a young man can lead to that. This is the majority of the book, spread across three generations. Shocking plot spoiler: every generation is inexperienced before they gain experience, with boys, men, and motherhood. Every generation progresses in exactly the same way in this book, and every young mother becomes the most loving mother ever, matching her own mother. Running a close second for topics, this book is about color and texture. Every room, every yard, every person, every thing the characters see is lovingly described for its vibrant colors, contrasts, and complementary hues. It's not a long book, so only a few words are devoted to the background of the first part--Germany under the Nazis in the early days. Customers boycotted their bakery, non-Jews said mean things, and they were all worried. The Holocaust is not in this book. Probably because the important characters moved to Milwaukee before the war, as did the Author's family. Although the reader may imagine the horrors that went on in nineteen-forties Germany, this story is not here. Instead, revel in the story of a mother who made the perfect escape with her perfect family, fitted into American society and raised her perfect daughter to be a perfect mother. Alas, it was not the story I was interested in.

[Kayla · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book has two major flaws: organization and writing.

Throughout the book, the reader follows multiple women of the same family through multiple time lines. Most of the time, it was difficult to keep track of who was who, relationships, and how the various scenes were related. There were various scenes that seemed to have no significance, which only made it even more difficult to keep track bouncing around between 4 women and other characters. The constant flip flopping between characters made it difficult to form any connection with the main characters (exception: the longer section that exclusively follows Annelise).

I feel that this book could’ve been organized better to make the timelines make more sense and to help the reader connect to the main characters. I liked that there were passages from letters; however, many of them were one lines and it was hard to determine if they were telling a story collectively or setting the scene following it. I also have no idea what eras the timelines involving Clare. There’s no cultural hints to suggest a decade. Actually, no current/cultural events impact later characters outside of Nazi Germany. Even the impact of the rise in Nazi support was muffled by characters that have complete disdain. This must be a familial trait because there’s clearly a reason why Clare has issues finding a boyfriend she likes and moving out of her comfort zone. Compromise is not in their vocabulary.

There was no climax to the story and if there was (I have my suspicions), it barely stuck out from the monotonous narrative mindlessly hoping between characters. Multiple flaws contributed to the lack luster climax and resolution, but overall, the ending didn’t tie up any loose ends. The narrative is also riddled with similes galore. At times, it was overwhelming and others comical... but not in a good way (ex the 7-11 hotdogs). I only finished this book because it was an easy read.

[Dallas Strawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great and that’s pretty much all I have to say. 🤷🏻🤷🏻🤷🏻

It’s a WWII book. You know the story. And it’s just missing the magical writing quality/great characters that so many other WWII books have.

[Sara Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️2.5 rounded up to 3.
This story had great potential, but unfortunately the constantly changing POVs (with no indication that it was changing) made this feel choppy and confusing. I had a hard time connecting to the characters because of this and had to spend a lot of time trying to figure out what generation I was in and who was talking. An year or location indicator at the beggining of each chapter/section would have helped so much.

Also it was pretty short so I didn’t have much time to become attached to the characters.

I love a WWII historical fiction novel, this one just didn’t quick hit the mark for me.

[Mary McBride · Rating 5 out of 5]

Send For Me follows three generations of a Jewish family in Germany prior to WWII. Its about the bonds between mothers and daughters and the sacrifices made to keep their families safe. And the longing for the life you left behind as you move to a new country hoping to make a new life.
Based on her grandmothers letters, Lauren Fox has written a timeless and heartbreaking story threaded with love and family and war. Loved it.
What a great choice for book clubs.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful start to the year with an amazing historical fiction book <3 happy new year

[Book Concierge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book on CD read by Natasha Soudek


This is an historical fiction work set both in 1930s Germany and in contemporary Wisconsin, that tells the one family’s story. Annelise is the daughter of a loving couple who own a bakery in Feldenheim, Germany. They are Jewish but not particularly religious or observant, so when they begin to hear of the anti-Jewish sentiment, they are not very worried. But as Hitler’s power increases, things escalate. Annelise, her husband and infant daughter are able to leave for America, but her parents are left behind. Decades later, Clare, discovers a packet of letters her grandmother had saved, and begins to piece together the story of her family.

I liked how Fox tells the story in the mundane details of life. Young people chafe at restrictions imposed by adults, enjoy some school subjects and hate others, form friendships and find love. Adults shop for groceries, talk to their neighbors, go for walks in the park, try on a pair of shoes. Mothers meet to exchange information about child-rearing. And all the while devastation is looming just over the horizon.

There were parts of the novel I really liked, when I was completely engaged and caught up in the story. But there were other parts that just fell flat for me. I think this is my fault; I am just so over the dual timeline in historical fiction.

Lauren Fox based this work of fiction on her own family’s history. She discovered her great-grandmother’s letters in boxes her grandparents had stored.

Natasha Soudek does a reasonable job of voicing the audiobook. But it did take me a while to get used to her delivery. I didn’t feel the characters come to life, and this affected my rating.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annalise, Walter and their young daughter Ruthie are in their way to the US, knowing they are no longer safe in Germany. Annalise's heart is broken, realizing she is leaving her parents behind to an uncertain future, but there is also a glimmer of hope in new beginnings as described here: "Even now, a day away from the wrenching good-byes, Annalise's mind gropes toward the future. She can't help herself. She feels the first inkling of what it might be like to live calmly. She can hardly remember how it was to look a neighbor in the eye and expect a smile in return, to stroll to the park-they were not permitted to take Ruthie to the park-and sit on a bench. To walk down the street without fear of a mob. It was- she can see this now, even one day away from it-the theft of her soul." Through the letters between Annalise and her mother, their longing to reunite is palpable.
In discovering these letters among Annalise's things after her death, Annalise's granddaughter comes to understand the grandmother she loved and cherished. But she also came to understand: "She wondered, much later, if during those stretched out days with her grandparents she might have taken on some of their sadness; if what they gave her, along with their love, was a grain of something that embedded itself inside her, that she protected, in spite of herself, with her body's hot sludge, until it was her own gorgeous, secret sorrow, nacreous and pearled. And now here she was, adult and adrift."
Though the novel touches on the horrors of the holocaust, it is more an exploration of the bonds between mother's and daughter's. The story is moving, poignant and the prose is beautiful.

[Christina Clancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky to read an advance copy of this gorgeous, poignant novel and can't recommend it enough. Anyone familiar with Fox's writing will recognize the precision of her writing. Her sentences are so gorgeous that I find myself stopping to underline or just catch my breath, yet I don't want to stop because I'm under the spell of the story, one that is bigger and more sweeping than her previous novels, from WWII to the present. She deftly reveals the complex and lasting effects of trauma, especially as they play out in mother/daughter relationships. This novel moved me and made me feel like I was alongside the characters, sitting at the table with them, sharing their feelings of isolation but also their longing for better times. This is a perfect novel to read in our current political moment. It's one of those books that makes you wish everyone had read. Fans of Fox's writing are in for such a treat, and readers who are new to her will want to go back and devour her previous novels.

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Children of immigrants are anthropologists of our own families. We’re participant-observers of cultures we live in, but that will never quite belong to us.” - Lauren Fox

3.5 stars

Send For Me depicts the history of a family, spanning four generations and two continents. Annelise, the daughter of Julius and Klara, lives in the city of Feldenheim, Germany. Her parents run a successful bakery and Annelise is often required to help out. The time is 1930s Germany.

Annelise eventually marries Walter, a businessman who owns his own shoe store. They have a daughter called Ruthie.

Over a period of time, Annelise is witness to her city becoming unliveable owing to the rise of anti-Semitism. Gradually the bakery and the shoe store are not patronised and there is a gradual incineration of life for Jews. Walter describes it best:

“The people you saw every day,” he says, “your neighbors, your customers, shopkeepers, police officers, stopped coming into our store and then they stopped looking you in the eye, and then they began to hate you. People you trusted. Their affection turned sour” — he snaps his fingers — “like that. How do you make sense of it? I can’t.”

Annelise and Walter receive the offer of a voyage to America to escape what is happening in Germany. Annelise is torn with having to leave her parents behind. With promises of obtaining visas for her parents once she gets to America, they board the ship and end up creating a new life in Milwaukee. Annelise tries to make good on her promise to her parents, but she is unsuccessful.

Years lat­er, Annelise’s grand­daugh­ter, Clare dis­cov­ers Klara’s plaintive let­ters to Annelise, at a time when Clare is trying to pry her own life apart from her history. The nar­ra­tive then weaves between the per­spec­tives of Annelise and Clare, inter­spersed with Klara’s let­ters.

Send For Me is a nov­el about how the past lives in the way rela­tion­ships are formed and pat­terns are repeat­ed or bro­ken. It's also about the trauma experienced by both the person who left and by the person who is left behind.

[Lindsey Gandhi · Rating 3 out of 5]

My library put up an incredible display on the Holocaust. I got the opportunity to take my son through the display and talk about what the Holocaust was, how and why it happened but also why it's so important to learn about this event in history and never forget all of those families lost, murdered, destroyed. After seeing that display and having conversations with my son (who hasn't learned about this yet in his history class), I was inspired to read a book that touched on this subject.

This story itself is beautiful and heartbreaking. The author presents the story in a slightly different style than most WWII books about the Holocaust. The structure of this book gets rather confusing at times. It's not simply a dual timeline - the story jumps all over the place. Honestly there are a few characters introduced that I don't feel offers anything to thr story other than muddy the waters. And then all of a sudden the story ends without any clear resolutions for some of the key characters.

I feel maybe part of me had higher expectations because I was so moved by the display in my library. I also wish the author's note at the end had been placed in the beginning. It would have set a very different tone for the book, possibly made parts less confusing.

Overall it is a beautiful story. There's just a few parts that didn't match my expectations going into this book.