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Copper Star #2
Copper Fire
On a summer day in 1945, Louisa Gordon receives a telegram from the International Red Cross Tracing Service. Her young cousin, Elisabeth, has just been released from Dachau, a concentration camp, and Louisa is her only remaining relative.
Determined to go to war-torn Germany to retrieve her cousin, Louisa is also on a mission to discover the whereabouts of Friedrich Mueller, a Nazi sympathizer who fled Copper Springs, Arizona. What Louisa never expected was to meet the man she had once loved. And now hated.
Determined to go to war-torn Germany to retrieve her cousin, Louisa is also on a mission to discover the whereabouts of Friedrich Mueller, a Nazi sympathizer who fled Copper Springs, Arizona. What Louisa never expected was to meet the man she had once loved. And now hated.
294 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 30, 2008
21 people are currently reading
212 people want to read
About the author
Suzanne Woods Fisher
73 books3,966 followersSuzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling, award winning author of fiction and non-fiction books about the Old Order Amish for Revell Books, host of the radio-show-turned-blog Amish Wisdom, a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazine.
Her interest in the Amish began with her grandfather, who was raised Plain. A theme in her books (her life!) is that you don’t have to “go Amish” to incorporate the principles of simple living.
Suzanne lives in California with her family and raises puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind. To her way of thinking, you just can't life too seriously when a puppy is tearing through your house with someone's underwear in its mouth.
Suzanne can be found on-line at: www.suzannewoodsfisher.com
Her interest in the Amish began with her grandfather, who was raised Plain. A theme in her books (her life!) is that you don’t have to “go Amish” to incorporate the principles of simple living.
Suzanne lives in California with her family and raises puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind. To her way of thinking, you just can't life too seriously when a puppy is tearing through your house with someone's underwear in its mouth.
Suzanne can be found on-line at: www.suzannewoodsfisher.com
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 24, 2022
1945 Arizona
In this second of the series, Louisa's family continues to blend. Aunt Martha, son William and the creatively named "Dog" add dashes of humor. On a more serious note, there's a glimpse of what life was like for a survivor of a concentration camp.
In this second of the series, Louisa's family continues to blend. Aunt Martha, son William and the creatively named "Dog" add dashes of humor. On a more serious note, there's a glimpse of what life was like for a survivor of a concentration camp.
July 14, 2021
The War is over and Louisa received word that a young cousin of hers, Elizabeth survived the concentration camp. Louisa returns to Germany to get the girl and happens to meet the man she was once engaged to marry until she learned a terrible truth about him. Louisa is determined to find the Nazi sympathizer who ruined their town of Copper Springs. Her husband isn't very supportive until he learns of her ex-fiance's involvement with the Nazi's.
September 30, 2018
Copper Fire by Suzanne Woods Fisher
Timeframe: 1945
Location: Copper Springs, AZ and Dachau, Germany
Main Characters:
Elisabeth: Child, exceptional pianist, Louisa's only cousin
Louisa Gordon : German Jew relocated by Bonhoeffer to AZ
Martha Gordon: Robert's aunt
Robert Gordon: Louisa's husband
William Gordon: Robert's deaf son
Karl Schneider: Louisa's ex-fiancé (Germany)
Friedrich Mueller:Stole the whole town's savings
It's post World War II and Louisa is informed that her cousin, Elisabeth, is going to be released from Dachau. Since she was her only living relative, she could travel to Germany to retrieve her. So the town doctor, whose nephew has some top secret position in Washington, managed to secure a position where she would travel in safety with the President interpreting German communiques. While in Germany Louisa runs into her ex-fiancé, the man responsible for an event she cannot forgive. She said if he helped her to find Friedrich Mueller (the man who stole all of Copper Springs' savings in the first book), she would consider forgiving him. So the search is on.
When they returned home, life was never to be the same.. Elisabeth (thirteenish) has changed because of her horrific experience in the concentration camp. She's a food hoarder, thief, rudely honest, quarrelsome and doesn't fit in at all. Her adjustments were monumental and difficult on everyone. School was tough because her accent was mocked, the way she dressed and her super short hair was also a topic of ridicule. Kids can be cruel. But life at the home was hard as well. Not specifically meaning to, she said hurtful things, like blurting out that "Louisa is da vorst cook."
The characters were a work of art. You can't really love them all, but you can sure love to read about them!
Aunt Martha is crabby but learns compassion big time. Even when she's sour she says things that are funny.
Robert doesn't communicate well. To use words from the first book: Never one to let the restraint of good judgment stand in Louisa's way, she plunges forward. Her constant badgering for truth and information is frustrating, but eventually gets him to talk. Their love is not perfect, but is an inspiring work in progress.
Elisabeth is a tough cookie and a source of trouble for nearly everyone in the town. With Louisa's help and much trial, she eventually changes popular opinion. Her abilities on the piano are not to be rivaled, even by professionals. A brilliant quote about pearls by Louisa…"Do you ever think of the oysters that produced them, so long ago? To think a piece of grit in an oyster turns into a pearl. It’s a miracle, really.”
William, Robert's deaf son is amazing. He is far more mature than his seven years. With the assistance of sign language, lip reading, and now a sound amplifier, he's learned to talk and reason with language beyond what anyone could have believed.
Robert's sister, who Louisa just found out about, is a wonderful character… a terrific addition to this second book.
Even "Dog" was a great character. Loyal and knows how to win hearts!
I never thought about the interesting American sayings that baffle non-Americans…things like "If the creek don't rise", or "The proof is in the pudding". I laughed at how often they wondered what someone meant by that... Like… we weren't even talking about a creek! Or what does pudding have to do with what we were talking about?
And I bawled like a baby in a couple places because the author has the ability to put the reader right there, in that room, feeling what the characters are feeling. Loved it!
The faith issue was wonderful. Christ was proclaimed, wisdom, prayer and trust in God were all prominent.
What I didn't like:
I was only confused about one thing…why one particular character wasn't long gone! That made no sense to me, but the story around it was still great.
Good book. Glad I read it. I rarely re-read books, except older ones special to me (Narnian Chronicles and Anne of Green Gables series), but this series I could read again in a heartbeat.
Timeframe: 1945
Location: Copper Springs, AZ and Dachau, Germany
Main Characters:
Elisabeth: Child, exceptional pianist, Louisa's only cousin
Louisa Gordon : German Jew relocated by Bonhoeffer to AZ
Martha Gordon: Robert's aunt
Robert Gordon: Louisa's husband
William Gordon: Robert's deaf son
Karl Schneider: Louisa's ex-fiancé (Germany)
Friedrich Mueller:Stole the whole town's savings
It's post World War II and Louisa is informed that her cousin, Elisabeth, is going to be released from Dachau. Since she was her only living relative, she could travel to Germany to retrieve her. So the town doctor, whose nephew has some top secret position in Washington, managed to secure a position where she would travel in safety with the President interpreting German communiques. While in Germany Louisa runs into her ex-fiancé, the man responsible for an event she cannot forgive. She said if he helped her to find Friedrich Mueller (the man who stole all of Copper Springs' savings in the first book), she would consider forgiving him. So the search is on.
When they returned home, life was never to be the same.. Elisabeth (thirteenish) has changed because of her horrific experience in the concentration camp. She's a food hoarder, thief, rudely honest, quarrelsome and doesn't fit in at all. Her adjustments were monumental and difficult on everyone. School was tough because her accent was mocked, the way she dressed and her super short hair was also a topic of ridicule. Kids can be cruel. But life at the home was hard as well. Not specifically meaning to, she said hurtful things, like blurting out that "Louisa is da vorst cook."
The characters were a work of art. You can't really love them all, but you can sure love to read about them!
Aunt Martha is crabby but learns compassion big time. Even when she's sour she says things that are funny.
Robert doesn't communicate well. To use words from the first book: Never one to let the restraint of good judgment stand in Louisa's way, she plunges forward. Her constant badgering for truth and information is frustrating, but eventually gets him to talk. Their love is not perfect, but is an inspiring work in progress.
Elisabeth is a tough cookie and a source of trouble for nearly everyone in the town. With Louisa's help and much trial, she eventually changes popular opinion. Her abilities on the piano are not to be rivaled, even by professionals. A brilliant quote about pearls by Louisa…"Do you ever think of the oysters that produced them, so long ago? To think a piece of grit in an oyster turns into a pearl. It’s a miracle, really.”
William, Robert's deaf son is amazing. He is far more mature than his seven years. With the assistance of sign language, lip reading, and now a sound amplifier, he's learned to talk and reason with language beyond what anyone could have believed.
Robert's sister, who Louisa just found out about, is a wonderful character… a terrific addition to this second book.
Even "Dog" was a great character. Loyal and knows how to win hearts!
I never thought about the interesting American sayings that baffle non-Americans…things like "If the creek don't rise", or "The proof is in the pudding". I laughed at how often they wondered what someone meant by that... Like… we weren't even talking about a creek! Or what does pudding have to do with what we were talking about?
And I bawled like a baby in a couple places because the author has the ability to put the reader right there, in that room, feeling what the characters are feeling. Loved it!
The faith issue was wonderful. Christ was proclaimed, wisdom, prayer and trust in God were all prominent.
What I didn't like:
I was only confused about one thing…why one particular character wasn't long gone! That made no sense to me, but the story around it was still great.
Good book. Glad I read it. I rarely re-read books, except older ones special to me (Narnian Chronicles and Anne of Green Gables series), but this series I could read again in a heartbeat.
June 23, 2020
I expected this to be a good book, as my sister had already read and approved it, but it blew "good" out of the water. In short, this is basically the blueprint for how I want to write my books.
Setting: Begins in Copper Springs, Arizona, July 1945. The setting changes for a few chapters . Of course the war in Europe is over, and while the U.S. is still fighting the Japanese, it's not much of a big deal at all in this story, since the relationship with Germany/Germans is what matters. Despite a writing style that wouldn't seem to lend itself to vivid descriptions that make the setting come alive, the book's topics do, and there are many references to contemporaneous events and mindsets. Namely, the details of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, but I also greatly enjoyed the Nuremberg Trials and witness accounts of Dachau and Buchenwald. (I mean, "enjoy" is strong, since the descriptions were horrifying to read, but ...) Also, Robert's cars help to set the 1940s setting.
Characters: The development of the characters is a little different than other books, since the book has the POV of only Louisa, but it holds the highest standard. Louisa is still her can't-keep-her-mouth-shut self, although one can tell she has improved from the last book. Robert is absolutely amazing, and he's also hilarious almost every time he opens his mouth--or doesn't, which is actually more often. Fisher does an amazing job of showing Robert's perspective, without writing one scene from his POV.
William is even better than the last book, since his hearing and speaking have greatly improved, and he's older. He's also a little boy who isn't perfect. I really like how Elisabeth is written. Her character arc is done so well, and her behavior problems are handled imperfectly (I mean, they are human, thankfully), but effectively. Her character would be even more hilarious if her character traits weren't borne out of such heartbreaking circumstances (but they were still funny). I especially like her admiration of Danny.
I love how the minor characters add just the right amount of spice to the story. Rosita, a woman who shows up maybe four times through the entire book, is nonetheless known for being "very Catholic." I won't ever forget who Rosita is, now. Same with the judge's nephew. I actually think that the one-POV story helps the distinctiveness in the characters,
Faith content: The issue of forgiveness was done well, both with Robert and Louisa, although I didn't see that it was ended as clearly with Louisa's pride. But the characters' faith was surely front and center in their troubles.
Plot: I love this book (and the previous one) because of the seemingly everyday activities Louisa undertakes made interesting, funny, and important. Of course, the situation is quite unusual, but the normal setting of the plot de-escalates the intensity of the plot. At least, for most of the book the plot was generally calm, but with about two chapters left in the book, the intensity goes into high gear, driving the reader into the climax. It's quite surprising, but not out of place.
My Favorite part of the book: I absolutely loved it that the words spoken in German were actually written in German. I could explain that by saying that it made it less confusing to know when the characters were speaking in German and when they weren't, but that would only be partially true. I loved reading the simple German sentences, translating them myself (before reading the translations Fisher also includes), and having my knowledge stretched when I found a word I didn't know. Another note about that: I found a few errors, but hey, I have to admit, I rather enjoyed finding those, too.
Recommended for anyone who enjoys WWII fiction with lots of historical facts thrown in, and especially recommended for those who like reading German.
Setting: Begins in Copper Springs, Arizona, July 1945. The setting changes for a few chapters . Of course the war in Europe is over, and while the U.S. is still fighting the Japanese, it's not much of a big deal at all in this story, since the relationship with Germany/Germans is what matters. Despite a writing style that wouldn't seem to lend itself to vivid descriptions that make the setting come alive, the book's topics do, and there are many references to contemporaneous events and mindsets. Namely, the details of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, but I also greatly enjoyed the Nuremberg Trials and witness accounts of Dachau and Buchenwald. (I mean, "enjoy" is strong, since the descriptions were horrifying to read, but ...) Also, Robert's cars help to set the 1940s setting.
Characters: The development of the characters is a little different than other books, since the book has the POV of only Louisa, but it holds the highest standard. Louisa is still her can't-keep-her-mouth-shut self, although one can tell she has improved from the last book. Robert is absolutely amazing, and he's also hilarious almost every time he opens his mouth--or doesn't, which is actually more often. Fisher does an amazing job of showing Robert's perspective, without writing one scene from his POV.
William is even better than the last book, since his hearing and speaking have greatly improved, and he's older. He's also a little boy who isn't perfect. I really like how Elisabeth is written. Her character arc is done so well, and her behavior problems are handled imperfectly (I mean, they are human, thankfully), but effectively. Her character would be even more hilarious if her character traits weren't borne out of such heartbreaking circumstances (but they were still funny). I especially like her admiration of Danny.
I love how the minor characters add just the right amount of spice to the story. Rosita, a woman who shows up maybe four times through the entire book, is nonetheless known for being "very Catholic." I won't ever forget who Rosita is, now. Same with the judge's nephew. I actually think that the one-POV story helps the distinctiveness in the characters,
Faith content: The issue of forgiveness was done well, both with Robert and Louisa, although I didn't see that it was ended as clearly with Louisa's pride. But the characters' faith was surely front and center in their troubles.
Plot: I love this book (and the previous one) because of the seemingly everyday activities Louisa undertakes made interesting, funny, and important. Of course, the situation is quite unusual, but the normal setting of the plot de-escalates the intensity of the plot. At least, for most of the book the plot was generally calm, but with about two chapters left in the book, the intensity goes into high gear, driving the reader into the climax. It's quite surprising, but not out of place.
My Favorite part of the book: I absolutely loved it that the words spoken in German were actually written in German. I could explain that by saying that it made it less confusing to know when the characters were speaking in German and when they weren't, but that would only be partially true. I loved reading the simple German sentences, translating them myself (before reading the translations Fisher also includes), and having my knowledge stretched when I found a word I didn't know. Another note about that: I found a few errors, but hey, I have to admit, I rather enjoyed finding those, too.
Recommended for anyone who enjoys WWII fiction with lots of historical facts thrown in, and especially recommended for those who like reading German.
March 10, 2020
The writing in this book is much better. I could feel the real life marriage between Louisa and Robert. Louisa goes to Germany and brings her cousin Elizabeth back to America after she survives the concentration camps. It’s a great depiction of small town post WWII, with a nice mystery that I couldn’t figure out until the end.
May 31, 2018
Audible Book
April 28, 2019
A story of how bad things happen but God redeems them for our good.
May 29, 2020
This is the sequel to Copper Star. I enjoyed following up on the character from the previous book and getting to know the new characters. Great story.
March 5, 2023
My Musings
What a fascinating story with absorbing characters and an intricate plot. The mystery woven through the novel kept me engaged from the start to the finish. Happy reading!
What a fascinating story with absorbing characters and an intricate plot. The mystery woven through the novel kept me engaged from the start to the finish. Happy reading!
December 3, 2025
Not as good as the first one but loved being back with the characters.
October 20, 2018
I LOVED IT! But maybe .0001% less than the first book ( ;) ). I'm going to be reading this series over and over again!
The story continues with Louisa, now happily married, travelling to Germany to bring her cousin Elisabeth (a Dachau camp survivor) back home to Arizona. There she meets someone from her past that she can't seem to forgive...but he might be the key to finding a Nazi war criminal.
There were lots of funny moments (Aunt Martha's humour never failed to amuse me) and poignant ones as well. I loved seeing the Gordons grow as a family and their care for Elisabeth (who was difficult and had gone through a lot of horror) was touching.
Made me stay up way into the night to finish it. Highly, highly recommend this series!!
The story continues with Louisa, now happily married, travelling to Germany to bring her cousin Elisabeth (a Dachau camp survivor) back home to Arizona. There she meets someone from her past that she can't seem to forgive...but he might be the key to finding a Nazi war criminal.
There were lots of funny moments (Aunt Martha's humour never failed to amuse me) and poignant ones as well. I loved seeing the Gordons grow as a family and their care for Elisabeth (who was difficult and had gone through a lot of horror) was touching.
Made me stay up way into the night to finish it. Highly, highly recommend this series!!
May 1, 2015
Wonderful read
I enjoyed this wonderful story of so many ups and downs. It is sad to let it end , I hope you will. consider writing a 3rd book. You did a great job describing everything I felt like I was right there. As like the first one no sexual content thank you so much. The Lord bless you for writing these books
I enjoyed this wonderful story of so many ups and downs. It is sad to let it end , I hope you will. consider writing a 3rd book. You did a great job describing everything I felt like I was right there. As like the first one no sexual content thank you so much. The Lord bless you for writing these books
August 5, 2008
I was asked to review this book so will post a much fuller review on my blog. It is a delightful romance which kept me reading. The ending was a little weak and I found the constant Christian references a tiny bit tedious, but the story held together well and the characters were delightful.
February 2, 2015
nice historical fiction
August 30, 2015
excellent story
May 2, 2016
Excellent
These books are great reads. I have just downloaded another of her books
Will read .more of her books. I like most Amish books.
These books are great reads. I have just downloaded another of her books
Will read .more of her books. I like most Amish books.
June 23, 2016
Good story, easy to read, and easy to believe could have happened.
Read
July 23, 2016Enjoyed this book.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews