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River's Edge
"One extraordinary woman will come of age-and come into her own- in this haunting, elegiac portrait of an ever-changing America during the tumult and uncertainty of World War II. After the death of her mother, Elise Braun is sent to live with a new family in the United States and to start a new life. Her father only wants to save his daughter from the impending war in her native Germany-and the horrors of the new Nazi regime. But Elise can only feel a sense of abandonment and resentment toward the one man who is supposed to protect her. An accomplished pianist, music has become her only solace from the loneliness and loss that makes it so difficult for her to love or trust anyone... Devastated by his wife's death, Herman Braun knows that he's incapable of caring for the daughter he loves so deeply. He also knows that Germany is becoming a treacherous country in the hands of a tyrant, one he must defy at any price-even the price of sending his daughter away to a strange new land. It's a choice that may cost him his family-and his life. Now, with the war over, Elise has grown into the beautiful and brave young woman her father always hoped she would be. But underneath the polished façade, she remains torn between her love for her adoptive home and the heartbreak caused by her homeland. As she struggles to find her place in a harrowing new world, she must also learn to acknowledge her love for her father, the man who traded his happiness for her own... Praise for Fields of "Captivating and hauntingly beautiful, this debut is a true gem."- Romantic Times Book Club (4 1/2 stars) "A lyrical, lush, and lovely novel from a clever and talented new writer." -Jane Green "A gripping, heartwarming story...complete with fascinating characters and a page-turning plot." -Dorothy Garlock Marie Bostwick was born and raised in the Northwest. Since marrying the love of her life twenty-four years ago, she has never known a moment's boredom. Marie and her family have moved a score of times, living in eight U.S. states and two Mexican cities, and collecting a vast and cherished array of friends and experiences. Marie now lives with her husband and three handsome sons in Connecticut where she writes, reads, quilts, and is privileged to serve the women of her local church. Visit her at www.mariebostwick.com. View Chapter
Marie Bostwick visits with readers during a "Meet and Greet" at Ft. Bragg."
Marie Bostwick visits with readers during a "Meet and Greet" at Ft. Bragg."
Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
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About the author
Marie Bostwick
42 books1,830 followersMarie Bostwick is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of uplifting historical and contemporary fiction. She lives in the state of Washington and travels frequently to sign books, speak to reading groups, and meet her readers. Keep up with Marie, her travels, new releases and lifestyle blog, Fiercely Marie, at www.mariebostwick.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
March 18, 2010
I really wasn't very interested in the book just by reading the back cover, but once I got into it, I really liked it. I've never thought of how displaced Germans were treated by Americans. This was an eye opener.
April 14, 2013
River's Edge by Marie Bostwick is one of the best books I have read in a long time. The setting is pre-WWII through the war years in a small New England community, where they grow tobacco, of all things. It is a coming of age story, a building a new life story. Bostwick gives us characters we really care about, can relate to, and root for. She captures the place and times and people so thoroughly that the story lingered in my mind during the intervals between reading. Maybe it is because my mother has told me much about life during the War in her small Southern town that I could relate.
June 10, 2023
I started reading Marie Bostwick's books during the pandemic when she read the first book from her Cobbled Court series online, one chapter at a time. Since then I have been working my way through all of her books and have gone back to read some of her earlier books.
This book simply blew me away. I have loved many of her books but this is by far my favorite and is one of the best books I have ever read. I absolutely loved every part of it - the prose, the descriptions of nature, the life lessons, the characters. Like Elise, I fell in love with the Muller family that took her in during the war. Every member of that family contributed to the richness of this book. I loved seeing the development of her relationship with each of the family members and how they went from animosity and resentment to loving each other deeply as family. I loved the feel of small town living and the description of their farmhouse and all the work that the entire family did. I was so touched by their neighbor Mrs Ludwig who took Elise under her wing to teach her to cook. The relationship that developed between the two of them brings tears to my eyes even now as I think about it. The bravery of the men as they went to fight for their country and the strength of the women that worked to fill the void they left was beautiful. This is a book that does not leave you even after you finish the last page.
This book simply blew me away. I have loved many of her books but this is by far my favorite and is one of the best books I have ever read. I absolutely loved every part of it - the prose, the descriptions of nature, the life lessons, the characters. Like Elise, I fell in love with the Muller family that took her in during the war. Every member of that family contributed to the richness of this book. I loved seeing the development of her relationship with each of the family members and how they went from animosity and resentment to loving each other deeply as family. I loved the feel of small town living and the description of their farmhouse and all the work that the entire family did. I was so touched by their neighbor Mrs Ludwig who took Elise under her wing to teach her to cook. The relationship that developed between the two of them brings tears to my eyes even now as I think about it. The bravery of the men as they went to fight for their country and the strength of the women that worked to fill the void they left was beautiful. This is a book that does not leave you even after you finish the last page.
April 11, 2017
Sweet story, loved the romance and time period, but I think the author completely missed the mark on her intended message, which was supposed to be how hard it was for Germans living in US during the war...this book was 90% description of a girl from Germany sent to live with 10 times removed cousins on a farm in NH and her daily life growing up and maybe 10% description of a few instances of being outcast or bullied because she was from Germany...each instance of outcast felt out of place and forced. The writing was good but very basic. Overall, sweet story but not the best ever...
July 20, 2024
It's a shame that one can only give a book five stars on Goodreads. Who knew the little orange book in the middle of the shelf at the library would be so touching, profound, and wholesome. I can't place my finger on exactly what about this book resonated with me so deeply, but Elise's unique story and journey hit a chord in me.
The character development was absolutely beautiful. I had my doubts in the beginning but by the end I had tears streaming down my face at the richness of all that had taken place inside these people.
I loved the prose of the novel. It wasn't overwhelming in it's efforts to be beautiful, but it was by no means simple. It was genuine and exquisite in it's own way.
My complaints are few. I wished that more of Elise and Cookie's friendship had been shown, but as the story moved on it seemed that Cookie wasn't the focus. This was a very minor thing.
I did wish that more of the Muller family's faith would have been discussed. As the wife and children of a pastor, grace was not discussed as much as one would have thought. Especially with all that they are wrestling with I would have expected that aspect of their faith to be talked of more. But the characters did grow in their faith, and I applauded Ms. Bostwick for the real life way she dealt with faith. She wasn't afraid to be real, as much Christian fiction is.
River's Edge was full of depth and insight. A copy was ordered halfway through reading it because I already knew that this was one for the shelves.
The character development was absolutely beautiful. I had my doubts in the beginning but by the end I had tears streaming down my face at the richness of all that had taken place inside these people.
I loved the prose of the novel. It wasn't overwhelming in it's efforts to be beautiful, but it was by no means simple. It was genuine and exquisite in it's own way.
My complaints are few. I wished that more of Elise and Cookie's friendship had been shown, but as the story moved on it seemed that Cookie wasn't the focus. This was a very minor thing.
I did wish that more of the Muller family's faith would have been discussed. As the wife and children of a pastor, grace was not discussed as much as one would have thought. Especially with all that they are wrestling with I would have expected that aspect of their faith to be talked of more. But the characters did grow in their faith, and I applauded Ms. Bostwick for the real life way she dealt with faith. She wasn't afraid to be real, as much Christian fiction is.
River's Edge was full of depth and insight. A copy was ordered halfway through reading it because I already knew that this was one for the shelves.
November 11, 2020
I first read this in 2006, 14 years ago. It was my introduction to author Marie Bostwick and she has remained a favorite of mine for all these years. She not only is a great writer but a good person as well. She is a woman of faith and inspiration. Her blogs are always informative and uplifting. She writes, she quilts, she knits, she cooks, she works out to keep in shape, she blogs, I call her Wonder Woman :)
This writing is one of my all time faves and sits on the Bostwick shelf in my personal library. During covid and sheltering in place, I gave this another read and was not deterred from my 5-star rating. It deserves every one. Read the publishers blurb and give it a try. It takes place during WWII, when a young German girl is sent to live in America with a family on a tobacco farm. Full of emotion and relatable drama, it’s a story not easily forgotten.
It will remain in my favorites, as is her "Fields of Gold" two wonderfully written historical fiction novels.
Highly recommended. Waiting to read her next release, a stand alone novel, The Restoration of Celia Fairchild coming March 2nd of 2021.
This writing is one of my all time faves and sits on the Bostwick shelf in my personal library. During covid and sheltering in place, I gave this another read and was not deterred from my 5-star rating. It deserves every one. Read the publishers blurb and give it a try. It takes place during WWII, when a young German girl is sent to live in America with a family on a tobacco farm. Full of emotion and relatable drama, it’s a story not easily forgotten.
It will remain in my favorites, as is her "Fields of Gold" two wonderfully written historical fiction novels.
Highly recommended. Waiting to read her next release, a stand alone novel, The Restoration of Celia Fairchild coming March 2nd of 2021.
August 20, 2019
I had Marie Bostwick’s River’s Edge, published in 2006, in my TBR pile for a decade.
This story stretches from the mid 1930’s to the mid 1940’s. It begins in Germany during Hitler’s rise to power. Elise Braun is 8 years old in 1933. Born to a upper middle class German couple, her father is a military officer from a long line of illustrious military men. Her mother runs their home but is beginning to suffer the symptoms of TB. Elise’s upbringing is loving but very orderly and strict, especially in terms of being a proper young lady. The activity she enjoys the most is playing classical piano for her mother, somehow hoping that it will help improve her mother’s health. Unfortunately, Elise’s mother is eventually sent to a sanitarium and dies and her father, called upon to take up his duties in the German military and fearful for what Hitler is embarking on, decides to ask his wife’s distant relatives in Connecticut to take Elise in until sanity returns to his homeland. Therefore, at 13 or 14, Elise is sent to live with the Muller family in Brightfield, Connecticut, a rural area that grows tobacco. The Muller’s are not farmers, however. Carl Muller is the beloved pastor at the local church. His warm and rambunctious family includes his wife, Sophia, and five children, including a daughter Elise’s age. The Muller’s are very welcoming to Elise, but it doesn’t take long for her more quiet, proper mannerisms to put her in conflict with the older Muller children. She also faces some taunting at school and, before long, the growing war in Europe puts her at odds with people in town who are looking for a scapegoat. Still, over the years, Elise learns new ways, new skills, and eventually makes lifelong friends who guide her into womanhood.
I think the reason it took me so long to pick up this book is that I thought it would be too heavily Christian in content. I don’t mind romantic inspirationals that aren’t too focused on religion, but if the religion is front and center, that puts me off. That being said, this book is an exception. The heroine is not a believer, but she moves in with a family whose father is a preacher. However, Carl and his wife’s beliefs are not shoved down the other characters’ or the reader’s throats. They demonstrate their beliefs by being good, loving people. Their care for Elise is not heavy-handed, and their children certainly spend most of their time doing fun, secular things and have very everyday concerns. In a sense, Elise’s life in Germany was much more restrictive and regimented than it is with the Mullers. The beauty of this book is in watching Elise grow into a capable, loving, open woman who learns hard lessons, withstands prejudice, and falls in love, while all the world is falling down around her. Since the story is set during WWII, there are definitely some tough developments, but the ending is uplifting. I think the only problem I had with the story initially was that Elise was open so early to calling the Muller couple Papa and Mama, but I figured that that title didn’t replace her feelings for her parents since she always called them Father and Mother. I also thought the ending was tied up a little too quickly and nicely. As the family began to suffer losses, most of their suffering was done off page or was wrapped up a bit fast. I expected there to be more issues involving the things that happened to Sophia, Junior, and Elise’s father. On the upside, I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book in spite of it being heavier on exposition than dialogue. That being said, this entire story was told through Elise’s eyes and her experiences, so it made sense. All in all, I really enjoyed the story and was moved by it. I’d give it an A and would certainly read more by this author. I just wish I hadn’t taken so long to start.
This story stretches from the mid 1930’s to the mid 1940’s. It begins in Germany during Hitler’s rise to power. Elise Braun is 8 years old in 1933. Born to a upper middle class German couple, her father is a military officer from a long line of illustrious military men. Her mother runs their home but is beginning to suffer the symptoms of TB. Elise’s upbringing is loving but very orderly and strict, especially in terms of being a proper young lady. The activity she enjoys the most is playing classical piano for her mother, somehow hoping that it will help improve her mother’s health. Unfortunately, Elise’s mother is eventually sent to a sanitarium and dies and her father, called upon to take up his duties in the German military and fearful for what Hitler is embarking on, decides to ask his wife’s distant relatives in Connecticut to take Elise in until sanity returns to his homeland. Therefore, at 13 or 14, Elise is sent to live with the Muller family in Brightfield, Connecticut, a rural area that grows tobacco. The Muller’s are not farmers, however. Carl Muller is the beloved pastor at the local church. His warm and rambunctious family includes his wife, Sophia, and five children, including a daughter Elise’s age. The Muller’s are very welcoming to Elise, but it doesn’t take long for her more quiet, proper mannerisms to put her in conflict with the older Muller children. She also faces some taunting at school and, before long, the growing war in Europe puts her at odds with people in town who are looking for a scapegoat. Still, over the years, Elise learns new ways, new skills, and eventually makes lifelong friends who guide her into womanhood.
I think the reason it took me so long to pick up this book is that I thought it would be too heavily Christian in content. I don’t mind romantic inspirationals that aren’t too focused on religion, but if the religion is front and center, that puts me off. That being said, this book is an exception. The heroine is not a believer, but she moves in with a family whose father is a preacher. However, Carl and his wife’s beliefs are not shoved down the other characters’ or the reader’s throats. They demonstrate their beliefs by being good, loving people. Their care for Elise is not heavy-handed, and their children certainly spend most of their time doing fun, secular things and have very everyday concerns. In a sense, Elise’s life in Germany was much more restrictive and regimented than it is with the Mullers. The beauty of this book is in watching Elise grow into a capable, loving, open woman who learns hard lessons, withstands prejudice, and falls in love, while all the world is falling down around her. Since the story is set during WWII, there are definitely some tough developments, but the ending is uplifting. I think the only problem I had with the story initially was that Elise was open so early to calling the Muller couple Papa and Mama, but I figured that that title didn’t replace her feelings for her parents since she always called them Father and Mother. I also thought the ending was tied up a little too quickly and nicely. As the family began to suffer losses, most of their suffering was done off page or was wrapped up a bit fast. I expected there to be more issues involving the things that happened to Sophia, Junior, and Elise’s father. On the upside, I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book in spite of it being heavier on exposition than dialogue. That being said, this entire story was told through Elise’s eyes and her experiences, so it made sense. All in all, I really enjoyed the story and was moved by it. I’d give it an A and would certainly read more by this author. I just wish I hadn’t taken so long to start.
May 13, 2020
I have read quite a few of Marie Bostwick's novels. This was the 2nd one she wrote and I loved it. The richness and detail of the story kept me interested. This is the story of a young girl sent to America from Germany during WWII as her father fears for her safety. Her life in Germany had been one of privilege and ease -- large house, servants, no money worries. She goes to America to live with a distant cousin she has never met. She must adjust to life on a farm with few material blessings. Even though she lacks material things, her life is greatly enhanced by a loving family who welcome her into their home and community. The girl (Elise) faces some backlash for being German but she is able to deal with it and eventually overcome it. This is a sweet coming of age story with a hopeful ending.
February 18, 2019
This was a wonderful book that gave you an inside look at a person who had immigrated to the U.S.A. before WWII. You feel Elise’s pain and frustration for being sent away against her will to a strange land that she eventually learns to love. Then as WWII develops and the US becomes involved, you again feel Elise's pain as she is scorned simply because she is German. And you grow to love the family that took her in as their own and defend her. The story line is amazing and the emotions run deep and the characters are well described and feel like family -- you understand their faults but love them anyway. This book will make you laugh and cry and stay in your thoughts after the last chapter is read.
September 6, 2025
Gorgeously rendered story set just before & during WWII, filled with many great life lessons & lovable characters. The author does not shy away from the dark side of human nature which I think is particularly important at this moment in time when we see politics dividing families & friends. It's sad at times of course, being a war story, but ultimately hopeful. I also enjoyed the appreciation for nature that was woven into the story. I must say that the type of Christianity portrayed here feels a bit unrealistic to me but maybe that's bc I'm from the evangelical South, so I've seen a very different type of religion here than in New England in the 1940s.
September 4, 2019
Excellent! I love Marie Bostwick's books!!!
I loved everything about this book. It captivated me from the beginning. I highly recommend this book! What a gift she has for making her characters come alive. I enjoyed this book so much!!! It became a "must read" for me. Thank you for another enjoyable read!!
I loved everything about this book. It captivated me from the beginning. I highly recommend this book! What a gift she has for making her characters come alive. I enjoyed this book so much!!! It became a "must read" for me. Thank you for another enjoyable read!!
January 18, 2018
I enjoyed the story and most of the writing was well done. I felt there were too many similes though. She would describe something well enough, but then add "like..."and another description. But you can always depend on this author for a clean story, which I appreciate.
June 3, 2025
After so many thrilling mysteries could I settle down with a simple warm story? Yes! That is if you can call Jitler and his atrocities simple. Loved this book and even learned a bit about tobacco farming.
January 1, 2018
Delightful and surprising
May 17, 2018
Interesting to learn more about tobacco farming in CT River Valley in the 40s - so close to me!
May 2, 2019
Thought provoking
Easy read
Easy read
August 28, 2019
Could not put the book down.
April 10, 2021
So good!
Really enjoyed this book! Marie bostwick is a keeper for sure! Love her writing style. Will purchase another book soon
Really enjoyed this book! Marie bostwick is a keeper for sure! Love her writing style. Will purchase another book soon
November 1, 2024
Not a single thing to recommend this book. I read it because I was out of reading material. Cliched, predictable, dull, and sprinkled with errors. Bye to this author.
June 13, 2013
Spoiler alert...
---I really enjoyed a glimpse into life in the '40s and what things must have been like for everyone on both sides of the war.
Instead of describing trees and wind and water, it would have been nice to give more detail on what the houses were like, clothes, furniture, appliances, the town, etc. If we are being transported into the World War 2 era, it would be nice to read more substance in normal life. It felt unbalanced to have such detail of plants and trees, and not as much of everything else.
I also didn't like how abrupt Elise and Junior's relationship started. Hatred on one page, turn the page and then they are in love. This happened quite a few times when deaths were announced. Way too abrupt.
Despite a few things that annoyed me, I really enjoyed the book. It was a very mild love story, more a coming of age story, and poignant look into what those involved in war must have went through.
I would have preferred a little more substance in the history department and a little less flowery language. The writing wasn't quite good enough to really pull me in to the flowery language since the rest of book couldn't substantiate it. I found I skimmed the flowery stuff a lot.
All in all, it did bring me to tears in a few places, and I liked the characters. The Christian aspects of the book didn't get shoved down your throat, and I felt comforted by the religious references.
I also felt the Christmas benefit scene stopped short on describing the entirety of what Elise was feeling as she played, especially after being treated so badly in public. Maybe I just wanted her to "feel more".
I think I wanted more feelings from all the characters, less flowery scenery descriptions, more history, and then this book could have been in my favorites category, because the basic plot was excellent.
---I really enjoyed a glimpse into life in the '40s and what things must have been like for everyone on both sides of the war.
Instead of describing trees and wind and water, it would have been nice to give more detail on what the houses were like, clothes, furniture, appliances, the town, etc. If we are being transported into the World War 2 era, it would be nice to read more substance in normal life. It felt unbalanced to have such detail of plants and trees, and not as much of everything else.
I also didn't like how abrupt Elise and Junior's relationship started. Hatred on one page, turn the page and then they are in love. This happened quite a few times when deaths were announced. Way too abrupt.
Despite a few things that annoyed me, I really enjoyed the book. It was a very mild love story, more a coming of age story, and poignant look into what those involved in war must have went through.
I would have preferred a little more substance in the history department and a little less flowery language. The writing wasn't quite good enough to really pull me in to the flowery language since the rest of book couldn't substantiate it. I found I skimmed the flowery stuff a lot.
All in all, it did bring me to tears in a few places, and I liked the characters. The Christian aspects of the book didn't get shoved down your throat, and I felt comforted by the religious references.
I also felt the Christmas benefit scene stopped short on describing the entirety of what Elise was feeling as she played, especially after being treated so badly in public. Maybe I just wanted her to "feel more".
I think I wanted more feelings from all the characters, less flowery scenery descriptions, more history, and then this book could have been in my favorites category, because the basic plot was excellent.
May 18, 2015
As has been true with all of the Marie Bostwick books I've read, I truly enjoyed this one. It is a romance, for sure, although it takes a while for that fact to show itself. The setting is along the banks of the Connecticut River, where coincidentally I grew up! That drew my interest, of course. The time period is from about 1939-1947. The central character, Elise Braun, is a German girl who's sent to live with the pastor of the small town of Brightfield (fictional). Her mom has died of consumption and her dad sees the war coming to Germany. Elise travels with a guardian across the Atlantic and life takes over from there. She does learn rather quickly to love the setting and the CT Valley, which is widely known for the tobacco farms in the area. Again, my interest is more than tweaked as when a young teen, I worked in the tobacco fields of the area. Many of the young teens did; it was our only opportunity for summer work. So ... I'll let the new readers take it from there. You can see that there are lots of opportunities for 'the plot thickens' type situations and time does indeed bring on WWII and romance ... Enjoy this stand along novel written by a very talented author.
June 2, 2015
I had read the Cobbled Court quilt series and really enjoyed it, so I decided to go back and read Bostwick's earlier books. Fields of Gold, her first book, was okay. It was well written, had a good plot but it didn't grab me and suck me in. It sort of lagged and dragged here and there. The book would have been great with about 15 pages less of details and such, I thought. I wasn't sure about this book...you know the saying about the sophomore slump....nope, not at all. I got right into this book. It was written from a perspective I had never considered and loved it. It was full of joy, sorrow, heartache, happiness...it was about life. It's not a book about World War II, it's not a book about tobacco farming in Connecticut, it's not about a pastor and his family and a very distant relative arriving from Germany in the late 1930s, it's not about prejudice and small town life, it's all of that and more.
February 7, 2017
So many different aspects to WWII and although I have read much historical fiction, haven't read this scenario before: young German girl sent to the US by her father, a German officer, to live with distant relatives. It's a big culture change, but she adapts despite the war and other hardships. It is a heartwarming story with interesting characters.
March 14, 2009
This is another story that takes place during World War 2, but it is a fictional account about a girl that is sent to America, to protect her from the war in Germany. It is an interesting story and I enjoyed reading about her life in Germany and her adjusting to American life in a small town in New England. She was wealthy in Germany, with servants, etc. and in America, she lives with a minister and his wife on a farm. That was the best part of the book. Near the end, it feels like the author wants to get it all wrapped up and it feels a bit rushed. I had a hard time deciding whether to rate it 3 or 4 stars because of this, but felt that the story was good and from an interesting point of view, so I decided to give it a 4. It was a quick read---not too difficult.
July 2, 2013
If I could rate this 4 1/2 stars, I would. I am a huge fan of historical fiction (if you need proof, just check out my 'read' list! LOL), and the WWII era is one of my favourite eras to read about. Most of the books I've read set in this period are about women 'holding down the fort' in the US while the men are off fighting. While this book definitely had some of that in it, it was more of a coming of age story. I really liked watching Elise grow from a girl who is unsure of her place in the world to a woman of strength . . . not only strength in the knowledge of who she is, but WHOSE she is!
I will definitely be checking out more of this author's work!
I will definitely be checking out more of this author's work!
July 29, 2011
A great read. The only reason I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is because I felt the ending was rushed...I wanted more details. But, even with that said, the story was still a complete one.
I enjoy books set during World War II and this one was very interesting and had a unique point of view. The characters were excellent and thoroughly developed...Elise was a terrific character to be the center of the story...she grew as a person throughout the book and I was cheering for her.
River's Edge is a story about love and acceptance in spite of differences and I highly recommend it.
I enjoy books set during World War II and this one was very interesting and had a unique point of view. The characters were excellent and thoroughly developed...Elise was a terrific character to be the center of the story...she grew as a person throughout the book and I was cheering for her.
River's Edge is a story about love and acceptance in spite of differences and I highly recommend it.
September 19, 2011
This was a very moving novel. The story centers around Elise Braun who is sent by her military father to distant relatives in America in 1939. Elise has lost her mother to illness and now her father has sent her away to live with people she has never heard of in another country where the culture and the language are as alien to her as she is to them. The descriptions of her experiences and emotions are beautifully done. This book is a joy to read.
March 13, 2012
This book should be classified as historical, Christian Fiction. It is the story of a young German girl who is sent from her home in Berlin to live with distant relatives in America in the years prior to WW II. Her father, who is her only living parent, believes that she would be much safer living in America.
This account of the girl, the American family, and her German father, (who is in the German military) during World War II is both heartbreaking and heartwarming.
This account of the girl, the American family, and her German father, (who is in the German military) during World War II is both heartbreaking and heartwarming.
July 3, 2013
I enjoyed the writing style and the characters in this book. I think this author has a wonderfully descriptive style that feels almost poetic at times. The story was compelling and flowed nicely too. I thought it was a nice summer read because it is not too intense despite being set in war time. The sadness and more difficult themes were handled deftly and allowed the reader to dip into the emotion without getting overwhelmed. The heartwarming ending was nice too.
May 9, 2015
I always enjoy reading historical novels. This is an account of an affluent German girl sent to live in a small New England town to remove her from the dangers of the war in her country. Having just lost her mother, she is dealing with many emotions.
I would have like more details about her father's mission in the war, and more description of her earlier life, but all in all, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
I would have like more details about her father's mission in the war, and more description of her earlier life, but all in all, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews