I have long enjoyed Susan Meissner's books; always something different, they make you think, I often find myself "living" with her characters in my brain and on my mind for a while after I am done reading. This book was no exception.
Teenager Elise Sontag is living a content and hopeful life in Iowa with her parents and younger brother. When her beloved father is taken away by the police for his ties to native Germany, her family is devastated and soon moves to live with him in an interment camp. There Elise meets Mariko Inoue from Los Angeles. Even though their parents are legal US residents, are in no way sympathizers with the enemies in the war, and both families dearly love America, they and many like them are exchanged with POW's and returned to their "home" country. Elise was born in the United States, does not speak German, and the family is unwittingly being sent directly to a war zone.
The book bounces back and forth between present day Elise (in her 80's with Alzheimer's that she has named Agatha, after a girl in school who stole things) and the story of their friendship. Her journey takes many twist and turns, many of them quite unexpected. The author deftly weaves the two together in a way that keeps you engaged and reveals things at a perfect pace.
This book was thought provoking, eye opening to a part of history I knew little about, and engaging all the way through. I highly recommend it.
I was provided a copy of this book by Berkley Publishers in exchange for my honest review.
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