The Last Year of the War

De: Susan Meissner

Narrado por: Kimberly Farr

From the acclaimed author of Secrets of a Charmed Life and As Bright as Heaven comes a novel about a German American teenager whose life changes forever when her immigrant family is sent to an internment camp during World War II.

In 1943, Elise Sontag is a typical American teenager from Iowa - aware of the war but distanced from its reach. Then her father, a legal US resident for nearly two decades, is suddenly arrested on suspicion of being a Nazi sympathizer. The family is sent to an internment camp in Texas, where, behind the armed guards and barbed wire, Elise feels stripped of everything beloved and familiar, including her own identity.

The only thing that makes the camp bearable is meeting fellow internee Mariko Inoue, a Japanese-American teen from Los Angeles, whose friendship empowers Elise to believe the life she knew before the war will again be hers. Together in the desert wilderness, Elise and Mariko hold tight the dream of being young American women with a future beyond the fences.

But when the Sontag family is exchanged for American prisoners behind enemy lines in Germany, Elise will face head-on the person the war desires to make of her. In that devastating crucible, she must discover if she has the will to rise above prejudice and hatred and reclaim her own destiny, or disappear into the image others have cast upon her.

The Last Year of the War tells a little-known story of World War II with great resonance for our own times and challenges the very notion of who we are when who we’ve always been is called into question.

©2019 Susan Meissner (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Meissner has created a quietly devastating story that shows how fear and hatred during World War II changed (and even ended) the lives of many innocent Americans.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Vivid historical detail and elegant prose bolster this rewarding story of profound friendship, family, fear, and the pain that arose for American-born children of immigrant parents.”—Publishers Weekly

“There's no shortage of books about World War II and internment camps coming out right now, given events in the news over the last year. Meissner's latest novel presents a more interesting, untold account than others.”—Real Simple

Great story

I love a good historical fiction. I loved learning about the Japanese and German internment camps. It brought a whole new perspective on this time in history. The story was told well and kept me wanting to read more. The story also ended really well I feel that there is no need for more books. My only complaint is that the narrator read the book without much voice inflection. She also read very slowly. I ended up speeding the narration by 1.25. Overall I would definitely recommend this book.

Susan Meissner always delivers a great book!

The beginning was really slow, but it kept getting better and better. I Loved it!

I enjoyed this book and learned so much.

Its is a reminder how America treated its citizens in WW2. I am embarrassed for us all.

A neglected chapter

A good story about a neglected chapter in the history of World War II. The narrator could have done much better when tying to pronounce German words—they were virtually unintelligible to anyone who understands German.

Interesting story, excellent narration

I won't try to summarize this story because it is so rich in interesting threads, but the fabric created from those threads is gorgeous making this book well worth the time.

Unforgettable

A beautiful story of the best & worst of humanity - enduring friendship from a little known situation of horrific wartime injustice!

Outstanding Book

Beautiful and informative story concerning events during WW2. Kimberly Farr did such a wonderful job. A must read!!

Well written, well-documented, Amazing read.

I love historical fiction and this is such a well-told story! And the best part is that it is really well-researched. Well-chosen narrator. This one is well worth listening to! I will be looking for more by Susan Meissner!

Lovely Work of Historical Fiction

Interesting and well told story of WWII including interment and repatriation through the eyes of a young girl. Held my interest, while not being far fetched. The narration was a pleasure. I highly recommend this book.

Historical Novel highlights our sad history

This book tells the story of families of German and Japanese decent who were interned during World War II in Crystal City, TX, and their repatriation to the native country ofthe older generation. It tells a history of which I knew nothing about. I had heard about the Japanese interned in CA but did not know of other camps around the country nor the hardships and injustice these people endured because of an unsubstantiated fear and then hate of them. This is a timely book for the current underlying fears in our nation where if we are not careful, history could repeat itself.