I
really like this series by Schmidt. I have learned so much about WW
II, while at the same time enjoying well written novels.
In
this, the third in the series, FDR has arranged for nearly one
thousand WW II refugees to come to America. Included in the group are
some of those from previous novels. The main characters in this one
are Suzanne, a journalist who needs to redeem her career, and Theo, a
Quaker dairy farmer from Wisconsin and relative to one of the
refugees.
This
is a great continuation of the story. The refugees, many of them Jews
who have escaped from concentration camps, were placed in a
“camp” near Oswego, NY. Many locals were sympathetic to the needs of the
refugees while some were suspicious and exhibited anti-Semitic
feelings. The director of the camp wanted to see to the immediate
needs of the refugees but also help them to prepare psychologically
for life after the war. The refugees had signed an agreement to
return to Europe when the war was over but that became a political
issue as many wanted to stay.
I
love it when I learn some history as I read a historical novel. And
that is the case here. The Fort Ontario Refugee Shelter, also known
as Safe Haven, was the only refugee center established in the U. S.
during WW II. Schmidt has crafted an excellent novel based on these
historical facts. We readers get to experience the anxiety of the
refugees, their hesitation at being in a foreign country, and their
celebration when the war was over.
To
add interest and a framework for the historical narrative, Schmidt
has added an investigative reporter, a bossy congressman, a wonderful
Quaker farmer, and other well developed characters. This is a very
good WW II novel and is part of a very good WW II series. I highly
recommend it.
Anna
Schmidt has three times been a finalist for the coveted RITA award
for romance fiction and has twice been recognized by Romantic Times
magazine with their Reviewer's Choice Award. She has written twenty
five novels. Find out more about her and her books at
www.booksbyanna.com.
Barbour
Publishing, 320 pages.
I
received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for
the purpose of an independent and honest review.
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