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    Surviving the Fatherland: A True Coming-of-age Love Story Set in WWII Germany
    Surviving the Fatherland: A True Coming-of-age Love Story Set in WWII Germany
    Surviving the Fatherland: A True Coming-of-age Love Story Set in WWII Germany
    Audiobook13 hours

    Surviving the Fatherland: A True Coming-of-age Love Story Set in WWII Germany

    Written by Annette Oppenlander

    Narrated by Naomi Jacobson

    4.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    Awards

    2017 National Indie Excellence Award - Chill with a Book Readers' Award - Readers' Favorite Book Award - 2018 Indie B.R.A.G. Award Honoree - Finalist 2017 Kindle Book Awards - 2019 Global eBook Award Gold - Discovered Diamond Historical Novel

    "This book needs to join the ranks of the classic survivor stories of WWII such as "Diary of Anne Frank" and "Man's Search for Meaning". It is truly that amazing!" InD'taleMagazine

    "This novel is fast-paced and emotively worded and features a great selection of characters, flawed and poignantly three-dimensional." Historical Novel Society

    Spanning thirteen years from 1940 to 1953 and set against the epic panorama of WWII, author Annette Oppenlander's SURVIVING THE FATHERLAND is a sweeping saga of family, love, and betrayal that illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: the children's war.

    SURVIVING THE FATHERLAND tells the true and heart-wrenching stories of Lilly and Günter struggling with the terror-filled reality of life in the Third Reich, each embarking on their own dangerous path toward survival, freedom, and ultimately each other. Based on the author's own family and anchored in historical facts, this story celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the strength of war children.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAnnette Oppenlander
    Release dateJul 21, 2017
    ISBN9781987111248
    Author

    Annette Oppenlander

    Annette Oppenlander is an award-winning writer, literary coach and educator. As a bestselling historical novelist, Oppenlander is known for her authentic characters and stories based on true events, coming alive in well-researched settings. Having lived in Germany the first half of her life and the second half in various parts in the U.S., Oppenlander inspires readers by illuminating story questions as relevant today as they were in the past. Oppenlander’s bestselling true WWII story, Surviving the Fatherland, was a winner in the 2017 National Indie Excellence Awards and a finalist in the 2017 Kindle Book Awards. Her historical time-travel trilogy, Escape from the Past, takes readers to the German Middle Ages and the Wild West. Uniquely, Oppenlander weaves actual historical figures and events into her plots, giving readers a flavor of true history while enjoying a good story. Oppenlander shares her knowledge through writing workshops at colleges, libraries and schools. She also offers vivid presentations and author visits. The mother of fraternal twins and a son, she recently moved with her husband and old mutt, Mocha, to Solingen, Germany.

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    Reviews for Surviving the Fatherland

    4.5/5

    106 ratings7 reviews

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    • 4/5
      WARNING: Animal sensitivity

      Listening to Audiobook. Will update review when finished but wanted to add an alert for those wanting to listen or read. If you are sensitive to animal care/treatment, be forewarned. Be cautious in chapter 14. Extremely difficult sensitivity.

      Have now completed the audiobook. A bit slow in parts but overall compelling story. Sheds light on the war from a perspective rarely told. Wish there were more stories told from this perspective for a fuller understanding of what was happening behind the stories we know all too well.

      When you get to the end of the story, there are two more chapters with detail about the characters, etc. Just as important to the telling of the story, imho, to understand who they are/were.

      Lovely book, despite the ugliness and atrocities. Highly recommended but do be wary of the particular chapter noted above.

      2 people found this helpful

    • 5/5
      The second book I’ve ever read of this nature. Outstanding. Great author, the way she described events and things. I could visualize everything. So many stories will forever be with me but especially the story of the father not speaking to his dying daughter. That melted my heart. Thank you for writing. I liked how you gave us insights of how each character lived and died. Great book. A must read.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Beautifully written from beginning to end. I was so captivated and kept listening past my allotted intended timeframe. Highly recommended.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Impossible to set down for an extended period of time, I listened to the last words only two days after the beginning. World War II novels have always been a first choice for me. However, this story based on mostly real characters was the first to open my eyes to a different group of victims. German children. Small beings as innocent and fragile as any child born in any country. The author writes brilliantly, taking you back in time, visualizing the land and the children through all their bravery, fear, sorrow, and resilience. Truly moving. If only the world could be free from war.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      This true story gives WWII from the perspective of the German citizens who hated Hitler and his Nazi regime. The backlash of the war that Hitler led actually left the German people with the daunting responsibility of rebuilding their country from ground up. This story is definitely one that should live on, hoping people will listen to the reality of what war does to families and individuals plus the lasting repercussions it leaves in the lives of the people who want to live in
    • 5/5
      It allows a different perspective of the war seem through the eyes of innocent children who suffered.
    • 5/5
      An excellent book with an alternative viewpoint on World War 2