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    Under the Same Blue Sky: A Novel
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    Under the Same Blue Sky: A Novel
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    Under the Same Blue Sky: A Novel
    Ebook386 pages5 hours

    Under the Same Blue Sky: A Novel

    By Pamela Schoenewaldt

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    From the USA Today bestselling author of When We Were Strangers and Swimming in the Moon comes a lush, exquisitely drawn novel set against the turmoil of the Great War, as a young German-American woman explores the secrets of her past.

    A shopkeeper’s daughter, Hazel Renner lives in the shadows of the Pittsburgh steel mills. She dreams of adventure, even as her immigrant parents push her toward a staid career. But in 1914, war seizes Europe and all their ambitions crumble. German-Americans are suddenly the enemy, “the Huns.” Hazel herself is an outsider in her own home when she learns the truth of her birth.

    Desperate for escape, Hazel takes a teaching job in a seemingly tranquil farming community. But the idyll is cracked when she acquires a mysterious healing power—a gift that becomes a curse as the locals’ relentless demand for “miracles” leads to tragedy.

    Hazel, determined to find answers, traces her own history back to a modern-day castle that could hold the truth about her past. There Hazel befriends the exiled, enigmatic German baron and forges a bond with the young gardener, Tom. But as America is shattered by war and Tom returns battered by shell-shock, Hazel’s healing talents alone will not be enough to protect those close to her, or to safeguard her dreams of love and belonging. She must reach inside to discover that sometimes the truth is not so far away, that the simplest of things can lead to the extraordinary.  

    Filled with rich historical details and intriguing, fully realized characters, Under the Same Blue Sky is the captivating story of one woman’s emergence into adulthood amid the tumult of war. 

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateMay 5, 2015
    ISBN9780062326645
    Unavailable
    Under the Same Blue Sky: A Novel
    Author

    Pamela Schoenewaldt

    Pamela Schoenewaldt is the USA Today bestselling author of When We Were Strangers and Swimming in the Moon. Her short stories have appeared in literary magazines in England, France, Italy, and the United States. She taught writing for the University of Maryland, European Division, and the University of Tennessee.

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    Reviews for Under the Same Blue Sky

    4/5

    26 ratings14 reviews

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    • 4/5
      A young woman of German-American heritage struggles to find her place in a rapidly changing world of World War I America. Rejecting her German-American parents' plans for her education and career, 18-year-old Hazel departs on a journey of self discovery. I did not find the plot itself very interesting and I never got to a point where I really cared what happened to Hazel. However, the mood of the period and the historical detail is captured perfectly and makes this book worth reading. The portrait of Hazel's parents and their struggle to stay faithful to their homeland and German relations while trying to remain loyal Americans is superb.
    • 4/5
      I loved the majority of this book. I loved the WWI aspect, the fact that the main characters were German and the challenges they faced in a country fighting a war against Germany, the characters were well rounded, vibrant, full of life. But there was a whole chunk of the book that, when I finished reading, I had forgotten was even a part of the plot. Without revealing too much, the first third of the book doesn't have anything to do with the rest of the plot. And while it was undoubtedly interesting, it was forgettable and did not add anything to the rest of the story. Thankfully the characters and the historical accuracy and the sheer emotional quality of the entire novel kept me interested and in the end I really did enjoy reading it.
    • 4/5
      A century ago, beginning in 1914 and ending in 1918, "The Great War", World War I, forever changed civilization. While the conflict centered in Europe, the dire effects spread around the world. "Under the Same Blue Sky", a novel by Pamela Schoenewaldt, thoughtfully details the trials and tribulations of German-Americans during this difficult time. Hazel Renner dreams of life beyond that of a shopkeeper's daughter in Pittsburgh. However, when WWI breaks out, suspicion looms and friendships are forgotten. Peaceful existence is elusive, and Hazel seeks solace in a small rural community, but a sudden, unexpected gift of healing brings about complications of its own. On a quest to discover her true heritage, Hazel will meet a German baron living a life of exile in America, and through him she will meet a gardener, Tom, who will suffer greatly from his own war experiences. The struggle for power and dominance is as old as the origins of man. One hundred years after the "war to end all wars", the world has seen many more horrific conflicts and further loss of innocence and loss of life--horrible suffering which never really ends. Yet, when the human heart has faith and reaches for hope, miracles can occur. People have a remarkable capacity for survival and reinvention, and life goes on. "Under the Same Blue Sky" touches upon many deeply emotional issues, and readers will not be unaffected. As a reminder to enjoy the sweet moments in life where you find them, the author has included a wonderful recipe for "Gudrun's Stollen"--a rich, sweet bread made with dried fruit and nuts. The warm loaves are brushed with melted butter and then dusted with powdered sugar--truly a treat for the senses and the spirit. Review Copy Gratis Library Thing
    • 4/5
      Having read the two previous novels by this author, I wasw happy to have been picked to receive an ARC of her new novel. The author writes of the experiences of immigrants in the US and the first two novels dealt with Italian immigrants and they rang true to me.This novel focuses on German immigrants during World War I. Hazel Renner is the main character and her relationship with Tom held my interest. However, I had a hard time holding on to the thread of her story, often having to reread passages to remember where I was in the story.
    • 4/5
      story of World war I in a american with German-american dealing with descrimnation. It is kind of like 2 stories in one.Hazel finds out she has healing powers and she doesnt understand why then they suddenly stop. She finds out her parents are not who she thought.
    • 4/5
      I had taken myself off of WWI and WWII books because I had read so darn many of them but something about this one drew me in. I’m glad I did read it as it wasn’t so much a story of WWI as a tale of the effects the war had on people back home. Hazel is a woman of German descent living in Pittsburgh. Her father suffers from headaches and Hazel seems to have a rare ability to heal him. She is being pressured to follow a medical profession but instead chooses to be a teacher. She does this away from Pittsburgh because anti-German sentiment is becoming unbearable.Hazel soon embarks on a journey to find her natural mother which leads her to a very odd place in New Jersey where she finds as many questions as answers as to her heritage. I really liked the character of Hazel and she was well developed. I just think there were too many threads of stories and some of them got lost within the whole and just didn’t wrap up appropriately.Overall it was a very good read about troubling subjects. Ms. Schoenewaldt has a real way with words that does draw you into the story.
    • 4/5
      A jaw-dropping portrayal of life on the home front during WWI, this book surprised me. I had braced myself after reading a few lukewarm reviews. However, I was sucked in by Hazel herself, the amazing atmospheric writing, and an engrossing story of a woman finding herself in a world gone mad. While not perfect, this book still stands as an outstanding example of historical fiction done right.Hazel herself was a great POV to tell the story through. She started out an idealistic dreamer, facing the world with rose-tinted glasses as she started her teaching career. This was a mirror for the world, pre-WWI, where man could conquer anything and everything was possible.As the story progresses, Hazel faces tragedy, war, illness, and death. Everything shapes her into a mature woman, equipped to face the trails of life with proficiency. I adored growing with her. Her journey and shaping was the heart of the story, connecting with the reader on a basic level.If Hazel’s journey is the heart of the book, then its portrayal and tale of German-Americans plight during the war years are the soul. Never have I come across a book that goes this in-depth on the subject. I’ve seen it touched on and used as background before. Yet, this book had something special. The visceral reality of prejudice, violence, and cruelty that became the everyday life of German-Americans comes to vivid life. The author doesn’t scrimp; we get to see the gritty details with no holds barred.The addition of a healing touch added a nice element to the story at first; in fact, it’s one of the things that attracted me to the book. A little fantasy is always welcome in my historical fiction. Yet, as the story went along, it became more of a burden than a blessing to the story.I felt like the healing took the story into a different direction than expected; as the second half of the book started, we went in a different direction that didn’t have much to do with healing touch at all. That element of the story was dropped to the wayside and seemed to take precious story time in the beginning that went nowhere.Despite that one little bump in the road, this book stands as an excellent piece of fiction. Telling an astounding tale of growth and perseverance through adversity, it can’t be paralleled. Even the healing touch aspect added to Hazel’s growth as a person and shaped how she approached the rest of her life decisions. Recommended for its unapologetic look at a dark time in our history and how it shaped the people that experienced it. It’s a tale that will suck you in!
    • 3/5
      This is the story of Hazel and her family during wartime. Being a German family in the United States during the war, they faced many challenges. Throughout the story, Hazel is trying to find out who she is and where she belongs. In her quest for where she truly belongs, she learns she is adopted and she searches for her birth mother. This is a very involved story that is sometimes hard to follow. I do appreciate being selected by LibraryThing to review this book.
    • 4/5
      Painfully honest, with flashes of good moments, and memories of beauty, Under the Same Blue Sky is hard to put down. This is the story of a family living in Pittsburgh, PA and the trials and uncertainly of being immigrants from Germany, during the war. The focus of most of the story is Hazel, and her coming of age in a family that she loved. This was during a time when manufacturing turned the skies of Pittsburgh black, and mill workers died from the poisons of their daily environment. Hazel wanted more. The story of how she seeks to build her own story is not an easy one to read. I imagine that there were many like Hazel in those days, and in fact even today. Feeling that we belong is essential to most of us, to feel secure and happy. This comes more easily to some than to others. Hazel did find a path to call her own, and the story of the journey she took is a worthwhile one.
    • 4/5
      Early reviewers book. Thank you.Loved this story, the characters, writing style- everything about the book. I had not read any of this authors other books but now intend to and will recommend it to friends.
    • 4/5
      Where did Hazel belong? Did she belong in Dogwood, Pittsburgh, or somewhere else.Hazel Renner's mother left her and left Dogwood, and Hazel's aunt and uncle lovingly raised her in Pittsburgh. The smog of Pittsburgh and the effects of war upon the citizens also had an effect on Hazel.Like her mother, Hazel wanted to leave and find where she really belonged. She first tried teaching in Galway, but things happened there that necessitated her leaving and coming back home. Hazel then tried Dogwood where her she was born to see if that would help her find her roots.UNDER THE SAME BLUE SKY will pull you in because of the beautiful descriptions and wonderful characters. You will love Hazel and her parents and feel sorry for her and all the problems she encounters. Hazel's father was quite intense about his heritage and the war. You could vividly feel his every concern and the emotions of every character because Ms. Schoenewaldt has a marvelous knack for words and for descriptions of characters and situations.UNDER THE SAME BLUE SKY was set during the first world war when German-Americans were under attack just as they were in Europe. History and a beautiful story make up UNDER THE SAME BLUE SKY.You will enjoy UNDER THE SAME BLUE SKY because of the nicely flowing storyline. The only complaint I have is that I was really confused at the beginning. The healing power of Hazel was a bit confusing too and not sure why it was in the story.UNDER THE SAME BLUE SKY is worth reading because of the wonderful writing style of Ms. Schoenewaldt and her marvelous research of WWI. She has a very descriptive and in-depth writing style.Sadness and heaviness do prevail in UNDER THE SAME BLUE SKY as we read of worries about war, the Influenza Pandemic of 1918, and the aftermath of the effects the war had on its returning soldiers. UNDER THE SAME BLUE SKY is a book you will want to read but a book that will pull at your heart strings. 4/5This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher and TLC book tours in return for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      I had taken myself off of WWI and WWII books because I had read so darn many of them but something about this one drew me in. I’m glad I did read it as it wasn’t so much a story of WWI as a tale of the effects the war had on people back home. Hazel is a woman of German descent living in Pittsburgh. Her father suffers from headaches and Hazel seems to have a rare ability to heal him. She is being pressured to follow a medical profession but instead chooses to be a teacher. She does this away from Pittsburgh because anti-German sentiment is becoming unbearable.Hazel soon embarks on a journey to find her natural mother which leads her to a very odd place in New Jersey where she finds as many questions as answers as to her heritage. I really liked the character of Hazel and she was well developed. I just think there were too many threads of stories and some of them got lost within the whole and just didn’t wrap up appropriately.Overall it was a very good read about troubling subjects. Ms. Schoenewaldt has a real way with words that does draw you into the story.
    • 4/5
      Hazel Renner is a German-American living in Pittsburgh with her parents at the dawn of the Great War. Hazel longs for more and feels restless within the steel city. Her parents hold on to the American Dream for her and want her to go to school to be a doctor. They believe that Hazel has the healing touch since she has a way with her father’s headaches. Hazel follows her own dreams and takes a teaching position at a one room schoolhouse in the country. Hazel feels like she is fitting in and doing well at the school until someone there discovers her healing touch also; when the rumors start to fly, Hazel is asked to move on. As the effects of war reach American, the German-Americans are ostracized, called “Huns” and Hazel’s father feels the death of every soldier. Hazel returns to her family and learns a tightly-held secret of her birth; now with another dream to chase, she sets off to find a German Baron’s castle in New Jersey to find the ghosts of her past.From the very first paragraph, I was captivated by Under The Same Blue Sky, I knew Hazel was going to be special as she painted and described memories of a grand castle that her mother dismissed as dreams. The story begins as a great piece of historical fiction, the writing emotionally capturing and describing the immigrant experience and the discrimination they face; Hazel’s name is changed from Hilde to seem ‘more American’ and her father reads the German newspaper behind an American newspaper. The characters were all very real, raw and complex. Hazel’s father was the most intense for me as he took to heart every death and dealt with every blow from the discrimination he received from being a German-American. Hazel’s character intrigued me more as the story progressed, her ‘healing touch’ drew me in, but as a person Hazel was determined and intelligent. I enjoyed watching her mature as she found herself and her history. Some things could have been resolved a little more at the end for me, but overall this was a great mix of historical fiction and magical realism.This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      A coming of age story of Hazel Renner, a young German-American, who faces discrimination and tragedy on her journey to find herself. As the first World War looms, we find her as a teacher in a small town, to the castle and gardens and a job with the Baron Richthofen and ultimately to war torn Germany. The horrors and devastation of the war are hauntingly portrayed, and the storyline is an evocative portrait of people's ethnicity.