The Plum Tree: An Emotional and Heartbreaking Novel of WW2 Germany and the Holocaust - Softcover

Wiseman, Ellen Marie

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0758278438 ISBN 13: 9780758278432

Publisher: Kensington, 2012

Synopsis

"The meticulous hand-crafted detail and emotional intensity of THE PLUM TREE immersed me in Germany during its darkest hours and the ordeals its citizens had to face. A must-read for WW2 fiction aficionados--and any reader who loves a transporting story."--Jenna Blum, NYT bestselling author of Those Who Save Us and one of Oprah's Top 30 Women Writers

A deeply moving and masterfully written story of human resilience and enduring love, The Plum Tree follows a young German woman through the chaos of World War II and its aftermath.

"Bloom where you're planted," is the advice Christine Bolz receives from her beloved Oma. But seventeen-year-old domestic Christine knows there is a whole world waiting beyond her small German village. It's a world she's begun to glimpse through music, books--and through Isaac Bauerman, the cultured son of the wealthy Jewish family she works for.

Yet the future she and Isaac dream of sharing faces greater challenges than their difference in stations. In the fall of 1938, Germany is changing rapidly under Hitler's regime. Anti-Jewish posters are everywhere, dissenting talk is silenced, and a new law forbids Christine from returning to her job--and from having any relationship with Isaac. In the months and years that follow, Christine will confront the Gestapo's wrath and the horrors of Dachau, desperate to be with the man she loves, to survive--and finally, to speak out.

Set against the backdrop of the German homefront, this is an unforgettable novel of courage and resolve, of the inhumanity of war, and the heartbreak and hope left in its wake.

Advance Praise For Ellen Marie Wiseman's
The Plum Tree

"The Plum Tree is a touching story of heroism and loss, a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the power of love to transcend the most unthinkable circumstances. Deft storytelling and rich characters make this a highly memorable read and a worthy addition to the narratives of the Holocaust and Second World War." --Pam Jenoff, author of The Ambassador's Daughter

"A haunting and beautiful debut novel." --Anna Jean Mayhew, author of The Dry Grass of August

"In The Plum Tree, Ellen Marie Wiseman boldly explores the complexities of the Holocaust. This novel is at times painful, but it is also a satisfying love story set against the backdrop of one of the most difficult times in human history." --T. Greenwood, author of Two Rivers

"Her characters are not just victims, but flesh-and-blood people. If you care about humanity, you must read The Plum Tree."--Sandra Dallas, author of True Sisters
 

About this title

About the Author

Born and raised in Three Mile Bay, a tiny hamlet in Northern New York, Ellen Marie Wiseman is a first-generation German American who discovered her love of reading and writing while attending first grade in one of the last one-room schoolhouses in New York state. Since then, her novels have been translated into eighteen languages and published worldwide. A mother of two, Ellen lives on the shores of Lake Ontario with her husband and dogs. Visit her online at www.EllenMarieWiseman.com.

Reviews

In the calm before the storm, Christine Bölz soaks in an idyllic morning in her small German town, basking in her new relationship with Isaac Bauerman, son of the wealthy Jewish family in whose house she works as a domestic servant. The glow of their new love is quickly tested as Hitler’s armies begin to move, and restrictions are placed on interactions between Jews and non-Jews. Spanning the pre- to postwar years, the novel follows Christine and her family as they endure the hardships of war. Persevering through threats from the Gestapo and the horrors of Dachau, Christine keeps her hopes for a future with Isaac alive. Although the major story line is supposed to be the love story between Christine and Isaac, their relationship develops too quickly, and the level of commitment they have for one another seems out of sync. Considerable time and attention are devoted to quotidian activities of country life and to describing setting and scenery. Readers who like slower-paced sentimental novels set during WWII will enjoy this novel. --Eve Gaus

Edition details

• Publisher: Kensington
• Publication date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0758278438
• ISBN 13: 9780758278432
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 400