a captivating story about wars, families, love,  reunion, etc
588930
To be truthful, in normal days I will never choose to read this kind of novel that has lots of emotions, scary wars, community fights, hatred, poverty and a lot of things that makes my heart-rate rising. But  as a fact, I always love to find and try new genres to read once in awhile. Not to mention, these kind of war-related stories always have a special place in my heart than any other books(from my past experience) as I can not  forget it's impact on my life after having read it. This story turned out to be exactly like that.

The lonely tree by Yael Politis runs in a heavy historical background. It is about a  girl, Tonia Schulman, the youngest in her family,  not only is she stubborn and selfish, she always wants everyone to listen(particularly her father) and nod their heads "right" for every thing she says. She can be blamed by none as she is petrified to live in a war torn country, so she desperately seeks to escape to a country where she and her family members can feel safe and secure. But it is not that easy as it sounds. There are lot of unexpected sad and joyful twists and turns in the story.

The initial few chapters were very difficult to understand as I couldn't relate with neither of the places mentioned in the book nor about the war that was taking place. But as the story progresses, I could hardly able to put down. I liked the book so much after the dramatic introduction of the rich Mrs. Rozmaan. Rachel's story (Amos's mother) was very hard to miss. She married at the age of fourteen, as Tonia calculates, she gave birth to one children every year until her husband died when she was 23 years old. She lived all her life as a cleaner and also raised all her children with so called dignified poverty. Like her, there are many mind blowing characters in the novel.

The second half of the book was a real spot on. Most of the time, people don't know what they are doing. When they learn their mistakes, it is often too late for them to ask for forgiveness to the ones whom they betrayed but there is always hope for a miracle. When Amos returned for Tonia, I had this same feeling.

Overall, if the first half is about Tonia's childhood struggle, the second half is all about her adulthood and parenthood. It was a great marvel how life does turn out. The Lonely tree is about a lonely girl/woman Tonia who thought living in a safer place is more than enough but  she later finds out living closer to her loved ones is the only right thing to do, even it meant her death. Hats off to Yael Politis for her excellent story-telling.

I would highly recommend this novel to any one who wants to learn about Jewish wars, the hatred between them and the Arabs(the reason not clearly mentioned)and how other nations saw them as.
1925985
Once again I am enthralled with the beauty and horrors of dear people living during a war. This story is rich with each individual s personality and life. From the much distant past to the grief of here and now, this book endeared me to the yearning of wives left to fend in war,and their desires to be reunited with there loved ones. Beautiful!
629312
I don't usually write reviews, but in this case I felt compelled to do so.  This story was captivating and intriguing throughout.  I was surprised to have found so many of the characters resonating with me, especially considering the subject matter of the book.  The people are not portrayed in the typical vaudeville style of clear cut good and evil like you find in many novels; they are complex characters with individual motivations and ambitions, struggling against circumstance and adversity.  Even the bad guys aren't really bad, but protagonists in their own right.  The writing style flows in a natural and prosaic manner which makes the novels tone relaxed while maintaining an informal elegance.
 Ive always had a deep and abiding love of history texts, though Ive had little fondness for much of the western genre.  There have been a few notable exceptions to this, and I am happy to report that this book is one.  This is largely due to the amount of historical research that went into this volume to strive for an accurate depiction of people, events and places.  This book is the story of the Western US version of Robin Hood to many, and an unspeakable villain to others.  The time frame in which these events took place has led most people being unaware of this unique series of events, myself included.
 Over the years there have been many books looking at the Manifest Destiny policies and consequences on the Native American tribes of the US, but almost no decent coverage of the Hispanic settlers who had already long since called the southwest their home.  This book manages to touch on the events of the western front of the Civil War, the plight of the native tribes (most notably the Ute bands) of the Four Corner States, and the collision of culture between the Anglo Americans and the Hispanic population.  It is reminiscent of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, but looking at one specific geographic area.
  Perhaps the most interesting to me is the fact that my family was raised and homesteaded many of the areas that this book discusses.  It creates an emotional tie to know that your personal family members lived and worked many of the same areas that are so vividly described here.  For me, this book felt like coming home.
  There are many more things which I can say in praise of this book, but Ill let you read it for yourself and make your own decision.  My last comment on the matter is surprise that this work is the authors first novel.  I look forward to future works from this young author, especially if they maintain the high standards set here in his debut.
2946867
This is a captivating story that will appeal to those who love well-written historical fiction. The author has a decided flair for epic storytelling, as the reader will be riveted to this wonderfully told tale of abduction, slavery, and love. It is the story of Sarah Wells, a seventeen year old settler from the colony of New Hampshire, who is forcibly captured by a party of Abnaki Indians, sympathetic to the French, during the time of the French and Indian Wars.

Taken to their village where she is made to live the life of a slave, Sarah develops a loving relationship with Taliwan, the gentle son of the old Abnaki Indian woman to whom she had been given in slavery. It is her relationship with Taliwan that would eventually become a pivotal one in her life.

The book is rich in the details of her life with the Abnaki, ground in the context of the times and the French and Indian Wars. It is the story of two worlds and the ways that Sarah Wells finds to straddle both. She ultimately must choose, however, one over the other. It is a choice that will eventually be a test her love.

This is an action packed story that will keep the reader turning the pages of the book until the very last. I loved this book when I first read it about twenty five years ago. In reading it again, time has not diminished this wonderfully told story.
4575726
Through the eyes of Emil Czabek, we embark on a journey of discovery and reminiscence of the Czabek clan.  The backdrop of the story is Emil making his way back home to celebrate the fiftieth wedding anniversary of his parents with his six siblings.  What starts as a celebration for the parents, quickly converts into a bit of soul searching for everyone as they remember where they came from and how the decisions of the father have made each one who they are today.

The Czabek legacy started when Wally and Susan decided to tie the knot when they found themselves getting caught up in the celebration of the world after World War II America.  Americans felt, at that time, anything was possible and Wally and Susan were no different.  As time carried on, they quickly found themselves raising seven children in the flourishing suburbs of Chicago.  While the world had a image of life in the suburbs as being ideal, the Wally found that the live he was raising his family in wasn't far from ideal.

In an attempt to find the greener fields on the other side of the mountain, Wally uproots the family and hauls them from the heart of America to the wilderness of rural Wisconsin.  Thinking he had escape the trauma of big city Chicago, he quickly finds that the grass isn't always greener and there is more complications in what appeared to be a simpler life than he ever bargained for.

As the story unfolds, we watch fifty years of family spats, broken dreams and how each member of this unique, yet familiar family copes with finding themselves in life.  In the end, we find that each member of this family has their own fair share of triumph and disappointment, but that the family unit manages to survive despite it all.

A combination of a man always seeking to find a way to better himself and his family mixed with the love and feel good feelings of the "Leave to Beaver" world, this book stirs memories and entertains all in one.  Hribal provides a wonderful story that amuses at times and dares to challenge are own life as we find ourselves capable of relating to one adventure or another.

Frederick A. Babb
1327720
This is the riveting story Wilber Bradt, an American National Guard artillery officer who fought his way through the Pacific War from the Solomon Islands and New Guinea to the Philippines. It is presented through the eyes of his son Hale V. Bradt who has done a superb job of disentangling the confusing threads of this story which is as much about himself as other family members. He is an 85 year-old Professor of Physics, Emeritus, an M.I.T. physicist who specialized x-ray astronomy. In the 1980s, having lived long enough with the tragic demise of his father and the divisions within his family, he decided to confront the past by writing this biography based on hundreds of letters his father sent home to his parents, siblings and others. The author has done an excellent job of providing the wider historical context of the events of Wilber's War. Having read a sampling of the letters, the reader becomes involved in the lives of the personalities even while trying to remain aloof. The reward for military historians and students is found in learning more about the demands that World War II made on soldiers and their families, with its extended absences and ever-present anxieties. After Wilber's war was apparently over, he was faced with what today is called PTSD and a family crisis not of his own making, and therein lies the tragedy.  Having read this book as a trilogy, I can assure the reader that the present volume is a faster read and perhaps makes a greater impact as one looks back on Wilber's experience and the family's remembrance of all that had happened.
2471040
Waiting For Peace is the perfect title for this story about the sorrows and joys that war brings to a WWll medic. This incredible chronological collection of journal writings and letters from the author's father, along with fascinating footnotes, took me on a vivid journey into the past. I felt as if I knew him and his family and friends. The letters provided wonderful descriptions of the day to day details of serving, from the mundane days of waiting for assignments to the exciting and tragic front line push into Germany right before VE Day. I found myself thinking about Richard during the day, anxious to read the next part. I was elated when he finally walked through the door into the loving arms of his family after two years of serving his country. The Greatest Generation, indeed! This book should interest anyone who wants an intimate look into a soldier's life in WWll.
3735567
1) A strong book set at a time that to me is still more the dominion of history lessons and horror and those childhood stories that my grandparents never, ever tell. So not exactly a time that lends itself to romance, and I admit I was sceptical when I first picked this book up. Happily my scepticism was misguided. Instead of the wartime romance I was half-dreading, this book is the story of two men struggling to stay human in an increasingly inhuman world; remembering that the enemy soldier is a human being, too, is just one part of it. Very well done. But then, everything about this book is well done: The plot is solid and gripping and although it jumps ahead in time twice, it doesnt seem episodic; the characters are all complex and layered, even the secondary characters  even the obligatory super-Nazi was interesting from a meta perspective!  and the protagonists have a depth that is sometimes more hinted at than revealed fully; the setting was evocative and done right  at least, this German reader was very pleased to come across genuine German names as well as properly spelled and grammatically correct German sentences; the writing, finally, flowed smoothly, at a good pace, and managed to keep me up way past my bedtime because I simply could. Not. Stop. Reading. Last but not least, I quite enjoyed seeing the Germans from the American characters perspective, all those little comments and observations on manners and language, and I couldn't help grinning at the bit where Mark wonders at Armins mood because from his tone of voice he cant tell whether Armin is annoyed or not, what with German sounding the same all the damn time. :-)

2) Writing as you wish it do be when you look for this kind of reading; well-developed characters; perfect research; and some very little flaws are covered by a gripping story, although dark, mesmerizing.

3) One of the most touching, heartbreaking beautiful story I ever read. Set in a German POW camp at the end of WWII, it is not a easy reading, the covered topics certainly leave its marks on the reader. But you won't be able to put it down, you need to know how the main characters get to their well deserved happy ending. Be ready to cry, a lot, be ready to get angry, to feel relieved. The authors managed to engage the readers describing the environment and every action with such powerful attention to detail that you can almost see yourself there. There must have been a lot of reserch behind it, a very good job. A book to read at least once in a lifetime.

4) This book wasn't at all what I was expecting. The setting is about as dramatic as it gets, but the story itself, the development of the romance and the tightly-written scenes between Armin and Mark are surprisingly easy to read. It was so engaging I couldn't put it down.

5) Full marks from me on this excellent story of two men who meet at the 1936 Olympics, have one night of passion and eight years later are reunited during World War II. Armin is the POW camp Commandant where Mark, an American airman is brought when his plane crashes. The men at first are wary of one another, but as time passes the attraction they felt eight years earlier is rekindled and their purpose becomes to save each other's lives, as the Allies close in on a defeated Germany. Couldn't put this down until I had read and savored every word. Without a doubt my favorite book of this year.
3832212
This masterfully written memoir contains a distillate of events spanning five generations of the Sehnert family, starting from the author's great-great-great-grandparents, who immigrated to the US and took root in Illinois. The rest of the story unfolds around the city of Edwardsville in Illinois.

The story of the Sehnerts -- all five generations of it -- is one that is curiously captivating and colorful, as is each and every character in the story. Without resorting to lengthy tomes, the author somehow manages, without missing a beat, to whisk the reader through tableau after tableau. Despite the story being fast-moving, the storyline has a strangely satisfying sense of continuity and completeness to it.

In just under 200 pages, the author manages to convey the human experience with the Sehnerts at its locus. The story of the Sehnerts is like a little capsule that encompasses sorrow and joy, defeat and triumph, tragedy and good fortune, and a myriad other colors in the rainbow of the human experience.

The book is extremely well-written. The story is bittersweet and touching. The characters are all well fleshed out. My reading experience is best described as fast-moving, exhilarating, and thoroughly enjoyable. The book has definitely earned a place in my list of quick and good reads. Highly, highly recommended!
3917332
I must say I tried reading this story without thinking of the author's personal life, but it was not possible, which made the hopeful and grateful tone even more heartbreaking.
This is the story of two families, that spans two generations starting just before the outbreak of WWI and continuing until 1940, just two years before the author died at Auchwitz. The focus of the story is love and family, it starts with a couple marrying despite their family's disapproval, and subsequent disowning of man the family patriarch. The story unfolds quickly, through the war, children, and their trials and tribulations. Eventually the various members of the families come in contact again when faced with dealing with the invading Germans and the outbreak of WWII.
This is a beautifully written, touching story, made all the more heartfelt knowing that 2 years after it's completion the author herself was overtaken by forces outside her control and could only appreciate her worldly goods for a short time longer.
1067123
Mustard Seed is an emotional, captivating story of faith and family, and how those two things can help us through the darkest of times. The book takes place three years after the end of the Civil War, and it is a stirring account of what conditions were like for former slaves and their owners at that time. Three strong, brave, loving women are at the center of this story; women who left the South before the war began, women who believe that conditions have improved in Virginia, especially for the former slaves; but when they return they find that the same battles are being fought, that injustice and oppression are still being inflicted. These women and their families captured my heart, evoking emotions on every page. The story was so compelling, I read each page with my heart in my throat, and I stayed up very late last night reading til the end! This book continues the story of the author's previous book, Yellow Crocus, and I highly encourage you to read that book first.
2709569
FLIGHT PATTERNS is an exquisite story!! A compassionate and intricate history of family and relationships.  They become entangled in the mystery of their ancestry.  The compound secrets of each generation is so complex and a stranger has some link to the puzzle.  The accidents which occurred tore the family apart.  The silence was deadly, and running didn't eliminate any problems.  This blended family includes second chances for healing.  The foreign language of love and ancestry.  The comforts of a time and place when things were simple.  The realization parents are complex, and we really don't know their history.  The possibility of forgiveness can bring renewed faith.  The strangers we meet, may not be as strange as we think.  The bees and how they survive have relevance in this story.  Bees on fine china can be magical.  More often, when it is the only keepsake we have of a loved one.  This story is magical.  The hidden facts and stories are a beautiful reality of how strong people need to be, for survival.  The blessings of humanity, and the love of family.  I rate this book four stars.  The flow of the book was easy, and consistent.  I enjoyed the book, and continued quickly to read in anticipation.  I was pleased at the plot expanding, and including additional characters and stories.  I would definitely recommend this book for reading pleasure, and as an addition for your library.
2263273
What a wonderful story!  Spanning the decade of the forties, part of this love story is set during World War II and part is set three years after the men come home.  This is the tale of two men who meet on the way to Paris Island where they expect to become US Marines prepared to fight the War in the Pacific. The story takes us through their time fighting the war in the Pacific and back home with all its accompanying real life issues and ultimately to a time when secrets carried in the heart become realities always dreamed of.

Jim Bennett hales from Tivoli, a small town in upstate New York, where he and his wife and two-year-old daughter live with his father on their apple orchard.  Cal Cunningham is a New Yorker, son of a banker and a socialite.  Two men so different, yet they find they can be friends, and when fate assigns them to the same platoon after surviving their harrowing boot camp experience, the two rejoice.

Throughout the book, the author alternates scenes from the years 1942 through 1945 with scenes of today1948.  In the war scenes, we witness harrowing life and death situations, acts of wartime violence graphically depicted, and the bonding of brothers in arms. Jim and Cal survive and Cal manages to keep his love for Jim to himself all the way through the end of the war and the final flashback scene that takes place on the ship returning the men to US soil.

In 1948, Jim has been home for three years, and his wife has been killed in an auto accident, leaving him with his now eight-year-old daughter and his two-year-old son to raise on his own. To make matters worse, his single employee has left without notice, so when he shares his dilemma with Cal, Cal makes plans to leave his fathers bank and spend the summer helping Jim with the orchard.  Cal has never stopped loving Jim, and though he knows his love is unrequited, hes willing to do whatever it takes to help.

As the summer unfolds, it becomes clear that Jim shares Cals attraction, and when their sexual tension comes to an explosive head they decide to try to find stolen moments together.  Unfortunately, they have to face the fact that they cant just be friends and keep their hands off each other without someone finding out, so Jim sends a brokenhearted Cal away.

I cant say enough about how well this story was writtennot only by using alternating time periods to provide the back story, but also through the depth of the character development of the two MCs, the historic realism of the time period, the sexual tension between the men, the need to hide an illegal act, and the strength of the bond of friendship, and finally, love.  Add to that the sweet Epilogue, and I would be foolish not to highly recommend this to all lovers of M/M romance, especially to those who enjoy wartime historicals, as well as stories of unrequited love, men with children, and finally those with a painfully well-deserved HEA.
249602
about family, love, and the bonds of friendship. A book that will draw you in and keep you reading to the end.
1416098
I absolutely loved this well-written book! The characters are all interesting individuals. The story is compelling. I had trouble putting it down.
The drumbeat of the war kept a tension throughout. I liked the big world history starting each chapter of the personal (at home) history.
The point at which the book ended accentuated all the themes of loneliness and not knowing mixed independence and with the joy of the end of the war. A great read!!
1581054
Wow! What a rich, brilliant story set during World War I. There's war, betrayal, and even love. Petken's writing is the best part - poetic yet genuine, devastating but inspiring. I experienced an array of emotions while reading this book - the other had me in the palm of her hand.
This story is a perfectly woven tale of action, heart ache, and sacrifice with so many well drawn characters, all of which I felt invested in (even the ones I didn't like very much).
It's well-researched with dramatic flair and heart, giving us a face to people who really experienced life during these tumultuous times.
This is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and anyone who enjoys a rich, layered tale of family and struggle.
It was a great read and I was so impressed with the writer. She could write anything and make it worth reading just because she's a natural storyteller and wordsmith. Job well done! I can't wait to check out book two in the saga.
4606534
First of all I like novels where the author has research the material for the story to connect nonfiction and fiction.  This story has many factors some which are four generations of love and traditions, that includes a small community that knows everyone business and share the same problems during the war.  Of course the setting is beautiful.