The Lorelei

by Fred Strickert

This is a story about family roots, love, and war. In the aftermath of World War I, American occupation troops in the Rhineland were billeted for three years in private homes in the small town of Mayen, Germany. The a clash of cultures, friction between occupiers and occupied, and an outbreak of romantic encounters – with over a thousand German-American marriages and twice as many unexpected pregnancies. Eighteen-year-old Elisabeth Ternes, filled with youthful idealism and patriotic fervor to contribute to the German war effort, left behind family, childhood dreams, and her tiny village above the River Rhine. Little did she know that her journey would eventually lead her to the bed of an enemy soldier and ultimately to the hills of Tennessee. Set against the backdrop of The Lorelei myth, the lure of love and adventure brought deep personal loss, suffering, and pain. Ethnic and religious prejudice paint a realistic picture of immigration.

405 pages, Paperback

First published July 29, 2002

Reviews

[Lance · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit choppy at times, but very interesting (I'm a relative of the author, so the imagined characters are my distant relatives... sorta). There were a few mistakes that a good editor would have caught, but I unfortunately don't remember what they were now.