George Stenger’s Reviews > American Shoes: A Refugee's Story > Status Update

Is this a good read?

I am reading it for a social justice book club that will meet Tuesday. It is a good book but it is YA book because part of it is from a young girl's perspective. It is split into two parts - Rosemarie's experience in Germany and the other part is her return trip home after the end of the war.

Oh, thank you. I'll check it out.

Hello again. I finished the book and here is my review.

Roemarie (Rosel) was born in New York in 1930. Her German immigrant parents are not U.S. citizens yet. Her grandfather in Germany was thought to be dying soon so their family visited to spend time with him. However, he lived a couple of years and by the time they were ready to return to the United States, Hitler hand banned travel.
Through Rosel’s young viewpoint, we can see the terrible changes that are happening in Germany. Eventually her father is conscripted into the army leaving Rosel, her younger sister, and her mother to fend for themselves.
Ultimately after the war, Rosel is the only American citizen in her family so she is the only one in her family allowed to return to America. She makes the difficult choice to travel alone as a fifteen-year-old girl to reach the United States.
The story is told in first person format in Rosel’s voice. The story is a dual timeline. She sees so many people on the journey back that had worse experiences than she had.
A very compelling story that the author and her son told almost 70 years after the experience. I loved her epilogue and postscript. Clearly a very strong person with an important story to tell.
Highly Recommended.