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Bezig met laden... Christmas Trees Lit The Sky: Growing Up in World War II Germanydoor Anneliese Heider Tisdale
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 Meld je aan bij LibraryThing om erachter te komen of je dit boek goed zult vinden. Op dit moment geen Discussie gesprekken over dit boek.  Staciele | Dec 9, 2013 |  geen besprekingen | voeg een bespreking toe
The Heider family huddles together in the basement, wondering if this is the last day they will be together, if this is the last day of their lives. It's Munich, Germany, in 1945, the day American tanks are rolling in. Anneliese's father finds a white sheet, ready to hang it from the attic window, hoping he times it right. Too early, and German SS forces could open fire. Too late, and the Allied forces could shoot. Thank god, it's not the Russians. And so begins the memoir of Anneliese Heider Tisdale, who grew up in Germany during World War II. Hers is a universal and timeless tale of war and death, of fear and deprivation, of the inventiveness of children who want to dance and wear new clothes but instead have childhoods filled with bandages and bombs, who return to school one fall to find the crucifix in their classroom replaced with a picture of the Fuhrer." Geen bibliotheekbeschrijvingen gevonden. |
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This is not a page-turning novel, but a general retelling of a life that many of us couldn't begin to comprehend. I love this time period and the simpleness of the lives they lived. But, aside from the simpleness, they also lived through horrors dictated by Hitler. This book doesn't share the details of the Holocaust, because at the time, Anneliese didn't know they that were happening. She and her family were merely trying to survive themselves and praying that her brother on the front-lines in Russia would come home safe.
Since I am of German heritage, I found the chapters of their traditions and food to be quite interesting. I am looking forward to making some of the recipes listed at the end of the chapters. Anything from Spatzle to "Health" Cake and Black Currant Liquor recipes are found in the book.
So many books set in this time period focus on the Holocaust and I found this book to have a interesting take on how those in Germany were treated. You can't compare their horror to what went on in the Concentration Camps, but they did live through their own nightmares and didn't necessarily agree with Hitler's ideas.
After the end of WWII, Anneliese leaves her family behind to move to America as a War Bride. She was ill-prepared for what she would find when she stepped off the plane in New York City and I found her experiences to be so interesting. For example when she came to America she did not even knowing how to make a phone call and she was told she needed to begin shaving her legs. These are things Americans took for granted but which made her stand out and feel like more of an outsider after her arrival. She has continued to live here ever since, becoming a citizen in 1950. She went to college and was a teacher for many years and lives just 30 minutes from me. She is currently working on her second book which is about her experiences adjusting to living in America and it is one I am looking forward to reading. I would love to meet her and ask her more questions about her life in Germany!
During this time of abundance, reading CHRISTMAS TREES LIT THE SKY will make you appreciate the little things in life; home, traditions, food and being with those you love to share it with.
This was our book club choice this month and I think we will have a nice chat about the book, but I don't think it will lead to a deep discussion like other books have. I read this on my Kindle, but it is also available on paperback.