HEIMAT

$20.95

In 1929, four young German friends embark on a life-altering journey from the remnants of post-WWI Germany to the promise-filled streets of America.

Dreaming of returning to their beloved hometown of Neisse as triumphant American citizens, their fate takes a dramatic twist in the heart of Berlin’s teeming train station. A daring rescue of an American diplomat binds them in an enduring friendship, setting them on a path through the shattered illusions of the American dream, the harrowing depths of the Great Depression, and the challenging process of assimilating into a new culture.

As the world plunges into the chaos of World War II, their lives diverge in ways they could never have imagined. Matthias finds himself in the paradoxical role of building ships in an American yard, aimed at the destruction of their homeland. Feliks, driven by a sense of duty, joins the US Army to fight against the Japanese in the Pacific, later aiding the Polish resistance in their homeland. Josef, caught in an ill-timed visit to Neisse, is swept into the ranks of the Wehrmacht, partaking in the invasions of France and Russia, and eventually coming face-to-face with Americans in the Battle of the Bulge.

Meanwhile, Edo steps into the hallowed halls of the Nuremberg trials, contributing to the monumental task of bringing Nazi war criminals to justice.

Their story is a tapestry of loyalty, betrayal, and the relentless grip of fate, weaving a compelling saga of friendship tested by war, ideology, and the quest for identity in a world coming undone.

This is more than a tale of four immigrants; it is a poignant exploration of the human spirit caught in the tumult of history.

Description

From the Publisher

PROLOGUE

May 1946

Hann-Munden, Germany

Dear Matthias,

It is with great hope and prayers that this letter finds you and that you are well. I don’t know how to begin to tell you what happened to us.

So much has changed since the last time we could write. You know the big story from your side of the Atlantic from newspapers, but not of the millions of individual tragic stories here like ours. So many horrible things have happened. It should not have ended the way it did. No one expected that our country would decay into what it is today. It was supposed to be different

Matthias Schmidt read the letter several times over, studying every character in every word in every sentence looking for something not on the paper. He received her last letter and letters from others in the Heimat near the end of August 1939. He did not recognize the return address on this letter. Where is she?

The last time he saw her was July 1929, when he left her to pursue an uncertain future in a foreign country where he did not speak the language. It was a simple plan; get established, be successful, and make her proud of him. He tried, but in the intervening years, events beyond his control changed everything.

Product details

  • ASIN : B09JLBZCVC
  • Accessibility : Learn more
  • Publication date : October 15, 2021
  • Language : English
  • File size : 818 KB
  • Screen Reader : Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
  • X-Ray : Not Enabled
  • Word Wise : Enabled
  • Print length : 519 pages
  • ISBN-13 : 978-0578841199
  • Page Flip : Enabled
  • Reading age : 16 – 18 years
  • Best Sellers Rank: #955,093 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store) #437 in Historical German Fiction #1,797 in Historical European Fiction #2,124 in Historical World War II Fiction
  • #437 in Historical German Fiction
  • #1,797 in Historical European Fiction
  • #2,124 in Historical World War II Fiction
  • Customer Reviews: 4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars (57)
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