Free Downloads The Plum Tree
"The meticulous hand-crafted detail and emotional intensity of THE PLUM TREE immersed me in Germany during its darkest hours and the ordeals its citizens had to face. A must-read for WW2 fiction aficionados--and any reader who loves a transporting story."--Jenna Blum, NYT bestselling author of Those Who Save Us and one of Oprah's Top 30 Women Writers A deeply moving and masterfully written story of human resilience and enduring love, The Plum Tree follows a young German woman through the chaos of World War II and its aftermath."Bloom where you're planted," is the advice Christine Bolz receives from her beloved Oma. But seventeen-year-old domestic Christine knows there is a whole world waiting beyond her small German village. It's a world she's begun to glimpse through music, books--and through Isaac Bauerman, the cultured son of the wealthy Jewish family she works for. Yet the future she and Isaac dream of sharing faces greater challenges than their difference in stations. In the fall of 1938, Germany is changing rapidly under Hitler's regime. Anti-Jewish posters are everywhere, dissenting talk is silenced, and a new law forbids Christine from returning to her job--and from having any relationship with Isaac. In the months and years that follow, Christine will confront the Gestapo's wrath and the horrors of Dachau, desperate to be with the man she loves, to survive--and finally, to speak out. Set against the backdrop of the German homefront, this is an unforgettable novel of courage and resolve, of the inhumanity of war, and the heartbreak and hope left in its wake. Advance Praise For Ellen Marie Wiseman'sThe Plum Tree"The Plum Tree is a touching story of heroism and loss, a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the power of love to transcend the most unthinkable circumstances. Deft storytelling and rich characters make this a highly memorable read and a worthy addition to the narratives of the Holocaust and Second World War." --Pam Jenoff, author of The Ambassador's Daughter"A haunting and beautiful debut novel." --Anna Jean Mayhew, author of The Dry Grass of August"In The Plum Tree, Ellen Marie Wiseman boldly explores the complexities of the Holocaust. This novel is at times painful, but it is also a satisfying love story set against the backdrop of one of the most difficult times in human history." --T. Greenwood, author of Two Rivers "Her characters are not just victims, but flesh-and-blood people. If you care about humanity, you must read The Plum Tree."--Sandra Dallas, author of True Sisters
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Kensington; 1 edition (December 24, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0758278438
ISBN-13: 978-0758278432
Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 1 x 8.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1,467 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #15,060 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #57 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Historical > Jewish #65 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Religious & Inspirational > Jewish #249 in Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature
"Christine, I want you to understand something. War makes perpetrators of some, criminals of others, and victims of everyone. Not all of the soldiers on the front are fighting for Hitler and his ideals. Just because a soldier is in the battle, doesn't mean that he believes in the war."The Plum Tree is a story of a young girl (Christine) and her family during WWII and the Nazi occupation of Germany. Beyond that, it is a tale of love and survival, of loss and strength, and a tale of hope. It is historical fiction, woven with a tale of romance between a young German girl and a young German Jew at the height of the terror in Nazi-occupied Germany.We have all learned about WWII, Nazi Germany, the concentration camps, and the horrors that befell Jews in Eastern Europe during Hitler's reign; however, this book brought this rich and terrifying history to life through the eyes of a young German girl and her family in ways that I had not experienced before. This is the first book that I have read from a German viewpoint rather than that of a concentration-camp or German Jew's perspective. And the story was chilling.Christine is a sympathetic protagonist who was easy to identify with. When the book opens, she is only 17 and is in love with a young Jewish boy from a well-to-do family. Predictably (although I don't mean this as a slight), their world changes when the war begins and Jewish families are targeted by Hitler and his men.We follow Christine through the changes in her hometown (including air raids, bombings, rationing of food, destruction, Jewish families being whisked away in the night to work campus, street shootings, and unspeakable violence).
Between the Plums: Visions of Sugar Plums, Plum Lovin', and Plum lucky (Stephanie Plum: Between the Numbers) Sugar Plum Ballerinas #1: Plum Fantastic Ten Big Ones (Stephanie Plum, No. 10) (Stephanie Plum Novels) Two for the Dough (Stephanie Plum, No. 2) (Stephanie Plum Novels) Three to Get Deadly (Stephanie Plum, No. 3) (Stephanie Plum Novels) Plum Lovin' (Stephanie Plum: Between the Numbers) Notorious Nineteen: A Stephanie Plum Novel (Stephanie Plum Novels) Hard Eight (Stephanie Plum, No. 8) (Stephanie Plum Novels) High Five (Stephanie Plum, No. 5) (Stephanie Plum Novels) Hot Six (Stephanie Plum, No. 6) (Stephanie Plum Novels) Twelve Sharp (Stephanie Plum) (Stephanie Plum Novels) Seven Up (Stephanie Plum, No. 7) (Stephanie Plum Novels) Fearless Fourteen: A Stephanie Plum Novel (Stephanie Plum Novels) Plum Spooky (Stephanie Plum) Visions of Sugar Plums: A Stephanie Plum Holiday Novel (Stephanie Plum Novels) Four to Score (Stephanie Plum, No. 4) (Stephanie Plum Novels) One for the Money (Stephanie Plum, No. 1) (Stephanie Plum Novels) Fearless Fourteen (Stephanie Plum, No. 14) (Stephanie Plum Novels) Plum Spooky (Stephanie Plum: Between the Numbers) Magic Tricks from the Tree House: A Fun Companion to Magic Tree House #50: Hurry Up, Houdini! (Magic Tree House (R))
