I loved this novel, which is a saga of a family that
immigrated from Germany and ended up in a small rural town in Missouri in the
early 1900s. Frederick and Jetta left
their native Germany when Jette became pregnant and her parents disapproved of
her future husband. Planning on heading
to New York, they boarded a ship bound for New Orleans. Once they arrive they are encouraged to head
north, up the Mississippi River. They
ended up Beatrice, Missouri when Jetta goes into labor and gives birth to
Joseph. His sister, Rosa, is born a few
years later.
The novel follows the lives of Frederick and Jette. When the United States entered World War I,
Frederick enlisted and went to fight against his native land. The novel follows the lives of Frederick and
Jette, their children, Joseph and Rosa, then moves on to the next generation.
The novel is narrated by James, the second son of Joseph and
Cora. He retells the events of his and
his brothers’ lives, including their religious crises, their friends and
tribulations. This part of the novel has
some very funny moments.
In the end, there are family secrets that are revealed. Some twists in the plot I never saw coming.
5 Stars
Read: October 11, 2014
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