Starred Review American-born Rosemarie "Rosel" Lengsfeld Turke, now 91, recounts to her son, author of this powerful memoir, how she and her German-born parents were trapped in Nazi Germany during WWII. New York City born Turke was four when she and her parents went to Germany in the mid-1930s to visit her ailing grandfather. He lingered, and when they finally tried to leave Germany, they weren't permitted. As the only US citizen in her family, Turke made the heartbreaking decision at age 15 to return to America in 1946 without them, uncertain she'd ever see them again. Describing the nightmares she had aboard the ship, Turke relives her family's survival struggles r father's conscription to fight for the Germans and the dangerous journeys she, her Mutti, and her sister undertook on foot to escape Allied bombings as well as Russian retaliation toward the Germans. Still, Turke is naive and sheltered; it's only after she meets a Jewish, clarinet-playing concentration camp survivor aboard the ship that she realizes the extent of the atrocities the Nazis inflicted on Jews and others. A moving and hopeful story of courage and perseverance in the face of hardship in WWII Germany, told through the eyes of a child. Back matter includes a trigger warning, sketches, an epilogue, a postscript, discussion questions, acknowledgements, a glossary, terms and historical events, maps, and a creative liberties disclaimer.

Rosemarie "Rosel" Lengsfeld was an American girl trapped in Nazi Germany during World War II.In 1934, Rosel and her immigrant parents left New York City to visit German relatives. However, when it was finally time to leave, her family-now including her new baby sister-learned that Hitler had closed the borders to German citizens, forcing them to remain in Breslau. As Lutherans, they were lucky enough not to be fully aware of the atrocities occurring in German-occupied territories. Her parents, however, emphasized that she should not believe antisemitic propaganda. When the war ended, 15-year-old Rosel was able to secure passage back to the States due to her American citizenship, painfully leaving her parents and sister behind. As the horrific truth about Hitler's Final Solution came to light, Rosel had to deal with anti-German sentiment, grappling with her perception of the Nazis as the enemy and her awareness that her accent would make Americans believe she was one of them. Her situation presents readers with difficult questions about collective responsibility and good versus evil, and they are given the space to come to their own conclusions. Co-authored by Rosemarie and her son, this is a haunting, harrowing memoir. Rosemarie's time in Nazi Germany is recounted through recurring nightmares during her 10-day shipboard voyage; while this structure feels a bit forced at times, it is a useful tool for conveying her story.A remarkable and thought-provoking memoir. (postscript, discussion questions, glossary, historical notes, author's note, maps) (Memoir. 13-adult)