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THE LAST YEAR OF THE WAR
Susan Meissner
Berkeley
March 19, 2019
389 pages
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I had sworn off WW2 books because I had read so many of them. But I love Susan Meissner books and this one had been hanging around on my TBR for a while. I got absorbed by the plot almost instantly. The main character is Elise. There are two timelines, present-day as Elise is trying to stave off Alzheimer’s. And, the past, the last year of the war.
The setting changes from Iowa to Texas to Germany to San Francisco. Young Elise seemed to be wise beyond her years but I suppose life experiences, even though one is young, can do that to a person. Older Elise was determined to push off the Alzheimer’s symptoms until she achieved specific goal. Very determined.
This is a compelling story. There are a lot of hard times. Elise is very positive and keeps looking to the future, her vision on a specific goal. One of the most interesting parts of the story is the time spent in a government internment camp in Texas, for the simple reason that the parents were from Germany. The Japanese were held there also. Such a disturbing part of history.
This book is also about the bonds of friendship. Elise meets Mariko, a girl with Japanese heritage, at the internment camp in Texas. The bond between these two girls lasted a lifetime.
Well written, interesting and well-developed characters. I felt like I lived along with Elise’s family during their hard times. It is emotional. Sometimes it reads like a saga…..a tad on the long side. But, even so, I did not want it to end. Ms Meissner is a wonderful storyteller. I think this is one of her best!
The ending, while not definitive, was the right one. An excellent read!
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