Welcome to my stop on the blog tour celebrating the release of The Last Year of the War by Susan Meissner! Thank you to Berkley Publishing for the invitation! Stay tuned for information on how to win a copy of Meissner’s As Bright as Heaven, now available in paperback, at the bottom of this post!
About the Book:
Elise Sontag is a typical Iowa fourteen-year-old in 1943–aware of the war but distanced from its reach. Then her father, a legal U.S. resident for nearly two decades, is suddenly arrested on suspicion of being a Nazi sympathizer. The family is sent to an internment camp in Texas, where, behind the armed guards and barbed wire, Elise feels stripped of everything beloved and familiar, including her own identity.
The only thing that makes the camp bearable is meeting fellow internee Mariko Inoue, a Japanese-American teen from Los Angeles, whose friendship empowers Elise to believe the life she knew before the war will again be hers. Together in the desert wilderness, Elise and Mariko hold tight the dream of being young American women with a future beyond the fences.
My Thoughts:
Elise Sontag is a fourteen-year-old growing up in Iowa in the early 1940s. The war is in full swing, and she knows it, but she feels safe because of her distance from it.
Elise’s father is an immigrant to the United States, living in the country for over twenty years, when he is arrested for being a Nazi sympathizer.
The family is moved to an interment camp in Texas where they live like prisoners. Elise has lost everything she held close and even who she is.
Elise makes a friend at camp, though. Mariko is a Japanese-American teen who helps Elise realize that one day they’ll be free again. Elise and Mariko forge a bond that helps them both survive daily life at camp.
The Last Year of the War is a story of family, hope, forgiveness, strength, and determination. All along I rooted for Elise and Mariko to not give up and what strength of character they each showed.
Elise is a formidable teen, one to champion and admire. I found her story compelling, and I’m so grateful I read it.
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
About the Author:
Susan Meissner was born in San Diego, California, the second of three. She spent her childhood in just two houses. Her first writings are a laughable collection of oddly worded poems and predictable stories she wrote when she was eight.
She attended Point Loma College in San Diego, and married her husband, Bob, who is now an associate pastor and a chaplain in the Air Force Reserves, in 1980. When she is not working on a new novel, she is directing the small groups ministries at The Church at Rancho Bernardo. She also enjoy teaching workshops on writing and dream-following, spending time with my family, music, reading great books, and traveling.
***Book Giveaway***
For a chance to win a paperback copy of As Bright as Heaven (see synopsis below), please visit my instagram page! Giveaway generously sponsored by the publisher.
Synopsis of As Bright as Heaven:
From the acclaimed author of Secrets of a Charmed Life and A Bridge Across the Ocean comes a new novel set in Philadelphia during the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918, which tells the story of a family reborn through loss and love.
In 1918, Philadelphia was a city teeming with promise. Even as its young men went off to fight in the Great War, there were opportunities for a fresh start on its cobblestone streets. Into this bustling town, came Pauline Bright and her husband, filled with hope that they could now give their three daughters–Evelyn, Maggie, and Willa–a chance at a better life.
But just months after they arrive, the Spanish Flu reaches the shores of America. As the pandemic claims more than twelve thousand victims in their adopted city, they find their lives left with a world that looks nothing like the one they knew. But even as they lose loved ones, they take in a baby orphaned by the disease who becomes their single source of hope. Amidst the tragedy and challenges, they learn what they cannot live without–and what they are willing to do about it.
As Bright as Heaven is the compelling story of a mother and her daughters who find themselves in a harsh world, not of their making, which will either crush their resolve to survive or purify it.
Yes! I loved it! Nice review Jennifer! 👍
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Thanks, Carol! I’m so happy you enjoyed this special book too!
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I’ve got this one on my shelf, hopefully for audio review. I’m glad you enjoyed it, Jennifer!
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Thanks, Jonetta! I hope it’s one you enjoy too! 🤞 for the audio! ♥️
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Lovely review! I do like Susan Meissner’s books.
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Thanks, Nicki! I hope you get a chance to read this one. It has her special characters!
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Elise sounds like a great protagonist, and I’m glad you enjoyed the book. Nice review, Jenn!
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Thanks, Stephen! She truly was an endearing character!
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Beautiful review and pic. This sounds like an emotional but also uplifting read .Glad you enjoyed it.
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Thanks, Diana! It was definitely both those things.
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On my list and coming up soon. Anxious to get to this story.
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I hope you love it, Marialyce!
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This is new to me, but I love the subject matter, thanks for sharing😊
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Thanks, Tammy! Such an important time in history to remember. So many don’t know this happened here in the US.
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Elise sounds like a really great character- awesome review!
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Thank you! She was quite the endearing character!
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Awesome review Jen! Happy Qednesday my friend!🙋♀️💜
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Thanks, Sus! I hope you had a lovely Wednesday too! 💕
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Wednesday!! Grrrr!!😢
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Glad you enjoyed it, Jennifer. For some reason I couldn’t get into the book–I tried for 5 weeks to read it and never progressed past 15%. I’ve set it aside and will try it again. I think it was more my frame of mind than anything since I would have thought this would be a book I’d love. Wonderful review! Happy Wednesday! ❤💕
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Thanks, Steph! I hope you love it when you give it another try. I really connected to Elise. I thought she was a brilliantly drawn character. I hope your Wednesday was wonderful too! ♥️
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You’re welcome! I’ll definitely try it again. I’m not sure why it didn’t click. I think I’ve just been on a murder and mayhem reading binge…mostly. Thank you–I finally got my night guard, so I’m hoping it helps. It’s so tiny though, it just covers my top front 4 teeth, that both my dentist and I immediately thought it was a choking hazard, so that’s not a good thought going to bed! 😯😳 Fingers crossed!
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Wonder why it’s made like that? My husband’s is for his full mouth I think, but he’s a tooth grinder! I hope you sleep well! My bite is even worse than last week. I really need to work on my stress level asap. ♥️
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It was designed that way because I’m more of a clencher than a grinder, and it keeps your molars from touching while you sleep; it is also raised a bit in the front. I’ve had one like this before, well very similar, but we, my dentist, hubby, and I, swear it was a bigger last time and covered my front 6 teeth! I was biting through the full mouth night guards and having such severe migraines, plus broke a tooth from clenching that they made this type about 10 yrs ago…this is my 3rd one! Haha! My dog ate #1, I cracked #2, so here’s hoping I can keep #3 from damage and on my teeth! Oh no!! That hurts! I’m ready to practice meditation for my stress. I know mine is completely out of control. I’m so sorry you’re stressed. I wish I could help! ❤❤ And thank you…I hope I do too. I’m just sitting in bed with it in trying not to freak out. I’m sure it will be fine…
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I hope you had a good night’s sleep! ♥️ I wish I could help with your stress too! That totally makes sense about how the guard is made. My bite is better this morning, thank goodness. It’s funny how quickly it can go in either direction. Enjoy your Wednesday, my sweet friend! ♥️
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I actually did until I woke up with my neck hurting, lol. I feel asleep in a funny position reading, haha. But I didn’t swallow it, so that was a plus. It does, but It’s crazy how small it is! I’ll have to email you a pic; you’ll be shocked, I think. I’m just s stressed person, which comes from having GAD. It fluctuates though but never goes away, but thank you! I’m glad you’re bite is better today. It is so funny how that works. You too sweet friend! xoxo ❤
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Beautiful review as usual, Jen! This is another one I’d like to read. 😉
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Thanks, favorite M! It was SO good and such an important time in US history to know about. ♥️
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I loved this book! She is my favorite historical fiction author 🙂
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I can definitely see why, Tina! She’s so special!
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Wonderful blog tour, review, and cute kitty 🐱 picture, Jennifer! Another WWII book added to my tbr list. Thanks.
Happy Wednesday! 🌻🌷😍❤️📚🌹🐈💤🌼
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Thanks, Virginia! I think you’ll adore this book! HOpe your Wednesday was great! 💗
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Loved this book and I’m glad you did too!🦋
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Thank you, Berit! ♥️
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Excellent review, so glad you loved this one too!
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Thanks, DeAnn! It was a wonderful read, wasn’t it? ♥️
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Great review! This is one I would like to read.
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Thanks, Anne! I hope you get a chance to give it a read or listen!
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This sounds like it was a very powerful read, Jennifer! 🙂 Excellent review.
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Thanks, Chrissi! It truly was and I loved the characters!
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Lovely review! I enjoyed this book too!
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Aw, thank you, Milena! I’m so happy you are a fan too!
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Lovely review! I love the sound of Elise – she’s making me want to pick this book up! 🙂
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Thank you, Hayley! Elise is a fantastic character! I hope you enjoy this if you get a chance to read it.
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Sounds good! There seems to have been a little spate of books about the internment camps over the last couple of years. Have you read Suzanne Rindell’s Eagle & Crane? If not, highly recommended… 😀
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I definitely have Eagle & Crane on my list thanks to your beautiful review! ♥️ I read another one about the internment camps about two years ago, but I’m blanking on the author and title. I think you are right that there’s an interest there recently. I think partially it’s because many US citizens have no idea that happened here! And we definitely need to know it.
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I didn’t know anything about it myself until two or three years ago. Some bits of history just seem to be quickly forgotten till years later.
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How are you cats always so perfectly posed in every photo?? So adorable.
Also, this sounds like such a wonderful read – I love that this is set in the US, but deals with some of the injustices that immigrant families or first-generation families faced during this period.
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Thanks, LP! Aww! They are just so GOOD, when they aren’t running around like crazy! 😂 They pose themselves, and I have to go with it! Yes, that’s absolutely right about the setting and the importance. We need to be aware that this happened in the US.
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Wonderful review Jenni! These girls were memorable ❤
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Thanks, Holls! They absolutely were! ♥️
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I’ll be starting The Last Year of the War in the next couple of weeks. I’m really looking forward to it. Great review!
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Thanks, Lisa! I can’t wait to read what you think! Enjoy!
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Wonderful post and a gorgeous photograph!!
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Thanks so much, Mackey! ♥️
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This just sounds like such a wonderful story and I’ve heard great things about As Bright as Heaven too. I’ve never read anything by Meissner before and it sounds like I really need to remedy that soon.
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Yes, I think you’d like her, Suzanne. She’s a wonderful storyteller. As Bright as Heaven is probably still my favorite from her.
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I loved Elise as well! Great review, Jennifer!!!
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Thanks, Mack! Wasn’t she special?! Loved her!
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Wonderful review Jennifer. To be only 14 and have to go through that. I already had this on my TBR, but am now adding As Bright As Heaven as well.
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Thanks, Carla! ABAH seems to be the big favorite for everyone, but I loved this one almost just as much. So touching and for reasons like you said. I hope you enjoy both books.
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Nice review, and I really liked As Bright As Heaven as well. This is my 3rd Susan Meissner book — will have to track down her others!
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Excellent review Jennifer.
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