The war is over, but he is stuck in in a perpetual nightmareSurrendering to the Russians is Wehrmacht Leutnant Johann Hauser’s only option. Then he hopes for a fast end of World War II.But once the war ends, his ordeal doesn’t.Whisked away into the vast lands of the Soviet Union, he and his comrades cling to life by a thin thread. The fighting never stops, but their new enemies are hunger, cold, … stops, but their new enemies are hunger, cold, and exhaustion.
Every passing day is a cycle of hope and disappointment with one single goal in mind: staying alive.
When fate in form of the Soviet system throws him one drawback after another, can Johann maintain enough strength to survive and ultimately return home?
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“Endless Ordeal” is an incredibly touching, very well-written and meticulously researched novel. It is part of the series but I don’t think you will have any problem reading it as a standalone as Ms. Kummerow does a great job providing just enough background information of the characters without overburdening the plot with unnecessary details.
Let me begin by saying that I’ve read many memoirs and biographies of German soldiers who found themselves prisoners of the Soviets, and Johann’s story, despite being fictional, had such authenticity to it that I couldn’t help but applaud the author for the research she’s done. But it’s not just the timely placed historical details that bring Johann’s captivity to life; it’s also the vivid descriptions of the German POWs’ in the Soviet Gulag that will make your heart ache for Johann and his comrades. Caught in the war they wished to be no part of, they’re now paying the ultimate price for finding themselves on the wrong side of history. Many of them will perish from hunger, exhausting work, and simply because they lost their will to go on. Only the love one keeps in his heart can see the prisoner through the, indeed, endless ordeal, and Johann is lucky to have at least that to keep him alive.
The harsh living conditions, the Soviet “war crimes trials” that seem to only mock justice instead of serving it, the endless exploitation by the new masters and rare kindness shown by an ordinary citizen – as I read, my heart ached for Johann and hoped for him to make it out alive, not to lose hope when it’s most important.
If you enjoy reading thoroughly researched, authentic historical novels, this one is definitely for you. Highly recommended!
My heart breaks at the thought of what hose prisoners went throuh.
A great historical read from a different perspective.
It has got to be the hardest thing in the world for an author to say goodbye to a whole cast of characters after ten books. At the very least, bittersweet. Huge congratulations on a very well written book. I haven’t read the entire series and this is the third book I have read by Kummerow, and it rates as my favorite of hers. I can really recommend it.
I wondered whatever happened to Johann and if he ever got back to Lottie. This book tells his story. He is sent from Soviet prison camp to prison camp. He is told he will be freed time and time again but it doesn’t happen. All the time he misses Lottie and Lottie misses him. After the war is over he is still being held in a Soviet prison camp on a trumped up charge. If you want to find out how he survives and if he ever gets out and gets back to Lottie or if he perishes you must read this book. It holds your interest from page one and you won’t put it down once you start reading it, I didn’t…read it in one day. Very good ending to the War Girls Series. Loved it.