A woman unlocks the mystery of her father’s wartime past in a moving novel about secrets, sacrifice, and the power of love by the bestselling author of Daughters of the Night Sky.
Beth Cohen wants to make the most of the months she has left with her elderly father, Max. His only request of his daughter is to go through the long-forgotten box of memorabilia from his days as a medic on the western … as a medic on the western front. Then, among his wartime souvenirs, Beth finds a photograph of her father with an adoring and beautiful stranger—a photograph worth a thousand questions.
It was 1944 when Max was drawn into the underground resistance by the fearless German wife of a Nazi officer. Together, she and Max were willing to risk everything for what they believed was right. Ahead of them lay a dangerous romance, a dream of escape, and a destiny over which neither had control.
But Max isn’t alone in his haunting remembrances of war. In a nearby private care home is a fragile German-born woman with her own past to share. Only when the two women meet does Beth realize how much more to her father there is to know, all the ways in which his heart still breaks, and the closure he needs to heal it.
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Across the Winding River by Aimie K. Runyan is a rich historical novel. Dr. Beth Cohen regrets that she did not spend more time with her mother when she was dying, and she is not going to make that mistake with her father. His request to look at his old box of World War II mementoes provides Beth with insight into her father and has her on a quest. The story takes place from 1937 to 2007. It goes back in forth in time and switches point-of-view from Beth, Max (Beth’s father), and Johanna. Johanna lost touch with her sister after the war and she has wondered all these years what happened to her. Johanna would like to get answers for herself and for her children. We see how the war affected Max and Johanna plus we get answers on Beth’s hunt. It sounds confusing, but it is not. It is all beautifully woven together into one complete piece. I like how their stories connected. We get transported back to World War II where Max is serving as a medic and Johanna is an engineer who designs planes. Johanna has a brother in the SS and her sister marries a high-ranking SS officer. Johanna is against everything Hitler stands for and believes in, but she loves her job. We get a look at life inside Germany during the war. Across the Winding River is a well-written with a complex plot and developed characters. The story does play out in an expected manner and the pacing is slow in the beginning. It is a compelling story, though, that will soon capture and hold your interest. The last seventy-five percent is the best part of the book. The pace and tension ramp up. Everything begins coming together and you get that aha moment. Across the Winding River is a captivating story about hope, love, loss, and courage.
Quite honestly it took me a while to get into this book. Several developing storylines didn’t grab my attention until the author started pulling the threads together. She almost waited too long to do that but when she did, it was tied together very well!
War is terrible and horrible with unimaginable losses, but amidst the pain healing can find a way. No matter how many decades it takes to uncover the truth.
ACROSS THE WINDING RIVER by Aimie K. Runyan is a beautifully-written and touching novel of love, loss, sacrifice and survival that captivated me from beginning to end. Told in multiple timelines and from the perspectives of three different characters, it is set mainly in Germany during World War II and then later, in San Diego in 2007. Beth Cohen is trying to make the most of the short time she has left with her ninety-year-old father, Max. Although he has said little over the decades of his experience as a medic in World War II, he now wishes to go through a box of wartime memorabilia with Beth before he passes. As they peruse the contents of the box, Beth finds a startling photograph of her father with a beautiful young and pregnant woman whom he clearly adores. Who is the woman and what was their relationship in the past? Once Max has revealed his story, Beth is led into a worldwide search for the woman and child in the photo. German-born Johanna also has haunting memories of the past during the war. For the past sixty years, she has searched desperately for her missing sister, who was pregnant when she disappeared near the end of the war. The emotional stories of Max and Johanna flow seamlessly into Beth’s quest to help find closure for her father. The characters are wonderfully-portrayed and the pace of the story was perfect. I truly enjoyed this compelling story and highly recommend it. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy.
Beautifully written WWII and Beyond Tale. “Story” following a number of characters over the course of seven or so decades. Just beautifully intertwined lives. Simple. Matter of fact. Easy to read and just fall in love with the read. Time for more reading of this author who, I understand, writes mainly of female heroism.
Gift, Amazon Prime First Reads published by Lake Union Publishing on August 1, 2020. Aimie K. Runyan is one of my favorite authors, one I follow. She never disappoints. Across the Winding River is a fast-paced historically accurate family drama. We view life through the eyes and hearts of Johanna in Germany during the World War II years, Beth in Encinitas, California in 2007, and Max is our ribbon of connection through those varied times. By 2007 Max is pushing 90 and ill. Daughter Beth, a newly divorced professor at UC San Diego was a very welcome change of life surprise for The southern California Blumenthals. Max knows he is not long for this world, and he has much that he needs to share with daughter Beth. Like many military veterans, Max, a medic, could never talk to his family about the war years. It was not a matter of keeping secrets but the need to corral those memories and keep them safely removed from this current world.
Nearly a year ago, Beth’s mother, no longer strong enough to care for Max adequately, found a small intimate residential assisted living facility for them, had gotten Max installed, and was sorting out their household in order to sell it before she joined him at the apartment. Only to succumb to a quickly moving cancer and was lost to them in just three months after she was admitted to a fully staffed nursing home. Between teaching, getting through her husband’s need for freedom, and keeping her father company Beth is very much burdened and misses many chances to spend time with her mom, always thinking there is more time to be had. Beth wants to be certain that she doesn’t miss anything with her Dad, and Max wants to share with her parts of his life long suppressed.
After digging out an old box of WWII keepsakes at his request, a box Max had moved to the attic 50 years ago, Beth was intrigued to hear the stories her father could finally share, meeting a whole view of this man she thought she knew. And then there was a photo of a young, brilliantly smiling Max with an adoring, heavily pregnant blonde. Johanna. Beth didn’t want to push – but this was a story she really needed to know. When she lost her father, weeks rather than months in the future, she would have no one. Not one family member to share her grief, to laugh and cry with. But Max cannot help. He looked for Johanna and the child for two years at war’s end with no results and had over the years renewed the search as new avenues of information opened about the war. Both Johanna and her sister Metta worked with the Underground, a very dangerous proposition in Germany, and Johanna was an engineer working on improving the planes Germany was rapidly filling the sky with and had already pushed the envelope too hard, placing herself under suspicion when some of her drafting of landing gear changes on the Junkers Ju 88 was found in the wrong hands. There was no guarantee that the ladies had escaped during the last chaotic weeks of the war but also no record of their capture. One thing was certain – that baby was due about then. Was it possible she had a sibling, somewhere in the world?
A wonderful story!
A sad tale set between war torn Europe and present day. Max knows his days are numbered, and is thrilled when his daughter goes in search of his wartime lover and their child. Good read.
I was drawn in from the beginning of this story. I recognized an expert author immediately. This venue was not my usual type of read but it was spellbinding non the less. Also, this story hit close to home as I read past the halfway mark. My own heritage hints at German or Austrian but I was never able to trace it back beyond the immigrants in New York. When I reached the 95% mark in this book I could hardly contain my tears. I was so happy for Max! This is a wonderfully written book. All the characters are written with such great depth I wish I knew them in person. The historical settings were very easy to visualize. I felt that this was a place in history in should have known better but sadly missed so much of. Well done Ms Runyan!
Wonderful, breathtaking, and emotional Across the winding Rivers was truly a masterpiece.
This is the story of a family that had to do everything they could to survive the atrocities of the War, they had to hide where they came from, they had to do things they were not proud of, to be able to survive even if that meant to work for the enemy.
Beth Cohen is taking care of her dad, he is terribly ill and doesn’t have much time left, she wants to make the most time with him, getting to know more about his past during the War days. how did he met her mother, did he had other children? she was so eager to know more about that side but she wasn’t expecting to hear such a revelation, a revelation that will push her to seek and search and find answers before her Dad leaves this world.
Max is a War Survivor, he has a very complicated story about those days that he barely speaks about that time, but now Beth is on a mission to find what he lost, to find answers so he will finally leave this world in peace and with a more happy ending. Max spend those days retelling his story to Beth, confiding her secrets that he kept in his heart for so long and that only Her mother knew about.
Many great characters and situations made this book so amazing, we met great secondary characters that were pure evil and we’re always seeking to find something to put in jail or even kill Johanna Patterson and her sister Metta. Two amazing characters that really gave so much to this story..
Mettas story was my favorite because she was a true heroine, she was strong and always wanted to help and protect her family. even if she had to do the unthinkable to married the enemy..
Johanna Patterson was another favorite character she was also very strong, she was trying also to protect her sister and her family. she was an amazing heroine too, not only she was smart and strong she designed and flew planes, that was so impressive, I never read a character that was a pilot or designed planes. it was so refreshing to read these amazing women.
Max’s character was also a great Hero, he really was kind, and I love how his story showed us the love or the romantic part during those terrible days.
My only complaint, I wish Metta had a better ending, she was my favorite, she was a woman that I respect and look for, she was an amazing example for many.
Overall it was amazing, I enjoy this book so much especially the way it was written, with so many details from the War and so many details from the present moment..
A women finds an old photograph in her father’s WWII memorabilia and that is where the mystery begins. I found it helpful to read the author’s notes before I started the book because the book has three timelines and three POV’s, so can be difficult to keep it all straight at times. Reading the author’s notes helped simplify the complexity of the story for me.
This is a story about family, love and loyalty. There are many characters and throughout the story you become invested in them all. It is a complex and entertaining story based on facts that kept me engaged to the end!!
I would recommend this book if you like WWII genre, you won’t be disappointed!
Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my review.
#NetGalley #AcrosstheWindingRiver
Full of compelling characters, Across the Winding River is told from three different points of view: Beth (present day), Max (WW2 & beyond), Johanna (WW2). The distinctions are clear between characters, so it’s easy to keep up with whose perspective you are currently reading, and the individual storylines engage your mind and your heart. The only slight confusion I had was that, while Max & Johanna’s stories are set in the same historical period, their timelines are slightly different. The fact that it momentarily confused me, however, is my own fault for not paying more attention to the clearly marked dates at the beginning of each chapter. Had I done so, I would have more quickly picked up on the fact that one timeline was just ahead of the other.
Beth is instantly relatable in her vulnerability and authenticity. A recent divorcee who is still nursing emotional wounds from a failed marriage, a daughter still grieving her mother’s death as well as her father’s physical decline, a woman battling loneliness with no apparent end in sight. Yet even in her brokenness Beth carries herself with a quiet strength that even she isn’t aware of – a strength that shows up when she most needs it and makes her a hero in her own right. She’s honest in her flaws and brave in pushing through them, and every woman reading Across the Winding River can see herself at least a little bit in Beth’s character.
Johanna embodies everything I love about reading stories set in WW2. She’s already a trailblazer by being a working woman even after marriage in Hitler’s Germany – and a woman working as an aviation engineer in a male-dominated field at that. The Nazi regime stands in direct contrast to her own beliefs, and I held my breath more than once as potential confrontations arose. What I loved most about Johanna is that she wasn’t on the front lines of the resistance; she didn’t rescue people from concentration camps or do anything especially grand to fight the Nazis. Instead, she quietly resisted in everyday ways until that was no longer an option. The heroes like Johanna don’t get nearly enough attention in historical fiction, usually taking a back seat to the more overt acts of resistance, but that makes them no less heroic.
Runyan also spotlights one of the good guys, and I loved reading Max’s narrative in the past as well as watching it play out through his daughter’s eyes in the present. He chose to go fight after the war became personal, and he made another conscious choice to do the right thing at risk to his own life & his reputation. Once he gives his love, it’s given for life – a fact that plays out in both the past & present narratives of this book. He isn’t perfect, and that plays out too, but again that makes him one of those quiet heroes like Beth & Johanna.
And I know this review is long enough already but I would desperately remiss if I neglected to mention the most important character in Across the Winding River – Metta. We don’t ever get to see the story from her perspective but she is undoubtedly the central figure in the larger narrative that Runyan is telling. She is the bravest of the heroes in our story, the most tragic, and the most victorious. And the one who will linger with you the longest after you’ve reached the last page.
Bottom Line: Across the Winding River is even more captivating and intriguing than I thought it would be (and I already had high expectations). Runyan brings to life strong women who fought to rise above not only societal limits on their gender but also an evil regime that threatened their values and their lives. She seamlessly connects three separate timelines in a way that keeps you invested in the outcome and engaged with the characters. This is a story that stays in your thoughts and your heart for a long while.
(I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book which I borrowed via Kindle Unlimited.)
Reviewer’s Note: Readers may want to be aware that there is some strong, though scattered, language and a couple of intimate scenes (though not explicit) in this book.
Calling all World War II and historical fiction lovers!! Have I got a book for you, Across the Winding River by Aimie K. Runyan is such a magnificent story spanning three different timelines and many decades. There are three viewpoints in this book – Beth in present day 2007, her father Max (set during the war and shortly afterwards), and Johanna who is an engineer and test pilot for Nazi Germany. I absolutely loved how Runyan intertwined all of the stories together and my jaw dropped open more than once during the book.
Since we’re dealing with war, Across the Winding River is definitely not all sunshine and roses, so I was very happy that the author infused it with so much humor. I loved that so many parts made me laugh, while it was also serious, heartbreaking, and inspirational as well. I also thought it was really cool that there was a character based in the Luftwaffe since that is something I know very little about. Two characters (one being Johanna) are very loosely based on actual women who worked there which was so incredibly interesting. I loved the author’s note at the back so be sure not to skip that either!
I actually ended up listening to the audio of Across the Winding River, and it is truly something you don’t want to miss. Thanks to this being under the Amazon Publishing umbrella (which means the audio is Brilliance Audio), I was able to get the Kindle version plus audiobook from Kindle Unlimited and I absolutely loved the audio. It is narrated by Kathleen Gati, Lisa Flanagan, and Michael Crouch and they all did such an amazing job. It helped me feel like I was right there with the characters, and I would gladly listen to this book all over again thanks to them.
I thought that Runyan did such an amazing job with the complex novel that is Across the Winding River, and it made for an addicting read, especially with the addition of the mystery. I loved so many of the characters, and even though she wasn’t a POV, Johanna’s sister Metta was a huge part of this story as well and I loved her so much. I can’t believe I haven’t read a book by this author before, but I cannot wait to get to her backlist now!
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an advance review copy of this book! All opinions and thoughts are my own.
Secrets have a way of coming out of hiding as Beth Cohen discovers as she helps her Dad, Max, sort through his war memorabilia. She comes across a photo of him with a beautiful stranger. I enjoyed following along as searches for the woman he fell in love with during WWII. It’s a captivating story.
Recommend to those who enjoy time-slip novels. I didn’t like the profanity.
I chose a copy from Prime Reading July books. All views expressed are my honest opinion.
An excellent story written about the events of 1944 Germany where American medic Max Blumenthal meets the beautiful German woman Margarethe, a member of the resistance, and is drawn into her world. Margarethe is the wife of a cruel Nazi officer, but does not let her fear stop her from risking her life for her cause. She and Max have an immediate connection and a hope of a life together once the mission is complete.
This story is told in triple narrative over multiple timelines, but it was easy to follow. It begins in nearly present day with Max’s daughter Beth and her worry about her elderly father. In a nursing home, Max asks Beth to bring him a box of war memorabilia from home and the contents start a quest neither of them could have imagined.
There were many characters intertwined in this book and I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say that it was deeply moving. I was very much involved in these characters’ lives and their outcomes. I couldn’t help but compare the hardships that people in wartime of that period and earlier lived through, both on the front and at home. Not to diminish what people go through today because our servicemen and their families sacrifice so much, but those earlier people had nothing but an occasional letter that would arrive written months earlier. There was no phone contact, email, Internet, or Facetime contact. The author made all this so real and heartbreaking. This book was compelling, well-written, and thoroughly researched and I even enjoyed the “Author’s Note” at the end. This one will stay with me for some time. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read it. I gave it four stars.
What can I say, I LOVE my WWII historical fiction and Aimie has written another one that knocks it out of the park. Dual storylines, war, and not giving up on a first love.
Max, a newly graduated dentist, finally gets his parents blessing to enlist into the war. He is sent over seas and soon in the midst of sewing and fixing soldiers back up. Although he is not on the front line, he is seeing everyday what that is doing to his fellow soldiers. Maybe he should become a surgeon when he gets back home, no dental work needed in the field. One night, he finds a woman trespassing near their base. He knows she is German and at first thinks she’s a spy but gut tells him to just hear her out.
Beth doesn’t have many months left with her nonagenarian father and she hopes to make the best of it. She often has regret that she should have done more for her mother, cancer had taken her. In a facility, Max is slowly living out his day and feel this time is coming, he asks Beth to bring in a box of his things he has to get some things in order. Beth takes a quick peak as she is assembling the items into a more sturdy, secure box and sees an old photograph of his father from the war, standing next to a beautiful pregnant woman. But it is not her mother. This would have been before her. She will have to ask him.
Max gets pulled into helping this woman, and her badly wounded friend. He needs to be stitched up, and cleaned up more proper than what the two ladies did and they need to get him out of the direct element. Max isn’t sure what prompts him, but he helps them knowing if he is caught he will be seen as a traitor. As the days continue on, and this man starts to appear to heal, Max is worried about realizing he is going to miss these people he has helped, particularly the woman from the first night.
Beth asks her father about the photograph, but he is not yet ready to tell that story, but he does have one favor to ask. He wants Beth to see if she can find this woman. He has been searching for decades with no luck and this is one of his last wishes. What happened to her and the baby. Can Beth race against the clock her father has left and find the answers he has wanted for decades, and will this change things about what Beth knew about her father?
ACROSS THE WINDING RIVER is another fabulous and heart-warming novel by Aimie K. Runyan. T old from the perspectives of three different characters with a non-linear timeline, the story is woven together with a deft hand and will grab you by the heart from beginning to end.
I love the way Runyan creates a storyline and her writing style as she tells the story. Runyan combines so many aspects in this story: love, courage, family, and redemption and each of the characters will find their way into your heart. I hated to see this one end.
This is my third novel by Runyan and with each one she gets better. As you read, it is obvious how important the story and the characters are to her; so much that it transfers to the reader. I am eagerly anticipating Runyan’s next novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advanced copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.
#AcrossTheWindingRiver #AimieKRunyan #LakeUnionPublishing #TallPoppyWriters #TallPoppyBlogger #BloomReads
WWII is my time. I devour books set in this time and love when a story really pulls me in. Across the Winding River is wonderful. I was invested in the characters, I cared about their lives, and I was excited to see what their future would hold.
Across the Winding River has dual timelines that tell the story of life during WWII and life after WWII. Life during WWII has two stories that are tied together but I did not catch on to how they are tied together until later in the story. The life after WWII is set in 2007 and tells of love left behind during the war.
Aimee K. Runyan did an amazing job writing the story and weaving the characters together as the story was told without giving it all away at one time. I loved putting the pieces together as I read and figuring out who everyone was and how their stories came together. I am adding this to my list of recommended WWII books.
This book sucked me in to a fabulous story of war and love. Runyan’s writing is as timeless as this story is. Her novels are always packed with lovable characters and her portrayal of historical times is entertaining and intriguing. I have not read a book by Aimie K. Runyan that I didn’t love!
Tracing Lost Family
Appropriate for teen – adult
Very limited strong language – I think there were 2 F-bombs
One sexual encounter between loving couple is described without any great detail.
Note: one chapter describes the liberation of Dachau’s concentration camp. The author uses great restraint without minimizing the horror of what our young men discovered there. I have been to Dachau, so relived the overwhelming grief I felt at what humans will allow themselves to do to one another.
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Plot no spoilers: We read about two Jewish families, alternating between 2007 and Germany during WWII.
1.)
In 2007, Beth finds an old collection of snapshots taken by her father, Max, when he was a medic stationed in Germany. Among the photos is a beautiful, blond, and obviously pregnant woman whose expression shows she is in love with Max.
Beth convinces her father to take up the search for his first love and the child who may or may not be his.
2.)
During the war years late 1930’s – 1945, we follow the lives of a Jewish family who are not known to be Jewish, since their heritage is through a grandparent. They remain safe by claiming that a fire years ago in a small village destroyed birth records. The oldest daughter has brown hair and darker eyes, but the two younger ones are blue-eyed blonds. To keep their secret safe, the older daughter and mother do not reveal their heritage to the two younger children. Complications arise as one of the children goes to work for the Reich, another marries an SS officer, and the son joins the army.
Of course, their stories are intertwined.
This is, quite simply, a wonderful book.
Assuming you enjoy this novel, you next stop is “Daughter’s of the Night Sky” by the same author.