A memorable coming-of-age story and love story, laced with suspense, which explores a hidden side of the home front during World War II, when German POWs were put to work in a Wisconsin farm community . . . with dark and unexpected consequences.
The war has taken a toll on the Christiansen family. With food rationed and money scarce, Charlotte struggles to keep her family well fed. Her teenage … teenage daughter, Kate, raises rabbits to earn money for college and dreams of becoming a writer. Her husband, Thomas, struggles to keep the farm going while their son, and most of the other local men, are fighting in Europe.
When their upcoming cherry harvest is threatened, strong-willed Charlotte helps persuade local authorities to allow German war prisoners from a nearby camp to pick the fruit.
But when Thomas befriends one of the prisoners, a teacher named Karl, and invites him to tutor Kate, the implications of Charlotte’s decision become apparent—especially when she finds herself unexpectedly drawn to Karl. So busy are they with the prisoners that Charlotte and Thomas fail to see that Kate is becoming a young woman, with dreams and temptations of her own—including a secret romance with the son of a wealthy, war-profiteering senator. And when their beloved Ben returns home, bitter and injured, bearing an intense hatred of Germans, Charlotte’s secrets threaten to explode their world.
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Developed into more complications than expected. Ended the best way it could have.
Gave a realistic perspective on war and the effect it has on relationships. Helps one understand that the men and women who fight are not all good or evil. Not a feel good book, but rather a look at life that is full of happiness, tragedy, and heartache.
During WWII, the farmers in Door County, Wisconsin, couldn’t bring in their harvest due to the shortage of men who were off fighting in the war. Some of the families decided to allow German POWs to help out with the chores. For one particular family, this turned tragic. “Karl” was very helpful, and was a math teacher from Germany, but when he …
If you are a WWII buff this is a great and surprising read.
never realized german pows were in WI
I didn’t know much about the WW2 POW’s that worked in my home state of Wisconsin. This book sparked my interest so I did a little more research into the subject.
A couple characters were stereotypical, but the history kept me reading. I grew up in northern Wisconsin and never heard of German POWs held there.
I thought this was an interesting book . It is about a family farm during the war and the family that owns and runs it. I did not know that Germany POW were held in the USA ( and that may not be true just part of the story). The end seemed a little quick and the only part of the book that I thought need more work from the author.
An interesting story about German prisoners of war during WW2. Farmers had no one to harvest their cherry crop, since all the men were involved in the war effort. Someone got the idea to use prisoners of war held nearby to do the work. Given the people’s mixed feelings about “the enemy,” troubles-predictable and unpredictable soon arise. I …
It was so disappointing! The author draws the reader into a marvelous, detailed, nuanced story for 90% of the book. The ending feels like it was hastily slapped together at the last minute. The ending is so disappointing and disturbing and makes no sense. It was as though the author couldn’t figure out herself how to satisfactory resolve the plot …
Really enjoyed learning more of the historical significance of POW’s in the US.
I can’t pinpoint the exact point where The Cherry Harvest “jumped the shark” for me, but I can affirm positively that as I approached the end, I was no longer buying what Lucy Sanna was selling.
The book begins well enough, with the Christiansen family struggling to make ends meet as World War II grinds on and the pool of available men to harvest …