Review Tour + #Giveaway: Coal Dreams by Annette Oppenlander @GoddessFish

COAL DREAMS

Annette Oppenlander

GENRE: Historical Fiction

BLURB:

An emotional insight into the fate of the more than twenty million forced laborers in Hitler’s Third Reich—an impossible love for a German woman and the endurance of the human spirit to find a way to freedom.

Bochum, Germany, April 1943: While her husband has been at war for three years, twenty-five-year-old Marie Heinrich ekes out a living on a small farm. Her goats, whose milk and cheese help her survive, are her pride and joy. Until the SS confiscates the animals and Marie is forced to take a job at the nearby Schwarzenberg coal mine. Lyon, France, April 1943: Adrien Rocheau’s shoulder wound from the war has barely healed, when the SS arrests and forces him on a train to Germany. In Bochum, he is assigned to the Schwarzenberg mine. Since he speaks fluent German—his mother is from Alsace—he occasionally escapes the claustrophobic pit as a translator. With Adrien’s support, Marie, who registers the newly arrived forced laborers, finds a way to communicate with the strangers.

Grateful for his help, she slips the Frenchman a little bread and a spare shirt. But socializing with foreign workers is strictly forbidden and punishable by law. While Adrien and his comrades slave away up to fourteen hours a day and quickly grow weaker, Marie searches for a way to help the men. If only it weren’t for her spying neighbor and her controlling boss.

Excerpt:

Bochum, Germany, April 1943

Marie

Every time Marie fed her eleven goats, a lightness gripped her heart, as if she were one of them, being fed clover, hay and pieces of corn as a special reward. The amber-colored eyes looked at her attentively and understandingly, as friends would; the bleating changed depending on her mood. Sometimes it sounded like babbling, fast and cheerful, then slow, more thoughtful, and sometimes it reminded her of laughter.

When she crouched between them, talking to them and stroking their rough coats, she could forget the rest of the world, her sadness and occasional despair. When was the last time she had looked in a mirror or taken care of her clothes, when survival required all her energy? For she was far too slight to keep her parents-in-law’s farm in order, especially now that her Heinz had been serving in the war for three years.

“Liese, come on dear, look—here are some cabbage leaves. You’ve got to eat,” she called to her oldest goat, who was smaller than the others but had already given birth to four kids. Now she was pregnant again, her belly round and angular, her steps ponderous. The former cowshed served as a shelter for the animals, as Hitler’s henchmen had confiscated her cows and three horses two years ago. Two men in uniform with stoic expressions had appeared one afternoon and held a note in front of her, saying that the Reich demanded sacrifices from its citizens.

My Review:

Marie Heinrich had been working on her farm while her husband had been fighting in the war for the past three years. Then one day, the SS came and took her goats. Marie, needing a way to make money, went to work at the nearby Schwarzenberg coal mine.

While working at the mine and registering the new men brought in, she met a man named Adrien Rocheau from France. Adrien could speak both French and German because his mother was from Alsace. His mother wanted him to be able to speak her language too. Adrien became a translator and occasionally avoided working in the mine for a few hours.

Although it was forbidden for Marie to speak or interact with the French workers, she would sneak around and talk with Adrien sometimes. She tried to help him by sneaking food or giving him a shirt that belonged to her husband.

Against the rules, Adrien started visiting Marie at her farm on Sundays. They knew if they were caught, the consequences would be dangerous for both of them. And Marie had a very noisy neighbor.

'Coal Dreams' is about the lives of men and women who weren’t fighting in the war. It shows how men were forced to work in the mines against their will. 'Coal Dreams' is about a forbidden relationship between a man and a woman during WWII.

'Coal Dreams' was a very intense and captivating read that kept me glued to the pages as I raced to the end, eager to learn more about Marie and Adrien, their lives, and the history during the war.

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading another story in the 'Moving Love Stories of WWII Germany' series and can’t wait to read more.

I highly recommend 'Coal Dreams' and other stories in the 'Moving Love Stories of WWII Germany' series. Grab a copy of 'Coal Dreams' today!

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Annette Oppenlander is an award-winning writer, literary coach and educator. As a bestselling historical novelist, Oppenlander is known for her authentic characters and stories based on true events, coming alive in well-researched settings. Having lived in Germany the first half of her life and the second half in various parts of the U.S., Oppenlander inspires readers by illuminating story questions as relevant today as they were in the past.

Oppenlander’s bestselling true WWII story, Surviving the Fatherland, received eight nominations/awards. Uniquely, Oppenlander weaves actual historical figures and events into her plots, giving readers a flavor of true history while enjoying a captivating story.

Oppenlander shares her knowledge through writing workshops at colleges, libraries, festivals and schools. She also offers vivid presentations and author visits. The mother of fraternal twins and a son, she now lives with her husband and Kromfohrländer Archie in the beautiful Münsterland in Germany.

Connect with Annette Oppenlander

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Giveaway:

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