A 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 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.
Teddy’s Thoughts on Cherry Harvest by Lucy Sanna:
With the war and food rations Charlotte is having trouble feeding her husband Thomas and daughter, Kate. She even takes and butchers one of the rabbits Kate is raising to help pay for college. Charlotte doesn’t understand why Kate would want to go to college anyway.
With the cherry harvest coming near Charlotte wonders how Thomas is going to be able to harvest the cherries all by himself. Their son and most of the other men in town are off fighting in the war. Then she hears that German prisoners of war are going to be staying near town and comes up with the idea to have them pick the cherries. She even persuades the local authorities to allow it but the town folk are against it.
The Germans are bused to the farm with guards and stay in the workers barracks on the grounds. Soon Thomas befriends Karl, one of the prisoners. He is not like the rest. He was a teacher in mathematics the one high school course Kate is struggling with. Thomas convinces Charlotte into letting Karl tutor Kate. They even invite him into their home for dinner.
It about then when things start to unravel. I won’t tell you anymore because I don’t want to risk spoilers.
I ran hot and cold with this book, one minute I liked it, the next, not so much. I was so excited about it when I read the description because as much WWII fiction and non-fiction I have read, I haven’t come across much on German POW’s in the U.S. or anywhere, for that matter.
I saw so much potential for this book but it just didn’t seem to come together in a cohesive book. There were several interesting plots but none really explored to their potential. I would have liked to have know more of Karl’s history and into some of his thoughts. I also think there should have been more about the PSTD (post traumatic stress disorder) that Kate’s brother and other men returned home with.
Even with it’s flaws, I am glad I read ‘Cherry Harvest’ and think that Lucy Sanna has potential to be a better writer, possibly even great. I would like to see more plot and character development from her. For her first novel, it was a good effort and I would be interested in reading her next to see where her writing takes her.
3/5
I received the ebook version courtesy of Edelweiss and William Morrow for my honest review.
About Lucy Sanna:
Lucy Sanna has published poetry, short stories, and nonfiction books, which have been translated into a number of languages. Born and raised in Wisconsin, Sanna now divides her time between Madison, Wisconsin, and San Francisco.The Cherry Harvest is her first novel.
