Ella's War

By: Rusty Allen

Narrated by: Susan Marlowe, Michael Pauley

“Beautifully wrought, heart stopping, spirit lifting.... What a human brew!” (Ron Suskind, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A Hope in the Unseen)

It’s 1943 on the American home front, and Ella’s pent-up common-law husband finally decides to leave their farm and enlist. Ella must either depart their seafaring town in coastal Delaware to pursue other dreams inland or try to save their farm. Their grade-school son, Reese, won’t budge, and Ella sees that farmers have a patriotic duty to stay on the land.

The bay and ocean waters before them have been preyed upon by German U-boats, and their village has become a refuge for survivors. When an officer from a surrendered German submarine is sent to her as part of POW farm labor, can Ella embrace the help in order to survive? And what happens when Dieter becomes more than a hand to her, amid prying eyes and under her beloved but conflicted son’s watch? How will she choose when her explosive husband returns from Europe wounded from infantry duty against the Germans?

In Ella’s War, we travel a journey amongst women and men whose lives are deeply altered by the circumstances of WWII. What heroic or questionable choices must they make to be true to themselves and come through the great conflict?

©2023 Russ Allen (P)2023 Russ Allen

Audiobook award winner!

ELLA'S WAR has been named an audio book finalist in the 2024 Wishing Shelf Book Awards.

ELLA’S WAR is the award-winning debut historical novel: http://linktr.ee/rusty_allen_author

Captivating story, well written and well narrated

Loved this book! The story was told well and engaging. The narrators were also great. I listened to the book pretty much straight through. The book stands out amongst other World War II historical fiction because it hits so close to home -- I didn't realize how close the Germans got to the East Coast. I knew that German POWs were brought over here to work farms and other jobs while American soldiers were off fighting, but I understand how it all worked better. The characters helped you to understand how regular people were dealing with a terrible situation. Highly recommend this book.

Easy

Thank you Vine Leaves Press for allowing me to read and review Ella's War by Rusty Allen on NetGalley.

Published: 05/23/23

Stars: 2.5

Simple writing, middle grade?

As a young girl I read The Nancy Drew Mysteries. I loved them. I knew the characters, they were friends. A few months ago, I reread one -- The Mystery of the Old Clock. The difference several decades makes is mind blowing. Keene's books are not timeless.

Ella's War gave me the same feelings I had reading Nancy Drew recently. It is simple. There is no sophistication. At best I read someone's high school history final exam.

Prior to recommending I would speak with a Librarian for his or her thoughts on historical accuracy and what age is this written for.

The unique historical promises didn't carry the book. While I'm always looking for nursing home read out loud books, family appropriate car books, and transitional teen to adult books, this is not one. I was bored.