This moving historical fiction novel set at the end of World War II in 1945 is narrated in alternate chapters by four young people caught up in the massive evacuation from East Prussia of refugees fleeing that German territory from the Russian advance.
Most refugees were headed to the Baltic port of Gotenhafen, hoping to get on board one of the large ships taking people outside of the Soviet area of operations. [This effort was code-named Operation Hannibal by the Germans. It was one of the largest evacuations by sea in history. Over a period of 15 weeks, any available merchant vessel was used to carry between 800,000 and 900,000 German civilians and 350,000 soldiers west across the Baltic Sea to Germany and German-occupied Denmark.]
Florian, a Prussian art restorer; Joana, a Lithuanian nurse; and Emilia, a Polish teenager terrified to be identified by the Germans as Polish, were making their way to the port while Alfred, a young Nazi marine, was already there helping to get the ships ready. All of the them were strangers as the story began, but became tied to each other as it proceeded. And all of them have secrets that gradually unfolded as they narrated their stories.
They ended up on the Wilhelm Gustloff, built as a cruise ship meant to accommodate only about 1,900 including crew. When it departed on January 30, 1945 to cross the icy Baltic Sea, it held over 10,500 people, and only twelve lifeboats.
The small group of refugees of whom Joana, Florian, and Emilia are a part grow increasingly close as they help protect one another and perform some of the many small acts of sacrifice and heroism that are thankfully as common to war as is the violence and brutality.
The tension escalates as the ship departs the harbor. In real life, some nine hours after departure, the Wilhelm Gustloff was hit by three Soviet torpedoes, killing over 9,000, of whom some 5,000 were children. It was the worst maritime tragedy in history. Although many readers may not know the story of the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff, it is clear in any event that this journey will be full of heartache and heartbreak, and we don’t know which, if any, of the main characters will survive.
Most refugees were headed to the Baltic port of Gotenhafen, hoping to get on board one of the large ships taking people outside of the Soviet area of operations. [This effort was code-named Operation Hannibal by the Germans. It was one of the largest evacuations by sea in history. Over a period of 15 weeks, any available merchant vessel was used to carry between 800,000 and 900,000 German civilians and 350,000 soldiers west across the Baltic Sea to Germany and German-occupied Denmark.]
Florian, a Prussian art restorer; Joana, a Lithuanian nurse; and Emilia, a Polish teenager terrified to be identified by the Germans as Polish, were making their way to the port while Alfred, a young Nazi marine, was already there helping to get the ships ready. All of the them were strangers as the story began, but became tied to each other as it proceeded. And all of them have secrets that gradually unfolded as they narrated their stories.
They ended up on the Wilhelm Gustloff, built as a cruise ship meant to accommodate only about 1,900 including crew. When it departed on January 30, 1945 to cross the icy Baltic Sea, it held over 10,500 people, and only twelve lifeboats.
The small group of refugees of whom Joana, Florian, and Emilia are a part grow increasingly close as they help protect one another and perform some of the many small acts of sacrifice and heroism that are thankfully as common to war as is the violence and brutality.
The tension escalates as the ship departs the harbor. In real life, some nine hours after departure, the Wilhelm Gustloff was hit by three Soviet torpedoes, killing over 9,000, of whom some 5,000 were children. It was the worst maritime tragedy in history. Although many readers may not know the story of the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff, it is clear in any event that this journey will be full of heartache and heartbreak, and we don’t know which, if any, of the main characters will survive.
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