In the final days of Nazi Germany, the strength of one woman’s heart will determine the fate of a family.
World War Two has ripped families apart for years, but for Gisela Cramer, the climate of Nazi Prussia, 1945, has given her a piecemeal family. Having fled her aunt and uncle's home on the heels of Soviet troops, she now finds herself custodian of her cousin Ella's two little daughters, ages three and five. On top of that, Gisela must look after two senile sisters, and is thrown together with Mitch Edwards, a British POW disguised as an SS officer. Together, they and a few others must survive the last days of the war without running afoul of the enemy or supposed allies who may subject them to fates worse than even the Nazis could engineer. Gisela believes her only hope lies in her own strength, until the love of God and the love of Mitch show her possibilities she's been afraid to think were possible.
Prussia, 1945
The fall of the Third Reich is imminent. As the merciless Red Army advances from the East, the German people of Prussia await the worst.
Among them is twenty-year-old Gisela Cramer, an American living in Heiligenbeil with her cousin Ella and their ailing grandfather. When word arrives that the Russians will invade overnight, Ella urges Gisela to escape to Berlin—and take Ella’s two small daughters with her.
The journey is miserable and relentless. But when Gisela hears the British accent of a phony SS officer, she poses as his wife to keep him safe among the indignant German refugees. In the blink of an eye, Mitch Edwards and Gisela are Herr and Frau Josep Cramer.
Through their tragic and difficult journey, the fabricated couple strives to protect Ella’s daughters, hoping against hope for a reunion. But even as Gisela and Mitch develop feelings beyond the make–believe, the reality of war terrorizes their makeshift family.
With the world at its darkest, and the lives of two children at stake, the counterfeit couple finds in each other a source of faith, hope, and the love they need to survive.
“Tolsma isn’t afraid to detail the horrors of war as she depicts how tragedies can be obstacles to one’s Christian beliefs.” —Romantic Times, 4-star review
“[Daisies Are Forever] is a compelling and fast-paced tale about the atrocities and tremendous losses endured by those marked forever by World War II. Recommended for fans of Rosamunde and Robin Pilcher, Kate Morton, and historical romances.” —Library Journal
“Excellent storytelling, accurate historical reporting and gritty, persevering characters make this WWII-era novel a must-read.” —CBA Retailers + Resources
Includes Reading Group Guide
