The Last Year of the War

By: Susan Meissner

Narrated by: Kimberly Farr

From the acclaimed author of Secrets of a Charmed Life and As Bright as Heaven comes a novel about a German American teenager whose life changes forever when her immigrant family is sent to an internment camp during World War II.

In 1943, Elise Sontag is a typical American teenager from Iowa - aware of the war but distanced from its reach. Then her father, a legal US resident for nearly two decades, is suddenly arrested on suspicion of being a Nazi sympathizer. The family is sent to an internment camp in Texas, where, behind the armed guards and barbed wire, Elise feels stripped of everything beloved and familiar, including her own identity.

The only thing that makes the camp bearable is meeting fellow internee Mariko Inoue, a Japanese-American teen from Los Angeles, whose friendship empowers Elise to believe the life she knew before the war will again be hers. Together in the desert wilderness, Elise and Mariko hold tight the dream of being young American women with a future beyond the fences.

But when the Sontag family is exchanged for American prisoners behind enemy lines in Germany, Elise will face head-on the person the war desires to make of her. In that devastating crucible, she must discover if she has the will to rise above prejudice and hatred and reclaim her own destiny, or disappear into the image others have cast upon her.

The Last Year of the War tells a little-known story of World War II with great resonance for our own times and challenges the very notion of who we are when who we’ve always been is called into question.

©2019 Susan Meissner (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Meissner has created a quietly devastating story that shows how fear and hatred during World War II changed (and even ended) the lives of many innocent Americans.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Vivid historical detail and elegant prose bolster this rewarding story of profound friendship, family, fear, and the pain that arose for American-born children of immigrant parents.”—Publishers Weekly

“There's no shortage of books about World War II and internment camps coming out right now, given events in the news over the last year. Meissner's latest novel presents a more interesting, untold account than others.”—Real Simple

Drew me in and kept me there throughout

I loved this book! I never really knew much about the internment camps, only that they existed. I never knew that German Americans were interned in addition to Japanese Americans. I never really considered what life would have been like in those camps or after having been sent back to Germany or Japan while the war was still on. This book provided a great opportunity for reflection and for learning about what went on right here in America during WW2 that was only mentioned in a few sentences in our high school history books in the 1980's...

Another Great Novel

This novel was another great find by Susan Meissner. I love that her books are rather clean; beautifully narrated; and have such wholesome, thought provoking, and gripping content. I look forward to my next Meissner listen!

Excellent book!

Excellent book!
I couldn’t put it down. The author went to a lot of work and resources to make it as accurate as she could. I love historical fiction snd this one was no doubt one of the best about World War II
If you like history, you’ll like this book.

Fantastic!!!

This is one of the best books I have ever listened to (or read!). I had to remind myself several times that this was a NOVEL because the characters were so authentic and the historical details were so informative and authentic. The narration was great also. This was the second book by Susan Meissner, but it definitely is not the last one!

I Love a Good Historical Narrative!

This book was captivating from beginning to end. The historical information was accurate & made personal by the author. My Mom was about the same age as Elise Sontag, during WW2, growing up in Greece. So much of what I learned listening to this book, I wasn’t taught in school. Fascinating! I’ll definitely listen to this book again, & I’ll recommend to my Grandchildren.

Couldn’t stop listening

Incredible story. Made me laugh, cry, and fall in love with the characters. Incredible book.

Beautiful coming of age story

Wonderfully and eloquently written. Beautifully read. Well researched and poignant- great coming of age story as well.

Lovely expression of friendship

I loved this book. The reader was great. The story was such a wonderful example of true friendship.

WWII internment camp novel

Really enjoyed this novel and the history behind it! Another great historical narrative by Susan Meissner

Historical Novel highlights our sad history

This book tells the story of families of German and Japanese decent who were interned during World War II in Crystal City, TX, and their repatriation to the native country ofthe older generation. It tells a history of which I knew nothing about. I had heard about the Japanese interned in CA but did not know of other camps around the country nor the hardships and injustice these people endured because of an unsubstantiated fear and then hate of them. This is a timely book for the current underlying fears in our nation where if we are not careful, history could repeat itself.