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The Cherry Harvest: A Novel
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The Cherry Harvest: A Novel
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The Cherry Harvest: A Novel
Ebook347 pages6 hours

The Cherry Harvest: A Novel

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

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About this ebook

A memorable 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.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperCollins
Release dateJun 2, 2015
ISBN9780062343642
Author

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, California. The Cherry Harvest is her first novel.

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Reviews for The Cherry Harvest

Rating: 3.4 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I procrastinated starting this book as I wasn’t sure I could get into it. But I was wrong. This is a great book. Set during the summer of 1944, towards the end of WWII, it revolves around the Christiansen family and their cherry orchard in Wisconsin. All the farmers are hurting because the young able-bodied boys are all off to war. How will they harvest their crops? Reluctantly they decide to ask the Army to provide German prisoners of war to assist them. The Army arrives with the prisoners who will be housed on the Christiansen property under guard by US soldiers.Thus begins the lies and deceptions that will ultimately destroy the family. One of the prisoners, a math teacher back in Germany, is asked to tutor the teenage daughter Kate. Kate is eager to escape the farm and go to college. She is quickly becoming a young woman and has romantic notions. And when the Christiansen son Ben returns from as an injured and very bitter war veteran their world explodes.Beautifully written by Ms. Sanna the story moves quickly and smoothly taking you back in time to the Wisconsin farmlands. A couple of twists and turns left me scrambling to rethink my anticipated ending. This is a book definitely worth reading.Thank you to LibraryThing and William Morrow publishers for the advance copy.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The cherry harvest by Lucy SannaBook starts out in WI and the crop needs to be picked and the government will be bringing in German prisoners (POW's) to pick the crop and work in other factories in the state.Kate and Josie are teen girlfriends and Kate has to tell her friend about the POW's that are coming.Josie's parents, Remy and Marta run the lighthouse and the war rations don't effect them as they do the other islanders.Kate's mom, Charlotte can knit and barters food from her knitted wares. Enjoyed hearing of the patterns she uses and have jotted down a few notes to try them for myself. Story goes back in time to when Kate was growing up and the adventures her father took her to in the city to experience the city life and shows.Loved hearing of the harvest as we've just had the tree company in and they removed 2 30 year old pine trees and leveled the yew hedges. So fascinating the tools and maneuvers they used.Like quotes from poets as Tom recites to Charlotte. Story follows all the characters relationships during the war.The parents get Clay-one of the German POW's to tutor her in math as she's going to go to college. Tragedies occur and also good times when the family is reunited. So many broken dreams.I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I have such mixed feelings about this book. I heard the author speak at a book festival. I love Door County. I was also intrigued about the plot device of prisoners of war working on the cherry harvest. There was a POW camp near my home town and my father became friends with a prisoner. Parts of the story are so well done; parts are not well thought out, and some things are not realistic. I enjoyed the descriptions of Wisconsin and Door County, and I came to care about some of the characters. But Kate's relationship with Clay is pretty unrealistic. We need to know more about Charlotte to understand her actions. I would have liked to get to know Thomas better; I don't think his character was as well-developed as it should have been. So, mixed feelings. But I will say, I enjoyed the book, and it held my interest. I kept reading because I wanted to see what happened. But the final chapters disappointed me.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    We take a lot of pride in the "Greatest Generation" for that indeed is what it was. Yet, it was also a generation that was forced to grow so very fast, to learn a new life of making do with less, of missing family members doing things people only had read about. Lucy Sanna dives us a small slice of that growing process, a not so happy slice. Ordinary folks doing ordinary things, wholesome work within the shell of a life remote from the world. Suddenly, without any wrongdoing on their part, this generation was at war. People tried to maintain the only life they knew but that life no longer existed and, in at least the slice Sanna gives us, the tornado of change was destructive. Sana does a great job of establishing her characters. For two thirds of the book, they behave in ways consistent with their backgrounds but then these level headed characters all seem to fly apart at the same time, leaving only two forlorn characters to pick up pieces. That is my only serious criticism: after a certain point nobody does anything right. But I recommend this work and will be interested in reading more from this author.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Rural Wisconsin: 1944. Town meeting. German POWs will be arriving in camps set up by the Army. Charlotte Christiansen suggests that the farmers in her county petition the Army for workers and these prisoners be set to work on the farmers' land to harvest their cherry and apple orchards. This novel sets out the effect these POWs have on the lives of the Christiansen family. Also, with the return of their son, Ben, badly injured in the war and full of bitterness and hatred, we see war's devastating psychological toll and its consequences. The author has written a powerful novel about a close-knit family. Mother Charlotte and daughter Kate hold secrets that if revealed, would destroy the family. Recommended.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I really liked this book. The author covered an aspect of WWII that I had not heard of. German soldiers were brought to the US as prisoners and put to work with orchard owners who did not have enough migrant workers due to the war. The ensuing tangles was very readable.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This review will contain SPOILERS!!! After sending their only son off to war, Charlotte and Thomas struggle to keep their cherry farm running and their teenage daughter fed. Kate, a typical teenager, raises rabbits to earn money and dreams of becoming a writer. When German POW's are enlisted to help with the cherry orchard, there is must consternation and grumbling among their neighbors. Thomas befriends a prisoner, Karl, who begins to tutor Kate in math. Towards the end of the story their son Ben returns, minus a leg. Ben absolutely hates the Germans.At the very end of the book, Ben attacks Karl, they struggle, and Ben is shot and killed. With very little buildup, Charlotte goes crazy, and is sent to the insane asylum. The emotional scenes at the end with Charlotte felt very powerful. However, I thought there should have been some signs throughout the book that she was losing it. Again, sorry for the spoilers, but I didn't feel I could write an honest review without mentioning Charlotte's breakdown. Overall, well written, engaging and well paced.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I know I’ve found a good book when I continue to think about the story long afterwards. This is a good one. Set during WWII, in Door County, Wisconsin, it tells the story, from the point of view of both the mother and teenage daughter of a farm family, of how the war affects them, and of what happens when German prisoners of war are sent to assist with the cherry harvest on the farm. It is a story of patriotism, hatred, love, coming of age, and murder. The author’s debut novel had me hoping for more from her.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The only reason I even rated it a 2.5 is because I was interested in the backdrop/subject matter despite what I felt was poor storytelling. I requested this book because it was set in Door County, Wisconsin and I have been there/live in Wisconsin. Also it deals with WWII and German prisoners of war working on farms to help with harvest time which interests me for historical reasons. The main problem with the book is that I could not feel sympathetic toward the characters. None of them even seemed worth rooting for. Also the plot moved very slowly. I read just over the half the book and had to stop because it was so boring. I hope to finish it so I can judge the ending and if that changed my review I will amend it but I am not sure there is much to be salvaged in this one.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Sanna has created an enjoyable first novel. Set in Wisconsin during World War II, it presents a accurate picture of life on the Home Front. Husband and wife, Thomas and Charlotte, own a cherry orchard, and with the young men fighting in Europe and the Pacific, they encourage the growers to turn to prisoners of war to harvest the crop. As expected, this turns out to be both good and bad. Karl, becomes almost a part of the family, tutoring their daughter, Kate, in math as she prepares for college. But the attempted rape of Charlotte by another PW changes the picture entirely, especially when the couple’s son, returns from the war in Europe with deep resentment of the German prisoners of war. At times I was confused at whose story this was; that of Charlotte’s or Kates. (LibraryThing Review copy). The book came to a conclusion abruptly, and although I still had unanswered questions, I read this book in two evenings. (Librarything review copy)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I enjoyed this book and it was very well written. I learned a lot that I did not know about WWII and the hardships many faced back then. It was real and down to earth. Somewhat tragic and not all happy and fluffy. Loved the descriptions in the book of their daily lives on the cherry farm.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    So who knew there were Nazi POWs in Wisconsin during the Second World War? If I learned that anywhere, I had forgotten. And Northern Lights! The atmosphere and sense of place were what I enjoyed about this pretty little book, especially with the locale being a Door County farm community. It's cherry picking time but all the workers are off to war. The previous year that meant no harvest and no income. So Charlotte and Thomas, the farmers, suggest bringing in POWs to help. Hard times make people do things they wouldn't ordinarily do, so I hope that explains some of the selfish ways displayed by Charlotte; but really there was more to it than that. And she appreciated neither the books that Thomas and their daughter Kate shared, nor the fact that Thomas lovingly recited poetry to her. It annoyed her, for goodness sake. So she annoyed me and it was hard to empathize. She has some experiences with some of the POWs, to say the least! The epilogue explains her and her actions a little better.Thomas and Kate were likeable, and the war-wounded son Ben, but I really don't feel like I know any of them very well. In short, Thomas is a good man, Katde a teenager waiting for her freedom, and Ben is very troubled.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I love that this book was set in Door County, Wisconsin during the second World War. The characters were very likable and I liked the story line. This was a great summer read.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Thank you to LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program for giving me the opportunity to read this book. I didn't realize that the story was set in Door County, Wisconsin, and I recently got home from a visit to the area so that was a pretty cool thing to discover.What I liked the most about this book was that it gave me a look at history that I wasn't aware of. The fact that war prisoners were working in communities like this surprised me. With that said, I think more could have been done with the characters to make this a stronger story. I simply couldn't connect with any of them. I think the reader needs a character to cling to and root for in a war time story. I waited for an ending that would really make it all come together and redeem itself, but I didn't like the way that went either.Overall I am glad that I read this for the insight into this history. That is fascinating. I loved being familiar with the setting as well. That added something to the story for me. I think the character development could have been much better though.Readers of romance would probably enjoy this book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Not only was I entertained by a well-written, nicely crafted story, but I learned so much reading this book. I had no idea german prisoners were used in such ways. Upon reading the final page, I walked away from this moved and wanting more from this author.If you like historical fiction, I believe you'll enjoy this book. The characters are flawed, and sometimes very unlikable, but they're memorable and sympathetic, and the storyline is significant and engaging.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Thank you for allowing me to review The Cherry Harvest. Lucy Sanna is a new author for me. The book is about a family during the summer of 1944. World War II is the time period and the book shows how the war affected the main family in the book. The characters were good but there was nothing that really set this book apart from any other book during this time period which is why I only gave it 3 stars.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Can she release another book right now? I could not put this book down. The very first sentence made me groan and think this was going to be a struggle to review....But I was hooked a short time later. This book truly was what I LOVE to read. Please, write more!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I fell in love with this book by Lucy Sanna very quickly. I loved the descriptions of just getting through each day with the lack of food. I could imagine exactly what it was like to wake up in the morning and do all the chores that needed doing. I got nervous when Clay was introduced, feared it seemed a little far fetched to have a rich, handsome stranger fall in love with you out of nowhere. But it all worked out perfectly. I will gladly read anything else by this author as soon as she writes it. Anyone who is interested in WWII or any kind of historical fiction will gobble this up just like I did.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    "Fine, then. Do it." Mike's voice boomed. "But let the record show..." He pointed to the growers, his eyes focused on Charlotte. "Let the record show that you- you-are making a bargain with the devil."I love reading WWII historical fiction and I love going to Door County, Wisconsin. When I saw that this book took place in Door County during WWII I knew that I really wanted to read this book. This book follows Kate as her family (and other farms in Door County) has German prisoners of war work on their farm, helping to harvest their cherries. Kate's brother Ben is off fighting the war and there just isn't enough help on the farm. With the arrival of the German prisoners of war everyone in Kate's family is driven to hide secrets.Of all the female characters in this book I liked Kate the most. There were times when I didn't like Kate but I can't honestly say that I liked any of the other female characters at all while reading this. Kate could definitely be naive at times and I think what I did like about her was the innocence she showed. She grew as the book went along (which was needed based on what went on in the book) and I liked seeing her growth. As for Charlotte and Josie, I couldn't really find any qualities that redeemed them in my eyes. The events in this book will really draw you in and it is shocking where you end up at the end. No matter how annoyed I became with the characters I was always interested in the plot. There are some pretty major things that happen in this book and I loved what was thrown at readers towards the end of the book. This book did give me glimpses of the Door County I love and it kept me interested until the very end. I would be interesting in reading more from this author.*I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through Librarything's Early Reviewers program.*
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The premise of this book, where a group of Nazi POWs are brought to rural Wisconsin during the mid-1940s to help with the cherry harvest, was interesting, and unlike any story I'd read before. Unfortunately, while this was a very fast read, it was rather simplistic, and unbelievable in parts.The story centers on Charlotte, a farm wife who is determined to bring in the harvest from their cherry orchard, no matter the cost, and her daughter, Kate, who longs to get away from the farm and go to university. Charlotte was a harsh, unlikeable character, who didn't deserve her scholar husband Thomas. Kate, for all she was portrayed as being a smart young woman, acted awfully ditzy at times.Kate ends up at a high-society house party, where a senator's son immediately falls in love with her. The way she ends up at the party is SO incredibly unlikely, that I literally rolled my eyes while I was reading the scene. The events that unfold around both Charlotte and Kate continually had me thinking, "REALLY? Really!". Later in the story, Charlotte asks Kate to lie about something she's seen. Kate seems incredibly affronted that her mother could ask her to tell a lie. Never mind about the many nights Kate lied to her parents about going to bed, and then snuck out the window to meet her friend and boyfriend. I suppose THOSE lies were OK.The plot was predictable, the writing unsophisticated, and the ending...don't even get me started about the ending. I wanted to like this book - I just couldn't.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This coming-of-age story is set in small farming community in Wisconsin. The war has taken a toll on the Christiansen family. With food rationed, and money scarce, Charlotte struggles to keep her family fed, often bartering for what she needs. Her teenage daughter Kate raises money to earn money for college. Charlotte's husband, Thomas, struggles to keep the cherry orchard going while their son Ben, is off fighting in Europe, and has to deal with a labor shortage also.When their upcoming cherry harvest is threatened, strong-willed Charlotte helps persuade the county authorities to allow them to use German prisoners of war from a nearby camp to help pick the fruit.But when Thomas befriends one of the POWs, a former teacher named Karl, and invites him to tutor Kate, it sets into motion a chain of events that will forever change all of their lives.I have mixed feelings about this book; I liked the premise; it was an intriguing storyline, but at the same time, I just could not "warm up" to any of the main characters. Charlotte especially came across as cold and aloof, it was hard for me to feel any sympathy for her. I also did not care for a graphic description of a rabbit being butchered in the opening of the story (since it happens in the first 2 pages of the book, I don't consider this to be a "spoiler"); I understand the reasons for it, even though it's not something I approve of; I know many people were desperate and hungry at that time, but I think the graphic description of it was unnecessary.Even though most of the characters were not likable, it was still a very interesting story, and the unexpected plot twists kept me reading. I do think this book would make a good movie though (minus the rabbit butchering, of course!)I received a free hard cover copy of this book from Library Thing; even though it was not as good as I had expected it to be, I still appreciate being given the chance to review it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    In Door County, Wisconsin the war has taken its toll on the farming community. With all of the young men gone to fight and migrant workers finding better paying jobs, many of the farmers have missed their harvest. When the opportunity arises for German Prisoners of War to work on the farms, Charlotte Christiansen does not hesitate to take up the offer for her family’s cherry farm. When the prisoners arrive, however, she begins to have second thoughts: will her daughter Kate be safe? What about all of the dangerous tools around the farm? How can she allow the enemy in her home when her son is away fighting them? Her husband, Thomas takes an immediate liking to one of the prisoners, Karl, who speaks English. Karl is eventually allowed in the Christiansen home to tutor Kate in math. Karl is a good man, but not all of the Prisoners are. When tragedy strikes on the farm, the decisions made by the family turn out to have lasting effects. This story intrigued me, based on the real Prisoner of War Camps in Door County, Wisconsin; there is plenty of opportunity for conflict both internal and external that is displayed throughout The Cherry Harvest. I was amazed to know that American families with boys fighting overseas really did have German prisoners helping them on their farms, like the Christiansen’s. The internal struggle that some of the characters faced with this fact was intriguing. I was engrossed reading about the experience that an American family faced while WWII was raging. Charlotte faced daily decisions about how to feed her family, Kate worried about paying to go to university, and Thomas worried about how to get gasoline for the tractor. Intense and well developed characters filled the story. Charlotte and Kate, the women, were the central figures of the story. With many men gone, they took on bigger roles. Charlotte was already a strong woman, but took on more decision making roles. Kate is just blooming into adulthood when the prisoners arrive and is left to discover a relationship on her own while her mother worries about the Prisoners and her own growing feelings for Karl. Suspense slowly builds in the story with the distrust of the Prisoners and provides quite unexpected ending. Overall, an engaging story of one families experience during World War II. This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I found this novel to be the most realistic and visceral exploration of life on the American home front during WWII I’ve come across yet. The hard economic times faced by many, the fear of POWs working among the community, and the endless worry for those fighting overseas all make an appearance. Other issues like PTSD and a forbidden love affair also make suspenseful additions to the overall nail-biting story.Every character varied in their personalities, giving us many outlooks and POVs to enjoy the story through. I liked seeing through the very different eyes of Kate and Charlotte; their different generational POVs brought more dimensions to the events portrayed and storyline that I enjoyed.Yet, for all the enjoyment I got out of the different POVs, I found I actually didn’t really like any of the characters. Not really. I never really got around to caring whether Kate got to go to university or how Ben dealt with his post-war health issues or Charlotte’s relationship problems. I just didn’t really care one way or the other. It’s safe to say I wouldn’t be pursuing any of these individuals as friends or acquaintances…A good story and lovely world building makes this an enjoyable read. The characters provide for different takes on the story, yet I just didn’t like any of them as individuals. Not caring what happens to your leads makes for a strong ding against this book. Not sure if I’d recommend this one, but I think I’d check out the author’s future stuff since this was only a debut. She may approve with experience.Note: Book received for free from publisher via GoodReads FirstReads program in exchange for an honest review.

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  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    In 1945 German POW's helped the farmers of Door County Wisconsin with their cherry harvest. This is a known fact. That would have been enough to create a story around and it would have made a much better book than this one. Unfortunately The Cherry Harvest by Lucy Sanna becomes nothing more than a cheap romance novel. The plot lines are far fetched and contrived. One minute the protagonist Charlotte's daughter Kate is drowning, the next she is pulled out and attends a party at a Senator's home. Seriously? The author mentions many great works or literature throughout the story because Charlotte's husband was a one time literary student. Maybe she should read a few more of the greats.

    1 person found this helpful