A poignant and ultimately triumphant novel based on the incredible true story of children who braved the formidable danger of guarded, wintry mountain passes in France to escape the Nazis, from the acclaimed author of Courage, My Love. Southern France, 1942 In a remote corner of France, Jewish refugee Ella Rosenthal has finally found a safe haven. It has been three years since she and her little sister, Hanni, left their parents to flee Nazi Germany, and they have been pursued and adrift in the chaos of war ever since. Now, they shelter among one hundred other young refugees in a derelict castle overseen by the Swiss Red Cross. Swiss volunteers Rösli Näf and Anne-Marie Piguet uphold a’common’mission: to’protect’children in peril. Rösli, a stubborn and resourceful nurse, directs the colony of Château de la Hille, and has created a thriving community against all odds. Anne-Marie, raised by Swiss foresters, becomes both caretaker and friend to the children, and she vows to do whatever is necessary to keep them safe. However, when Germany invades southern France, safeguarding Jewish refugees becomes impossible. Château de la Hille faces unrelenting danger, and Rösli and Anne-Marie realize that the only way to’protect’the eldest of their charges is to smuggle them out of France. Relying on Rösli’s fierce will and Anne-Marie’s knowledge of secret mountain paths, they plot escape routes through vast Nazi-occupied territory to the distant border. Amid staggering risk, Ella and Hanni embark on a journey that, if successful, could change the course of their lives and grant them a future. Product DetailsISBN-13: 9780593101582 Media Type: Paperback Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group Publication Date: 09-13-2022 Pages: 416 Product Dimensions: 5.10(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.00(d)About the Author Kristin Beck has been captivated by the often unsung roles of women in history ever since growing up hearing her grandmother’s stories about her time as a WW II army nurse. A former teacher, she holds a BA in English from the University of Washington and a Master’s in Teaching from Western Washington University. Kristin lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two children.Read an Excerpt Read an Excerpt ONE Rösli Näf Château de la Hille, Southern France, August 1942 Rösli stood upright, a hammock of green beans weighting her apron, and filled her lungs with bright morning air. She’d been working in the garden since breakfast, but now she paused, stretching her lower back and assessing the tidy patch of vegetables painstakingly maintained in the château’s shadow. Nearby, a handful of little girls and boys crouched in the speckled shade of trellises, snapping beans off vines and chatting as they filled baskets. Despite this rainless summer, the garden thrived. Rösli smiled. Nothing satisfied her more than watching the children wade among its loamy, leafy rows. So much had changed in just one year. She squinted in the sunlight, thinking of the day she’d arrived in France, newly appointed by the Swiss Red Cross to take over this colony of one hundred refugee children. That first afternoon, she’d faced a wary, wide-eyed crowd, fearing she wasn’t up to the task. It was difficult, at first, to tell the boys from the girls: their heads were shorn, and from the general odor of kerosene, Rösli knew they’d suffered one lice infestation after another. They were thin as saplings, with open, weeping boils on their arms and legs. What had they been through? Could Rösli restore them to some level of well-being? Misgivings murmured, but she’d silenced them and gripped hands with the few adult caretakers, organizing a mental task list. She’d said she would manage this refugee colony, and so she would. “Where is your garden?” she’d demanded following introductions, glancing at the building behind them. At the time, the group lived in an old granary barn. They’d left Germany and Austria after Kristallnacht, propelled into Belgium by their desperate parents, and had been fleeing invasions ever since. Eventually they’d washed up in France, sleeping on hay and eating cornmeal and rotten potatoes until one of the adults contacted the Red Cross for support. The colony came under Swiss care, and Ršsli found herself standing before them. “Our garden?” The adults had swapped glances, thrown off by her question. “Yes,” she’d said, frustration slipping into her voice. “Where is it?” She’d known, instantly, what was wrong with the children’s skin: a diet lacking in green vegetables. When it became apparent that no garden existed, Rösli had cast about that desolate barnyard, seeking someone to reprimand, and then she’d sighed. She would have to change everything. The children had blinked up at their new directrice from the Swiss Red Cross, stunned, and she had merely turned and gone looking for a hoe. Rösli shook away her memories of the previous summer, letting her gaze rise to the derelict castle they now called home. La Hille rested like an old gentleman in the sun, sand colored and guarded by medieval towers on each of its four corners. The Red Cross had rented it shortly after discovering the children struggling in their granary barn, and Rösli recruited the teenagers to make the neglected château habitable. They’d tilled the earth within the stone-walled courtyard, piling compost into muddy furrows and planting seeds. With hammers and donated wood, they’d built benches and tables, arranging them alongside the garden for summer meals, and moving them into a dining hall with parquet floors and a fireplace when the weather turned. Upstairs, each child slept in a real cot with bedding shipped over from Switzerland. They’d transformed La Hille in a single season, and within its ancient walls the children thrived. Beyond the castle, rumpled green foothills rolled all the way south to the Pyrénées. Mist rose from their crevices, evaporating into a peerless blue sky. Somewhere in the forest, the voices of a dozen boys rebounded now and again as they tramped down to the river to bathe. Rösli pinched back a smile. Everyone called those boys les Moyens, the Middles, and they were as noisy and dirty as bear cubs no matter how often she sent them off to collect wood and swim. The younger children, les Petits, flocked around Rösli in the courtyard. Most were still finishing morning chores, plucking weeds and filling baskets as they’d been asked to. A few played, and again Rösli suppressed a smile. The warm breeze loosened wisps of hair from her bun, tickling her face. She combed the blond strands back with her soil-stained fingers, watching the two youngest children race through tall grass just outside the garden walls. Little Hanni chased and Antoinette ran, passing the open gates. Seed heads whipped their knees as they darted back and forth, then Hanni caught Antoinette and they fell together, bare feet in the air, laughter rising toward the sun. “Du bist so langsam,” Hanni exclaimed, pushing up onto her elbows, her dark eyes lively as she teased her friend. Rösli glanced toward the sun, already high overhead and growing hotter. It would soon be time for lunch. They had to finish the work. “Children!” she called, waving a hand toward those who’d strayed from their chores. “Come and finish your jobs, please. Free time isn’t until afternoon.” But Hanni and Antoinette continued to giggle in the grass, knees up, sun on their faces, and Ršsli frowned. As much as she wanted to, she couldn’t let them skip their chores. What would happen if other children followed suit, questioning their schedule, shirking responsibilities? If everyone didn’t chip in, the community would fall apart, descending into disorder, like it obviously had in that foul granary barn. She called out again, louder this time. “Hanni! Antoinette!” Clutching the green beans in her apron, she made her way through the courtyard gates, striding into the tall grass beyond. She sensed a pair of dark eyes, the same limitless brown as Hanni’s, following her from a bench in the shadow of the château. She hadn’t noticed Ella there earlier, patching faded clothes with a needle and thread, her ever-present sketchbook by her hip. But the girl was like that; she often drifted from the other teenagers, settling on the fringes with a solitary chore, her eyes on her sister. “Hanni and Antoinette,” Rösli said as her shadow fell over them. “If you don’t come back to the garden, I’ll have to double your chores tomorrow.” Antoinette scrambled to her feet, but Hanni gazed up from the grass, her eyes round and dark as chestnuts. She shook her head, chopped hair swinging. “No, Mademoiselle Näf. I want to finish our game.” No? Irritation pinched inside Rösli’s chest, but she made an effort to remain patient. It wasn’t her strong suit. “Don’t be stubborn, Hanni. Now, go and finish in the garden.” “I don’t want to,” Hanni countered. Antoinette looked at the grass between her toes, taking a cautious step back, but Hanni held Rösli’s stare. She was so tiny in her Red Cross dress, the cotton sleeves hanging like bells over her skinny, sunbrowned arms. But there was something fierce in her eyes. Rösli puffed air from her lips, exasperated. “If you don’t hustle into the garden, you’ll scrub pots for Frau Schlesinger after lunch. And after dinner, too-” “She’s seven.” Rösli spun around to find Ella striding over, her narrow shoulders back, glaring. Rösli wanted to sigh, but she held it in. Showing frustration would get her nowhere with les Grands, the teenagers. She’d yet to figure out what would inspire their allegiance, however. There were over forty at the château, and most of them chafed at her, just as her peers had when she was an adolescent herself. It stung, but she’d never let them know it. “Yes, Hanni’s seven,” Rösli repeated when Ella stepped into the space between her and the little girls. “And she needs to do her share. We all must do our part to keep our community strong.” Ella’s jaw hardened. “Our community.”
How to Read Palms: A Complete Guide with Pictures
Your complete guide to unlocking the meaning behind palm linesImagine if you held everything you ever wanted to know about your fate, love life, and personality in the palm of your hand.
15 ways to catch up with friends that aren’t grabbing coffee or a cocktail –
Looking for ways to catch up with friends that are more meaningful + bonding than grabbing a latte? Click through for tons of interesting ideas!
Giving Up Dairy Changed My Body in So Many Surprising Ways
POPSUGAR is a global lifestyle media brand with content encompassing entertainment, style, beauty, wellness, family, lifestyle, and identity. POPSUGAR's team of editors, writers, producers, and content creators curate the buzziest content, trends, and products to help our audience live a playful and purposeful life.
Reese’s Rosé! Reese Witherspoon Partners with SIMI Winery on New Wine Inspired by Her Book Club
The Editor's Collection Rosé is available now, and "pairs beautifully with good conversation, books and many favorite book club snacks," SIMI Winery and Reese's Book Club said
How to know personality types: a cheat sheet from Eric Partaker | Justin Wright posted on the topic | LinkedIn
7 benefits of knowing personality types: Great leaders take the time to get to know their teams. And themselves. This cheat sheet from my friend, Eric… | 341 comments on LinkedIn
Chunky Crochet Basket – Free Pattern
This chunky crochet basket has a such a unique texture, thanks to the "diagonal chevron" stitch pattern.
50 Coolest Hipster Haircuts For Men To Try in 2024
A hipster haircut is a trendy, flattering and edgy look that will exude confidence, show off your personality and complement your aesthetic. From classic to modern, stylish hipster men's hairstyles can transform your vibe and
What is Cottagecore? and why are we obsessed with its charm?
In this post, I will share what exactly is Cottagecore and why it is so charming, and how to get a Cottagecore look in your home decor.
11 Home Library Ideas for The Ultimate Book Lovers’ Sanctuary
These home library examples can guide individuals in selecting design elements that resonate with their personal style.
8 Surprising Health Benefits Of Sleeping On Your Left Side
It is not just the duration of sleep but the sleeping position that is important for optimum health. Here're health benefits of sleeping on your left side:
Easy DIY Mother’s Day Gifts For Mom
The best easy DIY Mother's Day gift ideas for kids and even adults to make.We covered it all: mason jars, cards, rock art, bouquets,candy. photos, and more! Meaningful gifts for her.
