As the Third Reich crumbles Liesel and her family flee their home in Poland. In the new regime, political upheavals threaten to destroy the only life she has ever known, leaving her to wonder if they will ever be a family again.
“Allied forces are advancing. You are no longer under the protection of the German army. All German citizens of the Third Reich are to evacuate.”
At these words, Liesel and her young children are forced to flee their home. But losing the only home she has ever known is only the beginning. The brutal advance of Stalin’s forces into Poland results in a regime of terror and uncertainty, threatening to destroy Liesel’s family at every turn. Interrogated and imprisoned in a labour camp, her dream to re-unite with her husband and children seems impossible. Her only hope? A dangerous gamble, buoyed by a sliver of faith.
Based on a true story, Threaten to Undo Us exposes shocking history in the shadow of World War Two.
Excerpt
Ernst’s face was cast in darkness; his tall frame a shadow in the open doorway.
“I’m in the army now,” he said, his solemn voice fading as he backed away into
the night. “I can no longer give you my protection.”
Submerged in the blackness of loss, paralyzed to reach out, Liesel pleaded to her husband, “Come back!” Her voice echoed off the wall. Simultaneously she heard the rumbling of a truck motor and a tinny voice on a bullhorn. “All German citizens of the Third Reich are to evacuate as soon as possible. You are no longer under the protection of the German army.”
Liesel’s eyes fluttered open and her conscious mind recalled that Ernst had left their home in Poland months ago and was missing in action, somewhere in Russia.
The blackout curtains were securely in place. A single gas lamp, dimly lit, cast a soft glow on the green tiles of the Kachelofen. On the hearth ledge of the large ceramic stove, a few sticks of kindling poked out of the wood box. Above the mantel the cuckoo clock ticked softly, its pendulum swinging gently back and forth in counterpoint to Liesel’s racing heart.
Professional Reviews
Threaten to Undo Us
What a stunning portrayal of life as a German living in Poland before, during, and after WW2. This story takes you from the tranquillity of living an ordinary life on a farm, to the horrors of the Soviet War Camps. This book truly blew me away.
The historical detail in this story is amazing -- In a past life, I tutored Modern History, so I know that Scott knows her subject well -- The story is well-crafted, epic and spell-binding.
The main protagonist, Liesel, is just an ordinary woman, who wants to be a good wife and a mother, but war changes everything. Her husband has to go to war and she is left alone on the farm with her aged parents and her young children. Her community is torn apart and things will never be the same again.
When the Soviets come, to free Poland from German rule, Liesel's struggle changes from trying to find enough food for her children to eat, to the simple task of trying to keep her children with her.
She is forcibly separated from her children -- which would be any mother’s worse nightmare -- but that is only the beginning of her ordeal. She suffers unimaginable horrors, however she has a quiet strength and a courage that could match any one of the Soviet Generals. She holds on to one thought -- she will reunite her family, no matter how long it takes. And when everything else falls apart, she clings to her faith.
There are many wonderful novels out there about the hardships faced during World War 2, but rarely is the story told from the German perspective -- this is the first time that I have a read a story about a German family in Poland. I thought this book was very refreshing and Scott has written a very believable story that delicately shows the suffering from both sides.
Scott reminds her readers that many ordinary Germans did not want to fight their neighbours -- they did not want to go to war -- but they had no choice. The fear of the German Regime and then the Russian one, was very real in the telling.
Scott has done a marvellous job putting flesh to her characters. She is, without a doubt, a truly wonderful writer. She made me care for Liesel and her family. As a reader I grieved with them. I felt their joy as well as their heartache. The plot was gripping to say the least - I did not want to put this book down.
I would highly recommend this novel to anyone interested in this period of history. But be warned, this story will stay with you for a very long time afterwards. http://maryanneyarde.blogspot.ca/2016/02/threaten-to-undo-us-bookreview.html
Threaten to Undo Us
Threaten to Undo Us is a gripping story of one woman’s commitment to family and faith under the cruellest of conditions. Written as historical fiction but based on a true story, the book unfolds before and during WW2, portraying the plight of ethnic Germans living in Poland as the Russian army advances. This well researched book provides an insight into a lesser known side of history.
Threaten To Undo Us is an aptly chosen title as the family endure unimaginable hardships with Liesel and her children scattered to work camps and her husband deported to Siberia. The momentum of the story carries the reader forward with its suspense, intrigue and attention to historical detail. The story skilfully weaves the pastoral life of a hard working farm family, the atrocities of war and the determination of Liesel to keep her family alive.
From the beginning to the end I was fully immersed in a story where the human spirit shines. An excellent read. (from Goodreads)
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