Send for Me
Trigger warning: antisemitism
Annelise lives in Germany on the eve of World War II. When her granddaughter Clare discovers Annelise's letters, she finds out more about her German past.
"How come the Germans want them gone, but make it impossible for them to leave?"
Annelise dreams of better things than working in her parents' bakery for the rest of her life. Even a husband and children, whenever they arrive, will not save her -- she will always end up back in the bakery when her children are old enough.
But then Annelise's life becomes more difficult. A life-long friend shuns her, a brick hurls through her window, and customers desert the bakery. Although she isn't very religious, Annelise is a Jew. Sentiment towards people with Jewish ancestry continues to crumble in the days leading up to World War II.
Annelise is lucky enough to obtain passage to America before the war breaks out but must leave her parents behind. She finds comfort in her young daughter, Ruthie, on the long journey.
The story follows four generations of a family as their lives change from content to fearful. It's easy for the younger generations to forget the troubles of their older relatives. Clare's story pales in comparison to that of her grandmother.
The narration switches between Annelise and Clare and occasionally switches points of view to Annelise's father, mother, or husband, which makes the story hard to follow in audio format. The lack of chapter headings and cues like page breaks also contributes to the feeling of being lost in one long story.
Natasha Soudek conveys emotions well in her narration. Her reading of Clare sounds more modern and helps distinguish between the two women.
Recommended for fans of family sagas and World War II fiction.
Lauren Fox lives in her hometown of Milwaukee. Send for Me is based on her great-grandmother's letters to her grandmother.
Publisher: Knopf (print); Blackstone Audio
Narrator: Natasha Soudek
Running Time: 7 hours, 15 minutes
Length: 272 pages
Release Date: February 2, 2021
I received an electronic audio recording of this title from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.