Elise Sontag is a German American teenager living in Iowa during World War 2. Her parents have lived in the US for twenty years but are not legal citizens. While the war in Europe is escalating, her father is arrested and charged with being a Nazi sympathizer. Rather than being separated, the entire family is interned at a government camp in Crystal City, Texas.

Life at the camp becomes bearable when Elise befriends Mariko Inoue, a Japanese American girl from California. They become close while spending all their free time together. Together they plan for a future in New York City with a fresh start and new careers. These plans get put on hold when Elise’s family is sent to back to Germany in a prisoner exchange.

The Last Year Of The War by Susan Meissner is an emotional journey of a young girl growing up during wartime. This story is touching as Elise makes one last effort to rekindle a friendship broken by time. I really enjoyed this novel.

Harry Tabor’s family is getting together to celebrate him winning the prestigious “Man Of The Decade” award. Harry is in his sixties and has been happily married to Roma for decades. This award is weighing heavy on Harry because he doesn’t feel deserving. He has been carrying a heavy secret about the funding for his philanthropic projects over the last three decades. He becomes plagued with memories from his past and the mistakes he has made. Feeling unworthy he seeks to make amends.

His adult children travel to Palm Springs to celebrate but each has their own hidden issues. One child is in the midst of a broken marriage while another is hiding a failing academic career. Another child pretends to have a boyfriend instead of admitting she has problems with long-term relationships. From afar this family appears to be close-knit but in reality, their interactions remain superficial. They all converge for a weekend which will change the future of their relationships.

This is the second novel written by Cherise Wolas. The Family Tabor is told from many voices and each character seems to grow while they gradually come together to address their issues.

Each family member has a story to tell. Families are complicated - each member is developed well with a backstory that will keep you reading this novel by Cherise Wolas. I enjoyed it and will read her prior novel now.

Andrew Wyeth spent his summers in Cushing, Maine with his family. It is here where he first met Christina Olson who later becomes the inspiration for his painting “Christina’s World”. Christina lived a tough life along with her brother Al on the neighboring farm. Their dilapidated home lacked modern day conveniences and had fallen into disrepair. Andrew encounters the Olsons through their neighbor Betsy and he decides to express their lives via a painting. As Andrew puts paint to canvas, the details of the Olson’s hardships come to light.

The story unfolds with Christina’s as a young girl. A childhood illness left her with difficulty walking and no cure for her bone disease. As she grew older, the effects worsened leaving her crippled making her farm chores difficult. A bright student, the opportunity to further her studies to become a teacher were dismissed early by her parents. Her future only left her with two choices, to marry or maintain the farm. Sadly, she had very few opportunities to make romantic connections leaving her with no escape. Christina is not the most likable character, but by reading the book you become sympathetic to her disposition. Andrew Wyeth developed a relationship with her over many years and was able to capture a different side of her in this painting.

Andrew Wyeth painted the portrait, but the author writes a beautiful story by bringing it to life. Intertwined in the story is how she met Wyeth, who through his masterpiece, shows the world her softer side of someone having suffered so much both internally and externally. The author showcases a very moving and impactful novel.