If you are a fan of WWII historical fiction this story will pull at your heartstrings.  An elderly and frail veteran of the war has been wondering for decades what happened to his war time love who was also a German resistance fighter,  and possibly the mother of his unborn child.  The story was captivating and at times suspenseful.  Time moves back and forth from the war years to the present as the reader explores the events that led up to the final knowledge of what became of all the people involved.  I did find the “coincidences” that occurred a bit unrealistic but it did not detract from the interesting story that was being told.

There are many stories of children conceived during the war in foreign lands. Their fathers, members of an enemy, allied or peacekeeping force vanish through redeployment, wars end, or they are sent home. Though many never return to their responsibility, it does not diminish the guilt they carry, for the children and women they left behind.

This is the story of Max Blumenthal and his wartime offspring.  Max is ninety and lives in a care home in Encinitas, CA, but he has never forgotten his wartime love and their child. It has only been months since he lost his wife, and his daughter, Beth, a college professor visits regularly.

Max’s rehabilitation is not working, and his health is deteriorating. Beth wants to make the best of her last months with her father. At his request, she rounds up his photo boxes and begins scanning the images. She discovers one of her father with a beautiful young pregnant blonde-haired woman; taken during the war. There is no mistaking they are in love. So the search begins to find out who this woman was and what she meant to her father. Beth does not begrudge her father a life before her mother, but she was curious as to whether somewhere out there, she has a brother or sister.

Like many veterans who saw unspeakable atrocities, Max does not speak much about his time in the war. He was a trained dentist, ready to begin his practice when he took his place at the front lines. He felt it his duty to fight Hitler on behalf of his beloved Jewish ancestors and the land of his parents. In Latvia, they rounded up his extended family in a mass execution.

Drafted into the medical corps, Max stitched up the wounded and care for them in any capacity required. His gentle manner when he spoke with those in need placed him at the enemy lines where he would meet the German resistance.

This would begin the journey of Max and Metta and Metta’s brother, Oskar; her sister Johanna and Harold, Johanna’s husband. Each of these individuals would play a major role in the underground, and risk everything for what they believed was right.

As Beth digs deeper, she learns the horrors of war that still haunt her father, and works to secure for him the closure to help him heal. It is a lovely story, which I enjoyed tremendously. Aimie Runyan is a talented writer and I have read most of her books. I hope you will enjoy this well-written account of love and war.

What a wonderful book! This story is narrated from 3 different points of view. I enjoyed this unusual style of storytelling. The stories, at times, intersected nicely and then separated to go their own way very easily, only to tie in and sew the story together.  Beth is trying to help her father, Max, reconnect with his past loved ones during WWII. I liked the characters and cared about them. A great historical fiction story that has it all.

ACROSS THE WINDING RIVER is another fabulous and heart-warming novel by Aimie K. Runyan.  T old from the perspectives of three different characters with a non-linear timeline, the story is woven together with a deft hand and will grab you by the heart from beginning to end.
I love the way Runyan creates a storyline and her writing style as she tells the story.  Runyan combines so many aspects in this story: love, courage, family, and redemption and each of the characters will find their way into your heart. I hated to see this one end. 
This is my third novel by Runyan and with each one she gets better. As you read, it is obvious how important the story and the characters are to her; so much that it transfers to the reader. I am eagerly anticipating Runyan’s next novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advanced copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.
#AcrossTheWindingRiver #AimieKRunyan #LakeUnionPublishing #TallPoppyWriters #TallPoppyBlogger #BloomReads

This is a story about WWII but different from what I’ve read before. It focuses on am American doctor serving in the war and a German woman who is married to a high ranking Nazi officer. The story also focuses on the families of the two and how they dealt with the war and everything that went with it. It is told from the last and present, which I love. I love uncovering little clues until all is revealed in the end. I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick and very interesting read.

Across the Winding River by Aimie K. Runyan is a rich historical novel.  Dr. Beth Cohen regrets that she did not spend more time with her mother when she was dying, and she is not going to make that mistake with her father.  His request to look at his old box of World War II mementoes provides Beth with insight into her father and has her on a quest.  The story takes place from 1937 to 2007.  It goes back in forth in time and switches point-of-view from Beth, Max (Beth’s father), and Johanna.  Johanna lost touch with her sister after the war and she has wondered all these years what happened to her.  Johanna would like to get answers for herself and for her children.  We see how the war affected Max and Johanna plus we get answers on Beth’s hunt. It sounds confusing, but it is not.  It is all beautifully woven together into one complete piece.   I like how their stories connected.  We get transported back to World War II where Max is serving as a medic and Johanna is an engineer who designs planes.  Johanna has a brother in the SS and her sister marries a high-ranking SS officer.  Johanna is against everything Hitler stands for and believes in, but she loves her job.  We get a look at life inside Germany during the war.  Across the Winding River is a well-written with a complex plot and developed characters.  The story does play out in an expected manner and the pacing is slow in the beginning.  It is a compelling story, though, that will soon capture and hold your interest.  The last seventy-five percent is the best part of the book.  The pace and tension ramp up.  Everything begins coming together and you get that aha moment.  Across the Winding River is a captivating story about hope, love, loss, and courage.

Across the Winding River by Elsa Hart is a well written historical novel.  Dr. Beth Cohen is spending time with her father as he his dying. HIs last request is to look at his old box of World War II memories. This request takes Beth on a journey with her father. The time period the story takes place is 1937 to 2000. 

The characters are rich and well written. 
The story is all consuming and it is clear the author has researched this time period. 

I really enjoyed this historical fiction novel.

Outstanding. An absolutely wonderful book that will crawl into your heart and linger there. Poignant and tense it'll have you on the edge of your seat. An absolute must read. It will linger with you long after the last page. Happy reading!

Beth has dealt with a lot of life changes lately: the death of her mother, divorce, and her father's illness. When she learns he likely only has 6 months to live, she is unsurprised--he is, after all, 90 years old, but also very sad. They determine to go through old photographs and letters from his service in World War II.

One of the first photos she encounters shows her father looking adoringly at a visibly pregnant woman...who is not her mother. As she pieces together the story of Max and Metta's love affair, she vows to help her father locate the woman he once loved and the child he never knew. Of course, he had tried to do so over the years, unsuccessfully, but with the help of a research librarian/surfer dude, Beth hopes to have greater success.

ACROSS THE WINDING RIVER is a heartwarming novel, effortlessly switching points of view, time periods, and setting--from Nazi Germany to mid-century California to early 2000s California. Max and Beth are both very likable characters. The big conflicts (war, fascism) are there, but the absence of conflict in contemporary times is surprising. Beth gets along remarkably well with her ex-husband and immediately forgives her father for never mentioning she might have a half-sibling somewhere out there. These are minor flaws that will not keep the reader from eagerly turning pages, though. #AcrossTheWindingRiver #NetGalley

WWII is my time.  I devour books set in this time and love when a story really pulls me in.   Across the Winding River is wonderful.   I was invested in the characters, I cared about their lives, and I was excited to see what their future would hold.   
Across the Winding River has dual timelines that tell the story of life during WWII and life after WWII.   Life during WWII has two stories that are tied together but I did not catch on to how they are tied together until later in the story. The life after WWII is set in 2007 and tells of love left behind during the war.  

Aimee K. Runyan did an amazing job writing the story and weaving the characters together as the story was told without giving it all away at one time.  I loved putting the pieces together as I read and figuring out who everyone was and how their stories came together.    I am adding this to my list of recommended WWII books.

Beth Cohen’s dad Max is 90 and living in an aged care home and one day he asked her to find a box containing his mementos from his time serving as a medic during WW II. Of course she takes a look at the contents of the box and she finds a photo of her dad with a pretty pregnant woman and the lady isn’t her mother?

1944 Max finished his dental training; he decided to serve his country and joined the army as a medic. While stationed in Germany he met a young married woman called Margarethe, they had a very short romantic relationship, after the war ended he tried to find her, he couldn’t, he had no idea what happened to Metta and her baby. Older Max had one wish; he would like Beth to find out what happened to Metta and her baby. After 60 years Beth doesn’t like her chances of finding them and her dad doesn’t even know her last name.

Johanna Patterson is Metta’s older sister, during WW II engineer in Germany she designed and flew planes. 
Post war Germany was a mess, people lost contact with each other during the chaos and it was difficult to find someone who is missing. Both Max and Johanna separately spent over two years trying to find Margarethe and they had no luck eventually they had no choice and moved on with their lives. All three main characters stories are connected, you have Max who knows his time is running out and he wants closure. Beth has recently divorced and wants to make the most of her time that she has left with her dad and let him rest in peace knowing what happened to his first love Metta. Johanna has married again; she no longer lives in Germany and after 60 years still wants to find out what happened to her beloved sister and no long fears Metta’s husband Ansel Ziegler and repercussions for what she did towards the end of the war.

Across The Winding River plot is based around Max, Metta’s and Johanna’s experiences during WW II; it’s a gripping dual timeline story about war, love, loss, sacrifice, destiny and after all these years two people still desperately wanting to find closure. Aimie K. Runyan's books never disappoint and four stars from me.

Across the Winding River 


A brilliantly plotted and delightfully written  family drama about strength, secrets and sacrifice 

 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY
Beth Cohen wants to make the most of the time she has left with her elderly father, Max. He asks his daughter is to go through the long forgotten box of memorabilia from his days as a medic on the Western front. Among the war times souvenirs, Beth finds a surprising photograph of her father with an adoring beautiful stranger. It’s a picture worth a thousand questions and a journey into the past. 

When Max Blumenthal meets Margarethe, the German wife of a Nazi officer his world shifts.  Margarethe is actually a member of the resistance and their meeting in 1944 in Hürtgen Forest, Germany put them both at risk. After only one meeting, Max is willing to sacrifice everything to be with Margarethe. He even secures travel papers for her, allowing her to seek amnesty and safety at a border crossing.

Johanna Schiller is an aeronautical engineer and works for the German aerospace center designing faster, safer and more agile planes. She is one of only two women test pilots at the center. In order to keep her job Johanna must prove her heritage in order to receive her honorary Aryan status. But politics were changing and for Johanna building deadlier planes  to protect German was one thing. Creating them to serve Hitler was quite another,


REVIEW
Across the Winding River is a sterling family drama that flows between WWII and the present time.  It is a brilliantly plotted and delightfully woven story told through three narratives. While a slightly challenging read, the intersecting narratives makes the story of war, love, courage and sacrifice powerful.  

My favorite part of the book is authors Aimie Runyan’s portrayal of three women of substance. I was particularly enamored with Johanna in 1944 and her ceiling-shattering career. Beth and Margarethe‘s characters also showed strength, fortitude and intelligence.  This portrayal of strong women is exactly what is needed in literature today to serve as role models and counter the stereotypical victim role for women. 

One of the most intriguing aspects of Across the Winding River was that it was inspired by a true story. Runyan’s Author’s Notes provides a wealth of information about the basis for story and about Johanna’s character.  I am extremely appreciative when a historical fiction author takes the time to distinguish between the facts and fiction in the story.   

Runyan does a fabulous job writing to celebrate history’s unsung heroines. She is the author of four previous historical novels including Daughters of the Night Sky, Girls on the Line, Promised to the Crown, and Duty to the Crown.

Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Publisher 	Lake Union
Published 	August 1, 2020
Review	www.bluestockingreviews.com




#netgalley #lakeunion #bluestockingreviews #acrossthewindingriver #aimeekrunyan

I could not put this amazing book down! Such a wonderful heartfelt story! Just love these characters! Highly highly recommend

“A woman unlocks the mystery of her father’s wartime past in a moving novel about secrets, sacrifice, and the power of love…”

Across the Winding River follows the “hearts and minds” of Max, a young American soldier during WWll; Beth, his daughter’s search for clues to a long, lost secret sibling, and Johanna, the brilliant German test pilot in the Luftwaffe for the Nazi’s. All three walk a delicate line between memories and truth.

Readers will identify with Beth, a modern-day woman grieving the loss of her mother and also beginning to recognize and accept herself-recently divorced and adjusting to a new social standing. Beth’s father, Max, is living out his last days in a private care facility while Beth is doing all she can to organize his affairs while sorting out his memorabilia and learning about his war- time experiences. The author chooses to focus on Max and his medic experiences in a lesser known battle that raged for three months in Hurtgen Forest, known as the Death Factory, rather than the D-Day beaches of Normandy. The descriptions and details of the area and the lengthy battle with no clear victor, is a different perspective of the war. The third bend in the “winding river” is Johanna and the role she plays in living out her own mathmatical dreams as she finds it more and more difficult to hide her Jewish ancestry, while actually working for the Nazi’s in order to survive and avoid the concentration camps.

The lives of Beth, Max, and Johanna intersect in some twists and turns in the river; all to reveal powerful lessons in the sacrifices that have been made, and to uncover surprising secrets of love and loss.

Readers who choose Across the Winding River by Aimie K. Runyan will come to “champion amd adore” Max’s story.

I loved this book, it was wonderful to read. Across the Winding River is a multi POV/timeline WWII Historical Fiction that takes us from San Diego to Germany. It follows Beth in present day, trying to learn more about her father, Max, in the few months they have left together. This book was hard to put down - I highly recommend it.

The story is beautifully written and that’s what drew me in and what stays with me after reading. 
I don’t usually read historic fiction and I dislike reading or talking about the Second World War (teachers overdid it at school and I feel I had enough for a lifetime) so this was a surprisingly good read for me. 
It starts with Beth’s 90-year-old father Matt getting the news that his health is deteriorating and he should “get his things in order”. For him, this means going through a box he had left untouched for over 50 years… his memories of his time fighting in Germany. Beth had never heard her father speak of it before. Maybe it has to do with the woman posing with her father in one of the photos?
This is a triple narrative story, told in the present by Beth, during the war by Max, and from the 1930s into the war by a young woman named Johanna.
And, to my surprise and Aimie Runyan’s credit, the one that drew me in was Johanna’s. She found the words to depict what is often not understood about the Hitler regime: how people could “let it happen”. Through Johanna and the different members of her family she shows the struggles each person has in the oppressed Reich and why they sometimes had to go along with what they felt or knew was wrong, because anything else would put them in danger. 
Sadly, the storyline itself disappointed twice when coincidences were just too big to believe, but the writing itself kept me reading about the very relatable characters.

When Beth Cohen finds a photo of her elderly father with an unknown woman, a mystery begins.  Beth knows her time is limited with her father and that he wants her to help find out what happened to this woman of his past.
I recommend this book for anyone that enjoys historical fiction, multiple time lines, war genre and memorable characters.

Aimie K. Runyan has long been a go-to author for me.  First introduced with her Canadian HF Series, Daughters of New France, I've watched her transition to WW2 HF with her last few releases.  She is one of the few authors that I've managed to keep up-to-date with each new book.

Across the Winding River is new ground with 3 story-lines and characters that overlap, it might sound overwhelming but it isn't.  Taking place in Germany during the war I was treated to a view of sisters, strong sisters, sisters with secrets that if they came to light could (and most likely) have deadly consequences.  It was a glimpse at what life was like for those that didn't willing follow to Hitler.

I always find the author's writing engaging, well researched and opens my mind to parts of history I'm unfamiliar with. Across the Winding River is a story of love and loss, taking risks and perseverance. Another entertaining read and one I recommend.

My thanks to Lake Union Publishing (via Netgalley) for an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

A story filled with so much love and emotions! I love all of Aimie Runyan's books, she is a marvelous author, but this is her best book yet! A masterpiece! Read this book with all the feels and shed a few tears!

Thank you Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Across the Winding River is a multi POV/timeline WWII Historical Fiction that takes us from San Diego to Germany. It follows Beth in present day, trying to learn more about her father, Max, in the few months they have left together. Max is finally ready to share the secrets he has held onto since the war. We’re also introduced to Johanna, a German woman trapped in a regime she wants no part in.

What worked for me: I loved the story, the characters, and the setting. I enjoyed all of the POVs equally, which is rare! I always appreciate WWII stories that have perspectives from both Germans and non-Germans. Across the Winding River is heartbreaking, but beautiful and redemptive.

What didn’t work for me: Parts of the story were a bit rushed or a little too convenient. It didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment though. Reading the author’s note at the end also made me appreciate those parts of the story more.

I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to reading more of this author’s books. I’d recommend reading this as a hardcopy as there are multiple timelines that skip around a bit and I would’ve preferred to easily turn back to reference where in the story we were at.