River's Edge [Paperback]

Marie Bostwick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 29, 2006

After the death of her mother, Elise Braun is sent to live with a new family in the United States and to start a new life. Her father only wants to save his daughter from the impending war in her native Germany - and the horrors of the new Nazi regime. But Elise can only feel a sense of abandonment and resentment toward the one man who is supposed to protect her. An accomplished pianist, music has become her only solace from the loneliness and loss that makes it so difficult for her to love or trust anyone...Devastated by his wife's death, Herman Braun knows that he's incapable of caring for the daughter he loves so deeply. He also knows that Germany is becoming a treacherous country in the hands of a tyrant, one he must defy at any price - even the price of sending his daughter away to a strange new land. It's a choice that may cost him his family - and his life. Now, with the war over, Elise has grown into the beautiful and brave young woman her father always hoped she would be. But underneath the polished facade, she remains torn between her love for her adoptive home and the heartbreak caused by her homeland. As she struggles to find her place in a harrowing new world, she must also learn to acknowledge her love for her father, the man who traded his happiness for her own...

Editorial Reviews

Review

Lyrical prose and multifaceted characters fill the pages of this uniquely moving novel...believable and enthralling read. (4 stars) -- Romantic Times Book Club, September 2006

From the Publisher

"Bostwick's prose has a lyrical beauty about it, drawing us in and carrying us along with the richness of her storytelling. She weaves a poignant, heartfelt tale about a young woman's courage and bravery in the midst of adversity. Ever hopeful and optimistic in her stories of the human condition, even at its darkest moments, Bostwick shows how from sorrow can come joy, from despair can come hope and from tragedy can come triumph. River's Edge is a spiritually uplifting story about the power of love in our world - on this side of the river." Connecticut Muse, Autumn, 2006

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Product Details

• Paperback: 357 pages
• Publisher: Kensington Books (August 29, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758209916
• ISBN-13: 978-0758209917
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 3.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,014,877 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born and raised in the Northwest, but since I married the love of my life twenty-five years ago, I've had eighteen addresses in eight U.S. states and two Mexican cities. My husband and I have three wonderful sons, two of whom are grown and gone. I've been writing for about twelve years. My first novel, FIELDS OF GOLD, came out in 2005 and was a finalist for the Oklahoma Book Award for fiction and the RT Bookclub Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Historical Saga. My second book, RIVER'S EDGE, has been chosen for the Literary Guild catalog for October of 2006.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and Inspiring, October 20, 2006

By 

Busy Mom (Ohio) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: River's Edge (Paperback)

When I got this book in the mail, I returned two library books unread simply because I knew that I was in for a treat. I had read "Field of Gold" and loved it ~~ it is one of my favorites and a keeper ~~ so I hoped this one would be another keeper and it is.

This is a very beautiful and lyrical story ~~ Elise will haunt you long after the last page has been turned. Sent to America from Germany, Elise was just a child. Safe in America with a Nazi officer for a father, Elise experienced the kind of family she never knew that she dreamed of ~~ loud and boisterous, the Mullers welcomed Elise with open arms. Mr. Muller was also a Reverend, and Mrs. Muller just opened her arms and heart to a lost girl who had just lost her mother and father, though her father was still living. With war hovering on the horizon, Elise learned to find her way in a strange country.

WWII happens and Elise begins to discover what it means to be German and American. In love with Junior, she sees him off to war and waits behind with his mother and family. Elise keeps onto her faith and dreams even after the war ended, and she dealt with the changes in her life even then. Her father comes to America and reunites with her ~~ finding a gorgeous young woman instead of a child that he had sent away years before.

This is a very touching book ~~ about a young girl on the edge of womanhood and torn about who she is and trying to find her place in this world. She finds comfort from the river that lays near her house ~~ and she finds hope again. It is beautiful, inspiring and wonderful. This book takes you back to a time in history where things seem to be simpler, even though there is nothing simple about war. It takes you to a time where faith is more important than material goods. It takes you back to a time where people are ruled by their emotions and sometimes, it's just not easy trying to fit in somewhere if you're different. It just takes you back and reminds you that history is always a living story that is passed on.

I highly recommend this book to everyone ~~ especially if you like history and strong feminine characters. This book is a keeper.

10-20-06

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You will fall in love with this book and want it to last forever!, February 8, 2007

By 

Loves to Read (Kansas) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: River's Edge (Paperback)

This is the story of Elise, a young German whose mother has died and whose military father sends her to America to live with distant relatives she has never met. You feel her pain and frustration for being sent away against her will to a strange land that she eventually learns to love. Then as WWII develops and the US becomes involved, you again feel Elise's pain as she is scorned simply because she is German. And you grow to love the family that took her in as their own and defend her. The story line is amazing and the emotions run deep and the characters are well described and feel like family -- you understand their faults but love them anyway. This book will make you laugh and cry and stay in your thoughts after the last chapter is read.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Marie Bostwick does it again!, November 3, 2006

By 

Judy Matthews "ikanu" (Terryville, CT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: River's Edge (Paperback)

Once again, Marie Bostwick produces a novel that reads like the loveliest painting. Her magical ability to portray every facet of life inspires the reader to self reflect while becoming immersed in the joys, hopes and fears, and challenges of a young girl, as she grows and matures. Interspersed with historical fact, the story creatively places us within the depths of World War II and its affect on families of both Germany and the United States. Although River's Edge points out that life is filled with innumerable boundaries and contradictions, it teaches us that fulfillment is achieved in learning that we are all connected, we have all that we need when we embrace family and friends. Do yourself a favor, buy the book, read the prologue, and I know you will find a connection and want to continue.