Carol Wilson Grandin

Packages from America Carol Wilson Grandin

This historical fiction novel takes place at the end of World War II in Germany. Jutta Neumann and her three small boys escape the destruction of the American and British bombings of Berlin. They take refuge with a family member near the Baltic Sea. When the Russians advance from the East, they escape once again, ending up in Mecklenburg, Northern Germany, at a cloister, under the protection of nuns. Soon the Russians occupy the village and Jutta and her children are trapped. With her husband, a surgeon and a POW in the Soviet Union, Jutta must learn to fend for herself. Thus begins a life of hand to mouth existence. When an American family offers to send food and clothing in packages, Jutta has hope that her children will not starve to death or go in rags. A bond of friendship develops and grows between Jutta and the American mother, with the arrival of each package. Jutta's poignant letters tell the history of East Germany, the hopelessness, the fear, and the extreme measures a family must endure in the aftermath of war. Once her husband, Joachim, finally returns from the war, the two continue to protect and shield their children from the harsh realities of the Commmunist state. The power of love shines through in their otherwise gray and frightening world. The author is grateful to her Mother for her foresight in saving all the letters sent to her by Jutta Neumann. Through the letters and interviews with the adult children, the author was able to piece together this novel.