Coal Dreams

by

Annette Oppenlander

Absolutely riveting!

Coal Dreams is another absolutely riveting WWII historical novel by veteran author Annette Oppenlander and features the lives of a couple of regular non-combatants and the hardships they endure while the world is at war. German Marie Heinrich is forced to go to work at the local coal mine after her husband is conscripted to fight for the Nazis. Frenchman Adrien Rocheau, taken from his hometown of Lyon, is sent to work at the same mine. He and Marie meet when he steps forward to translate her German to French for his fellow forced laborers from France. However, others in each of their communities harbor resentment and anger at their growing closeness. 

Oppenlander’s latest WWII historical novel depicts the German perspective of often overlooked aspects of the war: the impact on regular people, the non-combatants, such as the lack of food and basic necessities, and the danger from the Allied attacks or one’s own neighbors. Simple grudges fester, and people, pushed to the breaking point, eventually take advantage of others to improve their own situation. 

The plot moves quickly, and the tension in every scene is almost overwhelming at times. The effects of the war on everyday life were eye-opening, and the lengths people would go to in order to survive were heartbreaking. The author’s vivid descriptions created clear images of the action and settings and evoked strong emotion with each turn of the page. I couldn’t help but hope for a future for Marie and Adrien, even though the eventual outcome is spelled out in the Prologue. 

I recommend COAL DREAMS to readers of historical fiction, especially those with an interest in WWII and the perspective of those living in Germany and the surrounding countries at war. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tours.