March 1, 2021
Ember Ellis needs to finish her dissertation for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, but she cannot find documentation of a German citizen who resisted the Nazis in the city of Nuremburg, which has a long and notorious history of anti-Semitism. Under the pressure of deadlines and threatening anonymous letters, Ember travels home to interview an old teacher about her grandmother. Grandmother Hanna was an archaeologist for the Third Reich and was married to an SS officer, but was still documented as a friend to Jews. Unraveling the mystery of Hanna makes Ember realize that she is unable to write an impactful thesis until she has faced her own past, which includes a childhood spent in the Idaho compound of Aryan Nation terrorists. VERDICT Ember's story interwoven with Hanna's is a search for identity unshackled from past mistakes and redeemed by love. Fans of Kristy Cambron and Rachel Hauck will devour this split-time tale with two equally strong story lines. Increased anti-Semitism in her own community of Portland, OR, inspired Dobson (Memories of Glass) to mine the past for lessons in reconciliation, forgiveness, and lasting change--resulting in a powerful message for the modern reader.--Christine Barth, Scott Cty. Lib. Syst., IA
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