Winner/Nominee of eight awards “This book needs to join the ranks of the classic survivor stories of WWII such as ‘Diary of Anne Frank’ and ‘Man's Search for Meaning’. It is truly that amazing!” InD'tale Magazine “This type of raw, articulate, history-based storytelling pays homage to the war children who bore witness while struggling to survive.” Publishers Weekly (PW) Based on a true story and set against the epic panorama of WWII, SURVIVING THE FATHERLAND is a sweeping saga of family, love, and betrayal that illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: the children's war - a tale of two youths whose courage and resilience stands for the forgotten childhood of an entire generation. Solingen, Germany, 1940: When her father goes off to war, seven-year-old Lilly is left with an unkind mother who favors her brother and chooses to ignore the lecherous pedophile next door. A few blocks away, twelve-year-old Günter also loses his father to the draft and quickly takes charge of supplementing his family's ever-dwindling rations by any means necessary. As the war escalates and bombs begin to rain, Lilly and Günter's lives spiral out of control. Every day is a fight for survival. On a quest for firewood, Lilly encounters a dying soldier and steals her father's last suit to help the man escape. Barely sixteen, Günter ignores his draft call and embarks as a fugitive on a harrowing 47-day ordeal--always just one step away from execution. When at last the war ends, Günter grapples with his brother's severe PTSD and the fact that none of his classmates survived. Welcoming denazification, Lilly takes a desperate step to rid herself once and for all of her disgusting neighbor's grip. When Lilly and Günter meet in 1949, their love affair is like any other. Or so it seems. But old wounds and secrets have a way of rising to the surface once more. Awards 2017 National Indie Excellence Award, 2019 Gold Global eBook Award, 2018 Indie B.R.A.G. Award, 2017 Winner Chill with a Book Readers’ Award, Finalist 2017 Kindle Book Awards, 2018 Readers’ Favorite Book Award, Discovered Diamond Historical Novel, An IWIC Hall of Fame Novel, 2020 Skoutz Award Silver (German translation) "This type of raw, articulate, history-based storytelling pays homage to the war children who bore witness while struggling to survive." Publishers Weekly (PW) "This book needs to join the ranks of the classic survivor stories of WWII such as"Diary of Anne Frank" and "Man's Search for Meaning". It is truly that amazing!" InD'tale Magazine "...fast-paced and emotively worded and features a great selection of characters, flawed and poignantly three-dimensional." Historical Novel Society "In spite of the time and the ambient war which Lilly and her family must survive, the story is not gruesome, but rather, it is a statement about the depth and strength of the human soul, and ultimately, really, of the love that drives people on in spite of all the reasons not to love. Highly recommended." International Writers Inspiring Change (IWIC) "I would heartily recommend this book as an engrossing and well-researched story with two of the most engaging protagonists I've read for a while." Jessica Brown for Discovering Diamonds - Independent Reviews of the Best in Historical Fiction "I for one am glad she shared her story with us as it gives us a look at a different perspective from those who endured this tragic time in history. "Surviving the Fatherland" by Annette Oppenlander is highly recommended reading! Carol Hoyer for Reader Views Five Stars "...is simply beautiful." Peggy Jo Wipf for Readers' Favorite "...these characters were lovable and real, and I cared deeply for them. I had tears in my eyes at a few different points during the book. A wonderful read for anyone looking to read a love story set against the backdrop of WWII Germany!" Sara Kocek, Yellow Bird Editors "This family saga is wonderfully written and, aside from the emotional ramifications, very easy to read. I stayed up too late a couple of nights reading it. I was really invested in the characters and wondered what was going to happen to them next. Knowing it was based on the author's parents, it was obvious they would get together at the end, but there were still moments I wasn't sure how it was going to work out. I highly recommend this book!" Long and Short Reviews Blog Review "This is the most intense book that I have read..." Eskie Mama and Dragon Lady Reads Blog Review "Amazingly touching, vividly described and masterfully written, this book leaves a strong impact on you. The characters were deep, well developed and engaging and the narrative poignantly written and entrancing." Read Day and Night Blog Review Five Stars "...at times you can feel the ache of hunger and smell the smoke. The horrors the children witness and live through brought me to tears." Deep In the Crease' Blog Review "Surviving the Fatherland is, sim