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Before Nazi forces invaded and occupied Anni Neumann’s beloved Luxembourg, she had enjoyed an idyllic life while traveling with her father, a professional gymnast. But in mid-1940, the fourteen-year-old and her family were suddenly thrust into a terrifying world fraught with constant uncertainty, severe hardship, humiliation, poverty, and an oppressive existence under Nazi domination. With the imminent coming of German forces, the desperate Neumann family was forced to flee to France. Under cover of darkness with thousands of others like them, they escaped amid bombings, bloodshed, and death. But when they arrived in France, a refugee camp awaited them, and her father battled for many months to provide food for his family as they lived in squalor “where rats wouldn’t even want to live.” Then when they returned to their home in Luxembourg, restrictive Nazi rule controlled their lives for four long, black years. Still, their fighting spirit prevailed through those difficult times, and it continued in the United States afterward. Before the war ended, Anni met and won the heart of an American GI named Charlie Adams, who convinced her to marry him, forsake everything familiar and loved, and join him in the United States. With trepidation Anni agreed, and at first her life in the US was difficult. But in time she learned to triumph and overcame many obstacles. Her young family increased, their finances prospered, and they experienced extraordinary successes. Life was not without sorrow though, yet with faith in God they were able to trust and move on. Their experiences also remind us that in the US, people with willing hearts and strong determination can succeed. Not surprisingly, THE MEETING OF ANNI ADAMS has the elements of a great novel. And it’s an unusual story because it reveals the horrors of Nazi control not through the eyes of the military, the underground freedom fighters, or Jewish survivors, but through the sufferings of a young civilian. Also,though it’s a biography, the author often gives it an autobiographical and very poignant flavor through Anni’s point of view. Unfortunately, from a writing perspective, many things bothered me about the book. Long passages of italicized words were difficult to read, as were inserted sections that included Mr. Story’s thoughts and comments. At times it felt long-winded and draggy with an occasional spelling or grammatical error. In some sections, I had to reread the passages at least twice to try to understand what the author was conveying. But in spite of these problems, the story was very interesting, and the Neumanns were described with great sensitivity and depth to make me care deeply for them. I recommend THE MEETING OF ANNI ADAMS: The Butterfly of Luxembourg to any history and biography buffs, those who want a fresh perspective of either, and those who want to read about humbling, inspiring, and brave believers.
Publisher: ACW Press Buy it now from our affiliate Bookstore CrossPurposesBooks.com
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