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Annette Oppenlander
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Annette Oppenlander

Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Author


Born
in Solingen, Germany
Website

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Genre
Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Mystery

Influences
J.R.R. Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, James Alexander Thom, Michael Crichton

Member Since
August 2014


Annette Oppenlander is an award-winning writer, literary coach and educator. As a bestselling historical novelist, Oppenlander is known for her authentic characters and stories based on true events, coming alive in well-researched settings. Having lived in Germany the first half of her life and the second half in various parts in the U.S., Oppenlander inspires readers by illuminating story questions as relevant today as they were in the past. Oppenlander’s bestselling true WWII story, Surviving the Fatherland, was elected to IWIC’s Hall of Fame and won the 2017 National Indie Excellence Award. Her historical time-travel trilogy, Escape from the Past, takes readers to the German Middle Ages and the Wild West. Uniquely, Oppenlander weaves act ...more

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What a beautiful book of perseverance and love! I love that it was written about your parents struggle and survival during the war! I have read so many books surrounding the war, but none that focused on the German people and their struggles/ especially the children. Did they both share their stories openly, or how did it come about reliving those hard memories?
Annette Oppenlander Hello Rhonda,
Thank you so much for reaching out to me with your question! I'm happy you enjoyed 'Surviving the Fatherland.' In 2002 I visited them in…m´Ç°ù±ðHello Rhonda,
Thank you so much for reaching out to me with your question! I'm happy you enjoyed 'Surviving the Fatherland.' In 2002 I visited them in Germany and asked them to retell their stories. I recorded everything with a small old-fashioned tape recorder. Quite often I asked additional questions so they'd go deeper. They were very open about the actions and occurrences during these years.

At the same time, a lot of the emotion you experience in the book is my interpretation of what they felt. Particularly my mother suffered greatly under her upbringing and was not able to express everything. It took me 15 years to get this story written and I think one reason it took so long was, to write it in a deeply moving way. I think writing the book helped me understand my parents a lot better. Sadly, my mother passed away in 2004 at the age of 72. My father is still alive at 89.

Thanks for reading and reaching out!
Annette(less)
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Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?
Annette Oppenlander In 2012 I visited Castle Hanstein in Thuringia, Germany. Walking through the ruins I found a note about Knight Werner von Hanstein who'd feuded with D…m´Ç°ù±ðIn 2012 I visited Castle Hanstein in Thuringia, Germany. Walking through the ruins I found a note about Knight Werner von Hanstein who'd feuded with Duke Schwarzburg over a beautiful woman in the late Middle Ages. I was hooked.(less)
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Combine Editions

Average rating: 4.29 · 3,812 ratings · 417 reviews · 34 distinct works â€� Similar authors
Surviving the Fatherland
4.38 avg rating — 2,480 ratings — 3 editions
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47 Days: The True Story of ...
3.87 avg rating — 609 ratings — 3 editions
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Everything We Lose: A Civil...
4.34 avg rating — 163 ratings — 4 editions
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A Different Truth
4.15 avg rating — 100 ratings — published 2015 — 3 editions
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When They Made Us Leave
4.34 avg rating — 91 ratings — 2 editions
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Escape from the Past: The D...
4.17 avg rating — 86 ratings — published 2015 — 4 editions
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The Scent of a Storm: A Gri...
4.47 avg rating — 72 ratings — 5 editions
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Where the Night Never Ends:...
4.54 avg rating — 48 ratings — published 2019 — 5 editions
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When the Skies Rained Freed...
4.67 avg rating — 24 ratings — 2 editions
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A Lightness in My Soul
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Annette Oppenlander's Blog

Making Sense of 2025

Something interesting happened recently. Four years ago, I wrote A Lightness in My Soul, a WWII novella about a boy who is taken to the concentration camp, Dachau, by American troops. My friend, Marion, had met an old man in a car repair shop and he’d told her his story as a teen. Despite my �

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Published on February 09, 2025 07:53
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Series by Annette Oppenlander

Surviving the Fatherland When They Made Us Leave The Scent of a Storm: A Gri...
(3 books)
by
4.38 avg rating — 2,643 ratings

Escape from the Past: The D... Escape from the Past: The Kid At Witches' End
(3 books)
by
4.19 avg rating — 126 ratings

Annette is Currently Reading

The Grapes of Wrath
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Oct 14, 2018 11:38PM
Der Dreißigjährig...
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Oct 10, 2018 10:00PM
Blood Red Snow: T...
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Feb 13, 2018 06:09AM

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Annette Oppenlander wrote a new blog post

Making Sense of 2025

Something interesting happened recently. Four years ago, I wrote A Lightness in My Soul, a WWII novella about a boy who is taken to the concentration Read more of this blog post »
Feb 10, 2025 03:57AM  · 
Annette has read
Set the Sky on Fire by L.K. Walker
Set the Sky on Fire
by L.K. Walker (Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Author)
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Sep 11, 2024 10:42AM  · 
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Origin by Dan Brown
Origin (Robert Langdon, #5)
by Dan Brown (Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Author)
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Apr 24, 2024 11:35AM  · 
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Quotes by Annette Oppenlander  (?)
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“The endless tasks of surviving had become infinitely worse.”
― Annette Oppenlander, Surviving the Fatherland
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“the kitchen, his eyes bright with excitement. “I’ve been drafted.â€� At the sink, Mutti abruptly dropped her sponge and stared at him. Her mouth opened, then closed without a sound. I didn’t understand”
― Annette Oppenlander, Everything We Lose: A Civil War Novel of Hope, Courage and Redemption
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Topics Mentioning This Author

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Genre Specific Re...: Young Adult Review Group 9 (completed) 42 39 Jan 17, 2017 02:36AM  
Genre Specific Re...: Young Adult Review Group 11 (closed) 42 31 May 26, 2017 06:01PM  
Genre Specific Re...: Young Adult Review Group 13 (closed) 107 61 Jun 02, 2018 01:13AM  
Genre Specific Re...: This topic has been closed to new comments. * Historical Fiction Review Group 3 (2019) NOW CLOSED 67 51 Aug 15, 2019 01:18AM  
What's the Name o...: YA Fantasy. Boy gets trapped in an online game set in a medieval type world (like Warcraft) that he plays regularly after school. Cover: black with red fire. Read in 2013-2014. Spoilers ahead. 10 572 Jul 05, 2023 08:36PM  
Gigi's Company: Title Game 6447 1417 Jul 08, 2023 03:26PM  
2025 Reading Chal...: Yes, I AM Doing Something 2023 Challenge 9 226 Jan 01, 2024 03:38PM  
Shut Up & Read: * JANUARY- FROZEN CHALLENGE 42 68 Feb 17, 2024 07:47PM  
Book title game 17056 5040 Jul 28, 2024 07:30AM  

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“We write in response to what we read and learn; and in the end we write out of our deepest selves.”
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