October 2017: Don't Say Anything to Anybody

For October, I've picked our friend's book, "Don't Say Anything to Anybody." Anika Hanisch  co-authored this memoir with a woman who grew up in Germany during World War 2. Anika attended Bethel College with Julie, Amy and I.

As Amy mentioned earlier this year, Anika and her fellow author Brigitte Z. Yearman lauched a  kickstarter campaign to get this book in print. Amy had the privilege of being one of the beta readers. They had interest from publishers but nobody was willing to sign on the dotted line. Among the comments they've received is that people are not interested in hearing a woman's story of WW2, The readers of WW2 memoirs are primarily men, and publishers are not willing to take the risk.

"This is the reason they've turned to a kickstarter campaign.They are telling a new story to a wider audience. This is a novel for everyone. It's a fresh story that hasn't been told before. It has a broader appeal than traditional audiences of WW2 memoirs. And it's appeal definitely goes beyond educational, historical, and therapeutic communities, though that's what you'll read about in the kickstarter. One of the things that I think it's important to note about this book is that it's written like a novel. It isn't a history book, not a textbook. It's beautifully written and draws the reader into the story, just like any good novel. Knowing that it is a true story makes it that much more powerful."

The book is not available in libraries yet, but you can order it online at Amazon by clicking here. Several of us also contributed to the Kickstarter campaign and have copies.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Countless World War II memoirs have been written, but few offer the German civilian perspective. Brigitte Z. Yearman’s evocative survival memoir provides that fresh voice.

Young Brigitte knows nothing of the politics of war. All she knows is that the conflict has separated her from her family and taken her father away to fight. When her hometown becomes a bombing target, Brigitte is transported to the rural town of Seidel. Her foster family openly opposes the Nazi regime, but when the war ends, that isn’t enough to save them from new troubles brought by Allied troops. Russian soldiers and Polish settlers occupy Seidel, and Brigitte and her foster family are forced to leave.

As refugees they embark on a harrowing life-or-death journey to safety in West Germany. Brigitte is determined to find and restore whatever is left of her biological family. That quest will forever change her understanding of home, peace, and personal identity.

This tale of courage and compassion tells a poignant story about a resilient and resourceful girl coming of age during extremely troubled times. Along the way, she must learn to balance her longing for restoration with an acknowledgment that some wounds never heal.

Anika and Brigitte in Germany to fact-check in 2012.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS
As a German child, Brigitte Yearman survived World War II, Russian military occupation, the refugee experience, and harsh reconstruction years. Her memoir recounts her journey of survival and how she came to learn about the Holocaust and the frightening realities in her country’s recent history.

Later as a young woman, Brigitte met and married an American soldier. They moved to the United States where they raised four daughters. After her husband passed away in 2006, Brigitte moved to Montana to be closer to one of her adult daughters. She still lives in Montana with her partner, Frank, who encouraged her throughout the memoir-writing process.

Anika Hanisch has worked as a freelance writer, ghostwriter, editor, and author coach for over fifteen years. She co-writes both instructional and narrative non-fiction and also coaches fiction authors. Her own writing has appeared in several national and regional magazines including Guideposts and Montana Quarterly.

Brigitte as a child.