title: The Plum Tree
author:  Ellen Marie Wiseman 
description: In the calm before the storm, Christine Blz soaks in an idyllic morning in her small German town, basking in her new relationship with Isaac Bauerman, son of the wealthy Jewish family in whose house she works as a domestic servant. The glow of their new love is quickly tested as Hitlers armies begin to move, and restrictions are placed on interactions between Jews and non-Jews. Spanning the pre- to postwar years, the novel follows Christine and her family as they endure the hardships of war. Persevering through threats from the Gestapo and the horrors of Dachau, Christine keeps her hopes for a future with Isaac alive. Although the major story line is supposed to be the love story between Christine and Isaac, their relationship develops too quickly, and the level of commitment they have for one another seems out of sync. Considerable time and attention are devoted to quotidian activities of country life and to describing setting and scenery. Readers who like slower-paced sentimental novels set during WWII will enjoy this novel. --Eve Gaus
zlib_text: **Outstanding praise for Ellen Marie Wiseman!**
  
   _ **WHAT SHE LEFT BEHIND**_
  
  “A real page-turner.”
  
   _—Historical Novel Society_
  
  “The author has again delved into the lives of teenage girls, albeit in
  different circumstances than her first work, yet with the same insight,
  nuance, and raw emotion readers can appreciate and enjoy.”
  
   _—New York Journal of Books_
  
    
  
    
  
  _**THE PLUM TREE**_
  
    
  
  “Wiseman eschews the genre’s usual military conflicts in favor of the slow,
  inexorable pressure of daily life during wartime, lending an intimate and
  compelling poignancy to this intriguing debut.”
  
   _—Publishers Weekly_
  
    
  
  “ _The Plum Tree_ is a touching story of heroism and loss, a testament to the
  strength of the human spirit and power of love to transcend the most
  unthinkable circumstances. Deft storytelling and rich characters make this a
  highly memorable read and worthy addition to the narratives of the Holocaust
  and Second World War.”
  
  —Pam Jenoff, author of _The Ambassador’s Daughter