A jaw-dropping portrayal of life on the home front during WWI, this book surprised me. I had braced myself after reading a few lukewarm reviews. However, I was sucked in by Hazel herself, the amazing atmospheric writing, and an engrossing story of a woman finding herself in a world gone mad. While not perfect, this book still stands as an outstanding example of historical fiction done right.

Hazel herself was a great POV to tell the story through. She started out an idealistic dreamer, facing the world with rose-tinted glasses as she started her teaching career. This was a mirror for the world, pre-WWI, where man could conquer anything and everything was possible.

As the story progresses, Hazel faces tragedy, war, illness, and death. Everything shapes her into a mature woman, equipped to face the trails of life with proficiency. I adored growing with her. Her journey and shaping was the heart of the story, connecting with the reader on a basic level.

If Hazel’s journey is the heart of the book, then its portrayal and tale of German-Americans plight during the war years are the soul. Never have I come across a book that goes this in-depth on the subject. I’ve seen it touched on and used as background before. Yet, this book had something special. The visceral reality of prejudice, violence, and cruelty that became the everyday life of German-Americans comes to vivid life. The author doesn’t scrimp; we get to see the gritty details with no holds barred.

The addition of a healing touch added a nice element to the story at first; in fact, it’s one of the things that attracted me to the book. A little fantasy is always welcome in my historical fiction. Yet, as the story went along, it became more of a burden than a blessing to the story.

I felt like the healing took the story into a different direction than expected; as the second half of the book started, we went in a different direction that didn’t have much to do with healing touch at all. That element of the story was dropped to the wayside and seemed to take precious story time in the beginning that went nowhere.

Despite that one little bump in the road, this book stands as an excellent piece of fiction. Telling an astounding tale of growth and perseverance through adversity, it can’t be paralleled. Even the healing touch aspect added to Hazel’s growth as a person and shaped how she approached the rest of her life decisions. Recommended for its unapologetic look at a dark time in our history and how it shaped the people that experienced it. It’s a tale that will suck you in! ( )

Although Pamela Schoenewaldt has authored several other books, I was not familiar with her writing. This was the story of a young woman whose family had emigrated from Germany, and were living in a German-American community on the eve of WW I.
The story deals with both national and familial issues, some personal tragedy and is timely in terms of contemporaneous issues regarding immigration. I found the characters a bit one dimensional, and there was almost a "fairytale-ish" quality to the story. The story arc maintains the reader's attention, and while I did not dislike the book, but it wasn't really my "cup of tea." ( )

Having read the two previous novels by this author, I wasw happy to have been picked to receive an ARC of her new novel. The author writes of the experiences of immigrants in the US and the first two novels dealt with Italian immigrants and they rang true to me.
This novel focuses on German immigrants during World War I. Hazel Renner is the main character and her relationship with Tom held my interest. However, I had a hard time holding on to the thread of her story, often having to reread passages to remember where I was in the story. ( )

story of World war I in a american with German-american dealing with descrimnation. It is kind of like 2 stories in one.Hazel finds out she has healing powers and she doesnt understand why then they suddenly stop. She finds out her parents are not who she thought. ( )

A century ago, beginning in 1914 and ending in 1918, "The Great War", World War I, forever changed civilization. While the conflict centered in Europe, the dire effects spread around the world. "Under the Same Blue Sky", a novel by Pamela Schoenewaldt, thoughtfully details the trials and tribulations of German-Americans during this difficult time. Hazel Renner dreams of life beyond that of a shopkeeper's daughter in Pittsburgh. However, when WWI breaks out, suspicion looms and friendships are forgotten. Peaceful existence is elusive, and Hazel seeks solace in a small rural community, but a sudden, unexpected gift of healing brings about complications of its own. On a quest to discover her true heritage, Hazel will meet a German baron living a life of exile in America, and through him she will meet a gardener, Tom, who will suffer greatly from his own war experiences. The struggle for power and dominance is as old as the origins of man. One hundred years after the "war to end all wars", the world has seen many more horrific conflicts and further loss of innocence and loss of life--horrible suffering which never really ends. Yet, when the human heart has faith and reaches for hope, miracles can occur. People have a remarkable capacity for survival and reinvention, and life goes on. "Under the Same Blue Sky" touches upon many deeply emotional issues, and readers will not be unaffected. As a reminder to enjoy the sweet moments in life where you find them, the author has included a wonderful recipe for "Gudrun's Stollen"--a rich, sweet bread made with dried fruit and nuts. The warm loaves are brushed with melted butter and then dusted with powdered sugar--truly a treat for the senses and the spirit.

Review Copy Gratis Library Thing ( )