Chronologically speaking, this is the first book in the Erika Frohmann series, although it was published third or fourth (depending if you consider "Stranger on Lesbos" part of the series). This book is set right after Erika is liberated from the concentration camp after the war, and details how she comes to America and what happens to her after she arrives.

I like the character of Erika (at least in the other books I've read that have her in it), and it's interesting to see her early years. But the book has some serious issues.

The first is the fact that every girl Erika comes across is a lesbian. Seriously. Every girl mentioned in this book by name that is Erika's age is a lesbian, as well as "Martha" (who is older).

Second, the ending is creepy. I won't go into details because I don't want to spoil it, but, seriously. Creepy!

Third, there is a lot of abuse between these pages, and I'm not talking about what happened to Erika in the concentration camp.

I do like that Erika doesn't go straight butch from the get-go and that it is a gradual process with some missteps and steps back. ( )