Daisies Are Forever

Written by Liz Tolsma

Narrated by Carol Jacobanis

In the final days of Nazi Germany, the strength of one woman’s heart will determine the fate of a family.

Prussia, 1945

The fall of the Third Reich is imminent. As the merciless Red Army advances from the East, the German people of Prussia await the worst.

Among them is twenty-year-old Gisela Cramer, an American living in Heiligenbeil with her cousin Ella and their ailing grandfather. When word arrives that the Russians will invade overnight, Ella urges Gisela to escape to Berlin—and take Ella’s two small daughters with her.

The journey is miserable and relentless. But when Gisela hears the British accent of a phony SS officer, she poses as his wife to keep him safe among the indignant German refugees. In the blink of an eye, Mitch Edwards and Gisela are Herr and Frau Josep Cramer.

Through their tragic and difficult journey, the fabricated couple strives to protect Ella’s daughters, hoping against hope for a reunion. But even as Gisela and Mitch develop feelings beyond the make–believe, the reality of war terrorizes their makeshift family.

With the world at its darkest, and the lives of two children at stake, the counterfeit couple finds in each other a source of faith, hope, and the love they need to survive.

“Tolsma isn't afraid to detail the horrors of war as she depicts how tragedies can be obstacles to one's Christian beliefs.” —Romantic Times, 4-star review

“[Daisies Are Forever] is a compelling and fast-paced tale about the atrocities and tremendous losses endured by those marked forever by World War II. Recommended for fans of ­Rosamunde and Robin Pilcher, Kate Morton, and historical romances.” —Library Journal

“Excellent storytelling, accurate historical reporting and gritty, persevering characters make this WWII-era novel a must-read.” —CBA Retailers + Resources

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: Aug 8, 2023
• ISBN: 9781401607203

Liz Tolsma

Bestselling author Liz Tolsma loves to write so much it’s often hard to tear her away from her computer. When she closes her laptop’s lid, she might walk her hyperactive Jack Russell terrier, weed her large perennial garden or binge on HGTV shows. She’s married to her high school sweetheart, and together they adopted three children. She’s proud to be the mom of a US marine.

Reviews for Daisies Are Forever

[kbranfield-837433 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Daisies Are Forever by Liz Tolsma is a fascinating, action packed novel set in Germany in the days leading up to the Russian army's invasion during the waning days of World War II. This faith-based romance is a richly detailed and historically accurate account based on true stories of two women's real life experiences.

Daisies Are Forever begins as Gisela Cramer flees Prussia with her cousin's two young daughters and three elderly neighbors. Their trek is filled with danger as they battle sub-zero temperatures, a shortage of food and the relentless attacks from the Russian Army. At one of their stops, Gisela impulsively steps in to protect Mitch Edwards, an escaped POW, and he joins the ragtag travelers as her pretend husband. Tragedy strikes just as they are about to embark on the next leg of their journey, and just as Gisela is about to be separated from the charges in her care, assistance arrives from Kurt Abt, a wounded German soldier. Danger and uncertainty continue plague them as they soldier onward in their journey to safety.

The cast of characters in Daisies Are Forever is eclectic but well-developed. Gisela is young, but growing up in war-torn Germany forced her to mature quickly. She has seen more than her fair of tragedy and loss and she shoulders the burden of guilt and blame for what she considers poor decisions. Gisela takes her responsibilities very seriously and she sometimes makes risky choices in an effort to fulfill her promises.

Mitch also carries a burden of guilt for the events that led to his capture and that of his comrades by German soldiers very early in the war. He also feels the weight of disappointment for not living up to his father's expectations. Mitch is grateful for Gisela's aid, but he is quickly torn between his desire to stay with Gisela and his duty to return to his fellow soldiers.

Kurt quickly becomes an external source of conflict for Gisela and Mitch as he tries to separate them for his own selfish reasons. He is frustrated by Gisela's refusal to give in to his attempts to manipulate her. He is extremely suspicious of Mitch and refuses to believe that Gisela is Mitch's wife. Kurt is an unlikable character and this casts doubts on many of his actions.

Elderly sisters Bettina and Katya bring a bit of levity to the story. Both are senile and most of the time, they are quite unaware of their perilous circumstances. They view the journey as a pleasure trip and they do not see the wartime destruction surrounding them. Instead, they think they have traveled to exotic and romantic locations from their past. They are sweet elderly ladies and most of the time, the rest of the group is grateful the sisters do not fully understand what is happening around them.

The romance between Mitch and Gisela is understated given the gravity of their situation. They grow close as they fight to protect everyone in their care. They also become close confidantes, sharing intimate details of events from their past that continue to haunt them. Both begin to lose their faith in God as events continue to spiral out of their control but just as they are at their lowest point, they are reminded of God's benevolence.

Daisies Are Forever is another extensively researched and well-written novel. This heartbreakingly honest story is a raw and gritty depiction of the harsh living conditions and the serious dangers of wartime life. Liz Tolsma adroitly conveys the characters' sense of urgency, their fears and their desperation as they try to escape the ravages of war. Realistic and insightful, I recommended this novel to fans of faith-based historical fiction.

[pleasanthome-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Nice fictional account based on real world experiences in WWII

[violet_nesdoly · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The approaching Russian army forces people to flee from Heiligenbeil East Prussia in February 1945. Hurriedly packing belongings in a cart and hitching it to her bicycle, Gisela Cramer takes her three- and five-year-old nieces and joins Herr Holtzman and his elderly and senile spinster sisters on the wintery roads out of town in Liz Tolsma's novel Daisies Are Forever, set in Germany at the end of World War II.

Two escaped allied POWS (Xavier and Mitch) cross the path of the refugees on one of their first nights at a roadside farmhouse. In an impulsive move to protect the soldiers (dressed as they are in German uniforms and in danger of being found out as allied escapees or German deserters) Gisela calls them both by German names dubbing the British Mitch, Josep Cramer and claiming he's her husband.

Their party eventually reaches the main road where they manage to catch a ride on a military truck headed for Danzig. On that leg of the trip they meet Audra, another girl from their village and a wounded German soldier Kurt. He is instantly attracted to Gisela and decides that someday she will be his.

A nightmarish train trip from Danzig eventually brings them to Berlin where the horrors continue. Gisela and her band of refugees make their way through the bombed out streets and see deserter German soldiers hanging from lamp posts on Unter den Linden boulevard. But, wonder of wonders, they find her mother still alive. The ruse of Gisela and Mitch's marriage is soon uncovered, however, which makes Kurt all the more determined to possess Gisela.

Throughout the tale Gisela grapples with guilt over deserting her loved ones in an earlier encounter with Russians soldiers. Mitch keeps hearing the voice of his father whose expectations he has never met. Kurt is haunted by the loss of his arm and the fact that he'll never be able to play the piano again. Gisela and Mitch find strength to live through their personal challenges and the nightmare of war through their faith in God.

The story takes us to April of 1945 and the arrival of British troops in Berlin

This bleak book forced me to look at the horrors of war full in the face and at the same time, admire the courage of the people who live through it. Tolsma's vivid writing helps us see the devastation of the war-touched landscapes, feel the panic of bombs going off all around, live the claustrophobia of crowded trains, bomb shelters, and bunkers, and experience the boredom and hopelessness of war--will this never end?

Four stars because the romantic plot thread felt repetitive with the same relationship tensions and interactions between Kurt, Gisela, Josep (Mitch), and Audra occurring again and again. I also found the setting very heavy with little let-up in the everlasting bombing, rubble and despair, so that by the end, I was almost numb to it all.

I received Daisies Are Forever as a gift from the publisher, Thomas Nelson, for the purpose of writing a review.

[wrbinpa · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow! Another powerful read by Liz Tolsma - I couldn’t put this one down. The characters are vibrantly drawn and brought to life in this achingly sad novel – a story of bravery and survival. This is a totally different perspective of WWII and one that I’m not familiar. I’ve read much about the Holocaust and what the Nazis did to the Jewish people. But this is a story of German refugees, set on German soil, near the end of the war. It portrays how the German people also suffered under Hitler’s wicked leadership. It looked like the war was lost. How many more innocent civilians would Hitler sacrifice to his pride? The Russians were pouring in from the south and the Germans were not able to hold off the Soviets. It was becoming a dangerous area and many were fleeing before the Red Army arrived. Gisela Cramer leaves East Prussia with her two young nieces, and three elderly neighbors, with a daisy tucked in her bible, to a safer place. Gisela needed to get to Berlin, and take care of her mutti, and from there they would travel to Munich. There was no guarantee they would survive and see liberation, and the courage it took to survive this dark period in history was just amazing. And the story unfolds as they make this horrific journey in the middle of winter, into the frozen countryside, from Heiligenbeil to Berlin, Germany, trying to stay ahead of the Soviets. Daisies Are Forever is an intense story written in vivid detail – a captivating and emotional read about a devastating time in our history. You don’t want to miss this one. My rating is 5 stars. I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions shared are my own.

[coverloverbookreview · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I’ll start out my review by saying - this is the best book I’ve read in quite some time. I’m not overly familiar with stories with a WWII setting, but after reading…no, experiencing this story—I’ll eagerly seek them out.Liz Tolsma is a superb writer with a strong ability to set a scene with such clarity that I could hear, smell, taste, touch, feel and see the battle-raged cities and battered victims of WWII. I felt a sense of community with Gisela and her family and friends. I sympathized with each character’s plight, their yearnings and fears. I reached the limits of my emotions—crying, laughing, aching and sighing—within the pages of this book.Daisies Are Forever, inspired by true events, is much more than a romance. It deals with history, emotion, loyalty, family dynamics, realities of war, violence, loss, pain, fear, forgiveness, spirituality and redemption.Simply said, I couldn’t put this book down. I didn’t want the story to end. I didn’t want to say goodbye to these characters, for they are now my friends. Cover: Love itTitle: Love itPublisher: Thomas NelsonPages: 342Pace: SteadyFirst Lines: Bright red and orange explosions lit the dark, deep-winter evening. Gisela Cramer hugged herself to ward off the bitter chill. Her warm breath frosted the windowpane and with her fingernail she shaved a peephole.Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a Review Copy from BookLook. I was not required to write a positive review. The options I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

[vintagebeckie · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I loved Liz Tolsma’s novel, Snow on The Tulips. It was a beautifully written novel depicting the heroics of real and relatable characters during the final days of WWII in the Netherlands. Daisies Are Forever is a look at WWII with a twist — from the point of view of the Germans as they are facing a certain defeat. Based upon true events, this novel is an interesting look at the trials of a defeated people.Gisela Cramer is an American living in Germany during WWII. Her parents returned their family to Germany hoping that the economic upswing would benefit their family. Unfortunately, they have been swept up in the war. Mitch Edwards is an escaped POW who has spent five years of the war regretting his actions that placed him and his mates in a German stalag. The two meet up during the desperate escape from the Soviet invasion. Along with Gisela’s two nieces, two elderly women and others they meet along the way, the two travel to Berlin desperate to overcome their past mistakes and rescue those they love.The look at the German side that Daisies Are Forever presents is definitely a plus in this novel. The author takes experiences from two women, one being her aunt, and crafts a unique perspective on WWII. This look into an unknown piece of history was very interesting. The reader gains new insight into what the people of Germany faced as they endured the daily bombings by English and American Air Forces, the atrocities of the Soviets and the betrayal of their own government. I felt, however, that this strong story line was often sidelined for the romance thread, which I found weak. There is a tug of war for Gisela’s heart that went on too long for this reader. And after all was said and done, one of the major characters just disappears from the action with no explanation. Both Gisela and Mitch struggle with guilt in their roles in the loss of friends and loved ones to the crush of war. By the end of the book, they both acknowledge that they have little power to save others and need to place that firmly in God’s hands.I think Daisies Are Forever will appeal to most fans of historical romance novels. And while I didn’t like it as much as Tulips in The Snow, I look forward to more books by Liz Tolsma.(Thanks to Thomas Nelson and LitFuse for a review copy. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

[joyanne-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you enjoy reading about WWII this book is a must read. Tolsma describes the setting and the characters perfectly and her writing style puts you right in the midst of what's going on. "Daisies are Forever" is suspenseful, gripping, story about refugees fleeing from the war. The author's description of the events, the refugees, and their situations shows she did her research well. Gisela must get to Berlin where she believes is a safe place for her family. Little does she know what she is about to encounter is mortifying. This is one that will stick with you for a while. Definitely a 5 star read! I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.