I didn’t enjoy the style of writing which may have been deliberately done as an historical aid but not pleasing to me. I found the characters quite dull and the odd bit of sex seemed to be thrown in rather randomly.

Thank you Vine Leaves Press for allowing me to read and review Ella's War by Rusty Allen on NetGalley.

Published: 05/23/23

Stars: 2.5

Simple writing, middle grade?

As a young girl I read The Nancy Drew Mysteries. I loved them. I knew the characters, they were friends. A few months ago, I reread one -- The Mystery of the Old Clock. The difference several decades makes is mind blowing. Keene's books are not timeless.

Ella's War gave me the same feelings I had reading Nancy Drew recently. It is simple. There is no sophistication. At best I read someone's high school history final exam.

Prior to recommending I would speak with a Librarian for his or her thoughts on historical accuracy and what age is this written for.

The unique historical promises didn't carry the book. While I'm always looking for nursing home read out loud books, family appropriate car books, and transitional teen to adult books, this is not one. I was bored.

Gripping and thought provoking. A beautifully rendered tale of love and courage in the darkest of times.
Many thanks to Vine Leaves Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

No one knows how they will react or process the complexities of war. This novel provides a unique perspective of Ella and son Reece who are at home while Lee, husband and father, is sent off to war.
Ella is a strong character who was able to adapt and change when shown adversity.

Thank you NetGalley, Vine Leaves Press and Rusty Allen for the opportunity to read Ella's War. This is a WWII historical novel from a different perspective. I did not have much knowledge of the sinkings off the east coast or the role of POWs in the US. I found this topic quite interesting
in this well written, multiple perspective novel.
I wanted more character development, especially background of Ella, Lee and Dieter. I also wanted to be more involved in the storyline. I felt I was watching from afar and needed more showing of emotions than telling of events. Most of the characters were stereotypical and I craved more complex and well rounded, unique people. The storyline was a bit predictable.
I enjoyed this story, just needed more depth.

Ella's War is about a [common law] wife and mother who must keep her family farm afloat when her [common law] husband answers his call out to serve as a soldier in World War II. It's told from multiple points of view including that of Ella, Lee, their son Reese...and the German POW who is assigned to work on their farm throughout the duration of his captivity. I have a weird fascination with WWII and the historical fiction genre that are set in the time period, so I was really excited about this story! The plot itself had sooo much potential in my opinion, but unfortunately it was lost in the writing style. The author did really well making sure his characters' dialogue were in keeping with the slang and grammar of the time period, but I'm personally sad to say that so was the rest of the text. It's not a bad thing at all!! It just wasn't for me. It was often hard to keep up with and kind of made me dread sitting down to read, which I was really conflicted with the whole time because I so badly wanted to enjoy this story! I even found myself skimming at some points which made me feel super guilty so then I'd force myself to go back and reread what I skimmed. I also did not care for the ending which felt very anticlimactic to the only portion of the storyline that kept me interested and felt like it was building up the ending to go in a completely different (more satisfying) direction. If you don't mind reading what feels like very old-timey vernacular and it doesn't get lost on you, and your interested in how army families made it by during the war, you'll probably like this book!

***SPOILER ALERT***
Here are some of the more specific things that really annoyed me...

Reese was a bit of a jack ass. I know he's a kid struggling with the emotional impact of his father being away at war and his mother taking on both parental roles while also having a bit of a romance with the enemy, but Idk something about the way his character was written made it really hard for me to sympathize with him. I often found myself wishing I could tell him off lol.

Ella was an alright character, I guess. I wish she wouldn't have ended up marrying her [common law] husband when he came back from the war, but it is what it is. I felt like her connection with the POW and the way he gave her what she needed (emotionally and physically) was the only thing that kept me pushing to get to the end. But I guess it'skind of historically acurate in the way that it depicts how most women in that time were so prone to making themselves smaller. She also had this really weird and suuuper random out of the blue scene in her car where she sexually stimulates herself in the car smack in the middle of a traffic jam lol. It would've made a little more sense if even once before that the author would've mentioned her sexual frustration, because let's face it she's woman with needs and her man has been away at war for a while. But not once did we get even the slightest hint at that before this. It went "from 0 to 100" outta no where and just felt so out of place lol. Idk, maybe the author did hint at it and like I said it could've gone right over my head because the language used was too hard to keep up with for me.

Deiter (the German POW) was my favorite character and I found myself sympathizing with him the most. Even though he was the enemy, he felt the most human and was easily the most relatable. He was basically forced into the fight and was happy to have surrended and became a prisoner of war. He didn't support what he was fighting for, so much so that he sabotaged his own mission to purposefully surrender on American soil and willingly be taken captive. He wanted to become a US citizen and live out the rest of his days with Ella. He liked Reese and he didn't want to return to Germany where he knew his peers would be bitter and still pushing their agenda even after losing the war. I thought he deserved a better ending. Him and Ella should've been together, but again, I get the ending is a little more realistic in terms of reflecting the times.

Ella's War by Rusty Allen is a deeply immersive novel about the largely untold story of the role of American Women in WWII. This is not an era that I usually read fiction from, instead preferring non-fiction, but in this case, I was very glad I chose this book

It's 1943 and Ella's husband has decided to join up, leaving Ella to keep the family farm going. Being on costal Delaware, the towns inhabitants were at risk of attack from German U Boats, who were intercepted and surrendered. This results in POWs and in turn, farm labourers. One such labourer is Dieter and Ella's head begins to be turned, despite whispers in the community and her young son at home

Who will she choose?

Beautifully written and utterly immersive, I devoured this book. Rusty Allen has exception skill of creating emotionally charged atmospheres through nuance and careful description. The premise is intelligent and well thought out as well as being very well researched. A must-read if you enjoy historical fiction and the untold stories of the women who stayed behind

Thank you very much to Netgalley, Vine Leaves Press and the incredible author Rusty Allen for this wonderful ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

I have always found historical fiction about WWII fascinating, including Ella's War. I can always learn some new tidbits about the war. Reading this book encouraged me to find out more about the POW camps on the eastern US coast. This is a historical WWll novel told from a different viewpoint from most. The story follows Ella and her son Reese on their farm on the eastern US coast. Her common-law husband Lee has enlisted in the service, leaving Ella to run the farm. Ella's War is more than just a war story with German U-boats and POW camps, it's also a story of love and loss, survival, and acceptance. This is an excellent novel by Rusty Allen that historical fiction fans should add to their to-read lists. I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Ella's War offers a poignant glimpse into the lives of individuals grappling with the realities of World War II on the American home front. Set against the backdrop of a coastal Delaware town, the story follows Ella as she navigates the challenges of maintaining her farm while her husband enlists in the military. Amidst the backdrop of U-boat attacks and POW labor, Ella's resilience shines through as she grapples with difficult choices and unexpected connections. The author skillfully captures the complexities of wartime dynamics, crafting a narrative that is both captivating and emotionally resonant. As a reader, I found myself drawn into Ella's world, rooting for her as she navigated the tumultuous waters of love, duty, and sacrifice. Ella's War is a compelling tale of courage and resilience that will linger in the reader's mind long after the final page.

Hold onto your hats, readers, because Ella's War is about to take you on an emotional rollercoaster ride through World War II! Set against the backdrop of a coastal Delaware town, this book dives headfirst into the challenges faced by individuals on the home front. From Ella's struggle to save her farm to the arrival of a German POW turned farmhand, get ready for a story packed with drama, romance, and unexpected twists. Ella's resilience and determination leap off the page, making her a character you can't help but root for. So, if you're ready to be swept away by a gripping tale of love, loss, and courage, grab a copy of Ella's War and prepare to be captivated from start to finish! Trust me, folks, this is one book you won't want to put down!

Thank you for allowing me to read Ella's War by Rusty Allen. It was the story of how German POWs aided the agricultural communities in Delaware during WWII.

The main character, Ella, certainly faced war on several counts; her families farm near Lewes Delaware and the personal war which raged inside her on many different levels.

Living very close to this area in Delaware I had no idea that POW camps and a military fortification were located here. I found it odd that the farm owners paid the US government monies to hire POWS as farm labor and equally astonished that, in turn, the US government paid the POWS money for their labors as well.

Also the idea that POWS could use their money to visit the cinema in town and sit where they pleased while the African Americans were relegated to the balcony seems so controversial.

My least favorite character was Lee. He came across as somewhat of a drifter and easily shirked responsibilities to Ella's farm and his family. He certainly was not deserving of Ella and Reese's love.

I thought this book was just beautifully written and I was smitten with the story line.
For more info about the POW camps in Delaware I found this to be a good source: https://archivesfiles.delaware.gov/public-services/WWII_Finding_Aid.pdf

"Ella's War" by Rusty Allen presents a captivating and heartwarming story set against the backdrop of World War II in Lewes, Delaware, a coastal town that faced the real threat of U-boats. The novel reveals an aspect of the war I was previously unaware of: the presence of enemy submarines nearby and the subsequent capture of their crews, who were then held in local camps and used for labor while many of the town's men were fighting overseas. Allen skillfully intertwines various themes, exploring the intricacies of life on the home front, the impact of war on race relations, and the spectrum of human emotions during such a tumultuous time. It's a beautifully crafted narrative that shines a light on the complex realities of wartime America.