Title: Rowan Farm
Author: Margot Benary-Isbert
Series: The Ark series, book 2
Major Themes: Germany, World War II, Family, Farm Life, Refugees, Horses
Synopsis: As Germany continues to recover from World War II, the Lechow family work to rebuild their lives and help all they can around them.
Sometime over three decades ago, one of my sisters brought a book home from the library which we all enjoyed, so I started searching for other books by the same author, Margot Benary-Isbert, through the InterLibrary Loan system in the United States. We found several, and loved them all, but I hadn’t seen them again after that. A few years ago, I remembered these wonderful books, and although I couldn’t remember the storylines, I knew they were worth reading and wished I could get them to read to my family. Lo and behold, nearly a year ago, I saw a sale that Purple House Press was putting on, and two books by this author were included! Because I knew I would be able to get them, since we had tickets to visit the States later in the year, I bought those books and had them held by a relative. We read one of the two right after returning home, and have just finished its sequel, Rowan Farm. What a treat!
Publisher’s description:
January 1948 began a wonderful year for the Lechows. With Father newly returned to Western Germany from a Russian prison camp, they were together again and could enjoy a measure of security and happiness in The Ark, their railroad car home on Rowan Farm.
It was a year that held for sixteen-year-old Margret, in particular, both joy and sorrow. She found real satisfaction in entering Mrs. Almut’s Great Danes in two important shows and in raising several young animals which were her very own. She felt a vague unhappiness, however, when Mrs. Almut’s son, Bernd, as well as her own brother Matthias, succumbed to the charms of an attractive, but superficial girl from Frankfurt. But Margret had little time to brood. There was the abused Shetland pony whose life she was determined to save. There was also the problem of Andrea, her younger sister, whose flair for the dramatic landed her in serious difficulties at school. And Joey and Ull, the enterprising eight-year-olds, kept Margret in a constant state of uncertainty with their magnificent ventures. The year brought Margaret new friends as well—among them the resourceful young schoolmaster with his plan for rebuilding a bombed-out farm, and the American woman, working in Germany with the Friends’ Service Committee.
As in The Ark, her previous book about the Lechow family, Mrs. Benary mirrors the slow changes of the season, come war or peace, the burgeoning of life in the spring, and with it a renewal of hope. Once again, she creates real people whose joys and disappointments are universally understood, and above all, she leaves her readers a sense of courage and faith all too rare in books today.
My thoughts:
We loved Rowan Farm just as much as the first book in the series, The Ark. The Lechow family became very real to us, and we were rooting for them, hoping that all would go well and they would accomplish their goals. We loved the antics of Joey and Ull, and groaned when we could see what was coming long before they could see it. There were many times when we had to stop reading—but everyone was on tenterhooks, waiting to see how a tense situation would turn out. All the way through, we loved seeing the way each member of the family interacted with each other, and with the people around them.
This book does an excellent job of showing what life was like in Germany as the people tried to rebuild their lives. The local people were trying to rebuild what they had left, and refugees came into the area, needing help—there was bound to be a lot of tension. The Lechow family found themselves in the middle of that. There was humor; some situations turned out pretty funny (like the time the two boys thought they were going to be butchered), while others were very sad. Throughout the book, Margret’s animals helped maintain continuity and interest—her pony was pretty special!
I highly recommend Rowan Farm for a family read-aloud (after The Ark). These books are wonderful family stories. I hope Purple House Press reprints more by this author. Oh, one more thing? This printing is a wonderful hardcover that really feels luxurious when I hold it—a real treat!
WARNING: Chapter 2: Gosh, darn, neglected and abused animal. Chapter 4: “If the human animal weren’t so tough it would have become extinct long ago, like the dinosaurs.” Chapter 7: Gee. Chapter 11: A heck of an.… Chapter 12: Ye gods and little fishes. Chapter 14: That darned letter. Chapter 17: Mention of someone threatening suicide. Chapter 18: Someone committed suicide. Chapter 20: Brief kiss, mention of person who committed suicide, “let them dwell here with you as friendly household spirits.”
Age levels:
Listening Level—Ages 5 – 8, 8 – 12, 10 – 12, 12 – 15, Family Friendly
Reading Independently—Ages 12 – 15, 15 and Above
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Kindle | Hardcover | Audible Audiobook (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
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