During World War II, Lily Gordon, a twenty-year-old welder on Liberty Ships, is in love with the soldier, Jim Harper. Tensions arise when Jim's family disapproves of Lily being Jewish. Despite both their families' objections, Lily and Jim marry. Soon afterwards, Jim leaves with his Army division for Europe. He not only risks his life fighting, his Army division liberates a Nazi death camp, where he gains a true understanding of the horrors of bigotry. During this terrible time of war, Lily gains a new perspective about what to value in life.
My sister and I lit cigarettes, a new habit for us both, and sat in the parlor by the big Philco console radio, readying ourselves to listen to our favorite mystery program, The Shadow. Then Helen lost her smile. She was looking out the front window and I followed her gaze. The Western Union teenager, wearing his telltale policeman's type hat, was riding his red bicycle on our street. We had seen him before. Like then, I couldn't breathe. Death was on this street. We watched him pass us to go to someone else's home and I let out my breath.
"Lily is a courageous, feisty protagonist ... A compelling story, rich in historical detail, keeps the reader turning the pages"--Barbara Ridley, Award Winning Author of When It's Over
"Lily... puts in long hours at her Portland, Oregon shipyard [and] speaks out against injustice and bigotry ... Written in personal and economical prose a page-turner."--Harry Miller, author of Southern Rain
"...during the heyday of WWII not all battles were being fought overseas. America had its own demons to face, and Tiefer does an admirable job of blending them into a narrative that moves along at a fast clip and never resorts to preaching."----Neil Laird, Executive Producer, Discovery Channel
"...Like a bite of my favorite dessert, I waited for the next layer of Lily's life and character to be revealed...a wonderful story... poignant,"--Sidra Quinn, past Associate Editor of Voice Catcher, Author of Writing & Energy Medicine
"...opposition to interfaith marriage, anti-Semitism, or racial discrimination...a fresh and satisfying peek into a slice of history often overlooked..."--Barb Warner Deane, author of On The Homefront and Killing Her Softly.
"[an] unconventional heroine, Lily, a young Jewish welder of ships going off to war. ...this extraordinary novel...captures a period of history we must never forget."--Dawn Thompson, Portland Women Writers
"...Tiefer is an important new talent and the novel, a welcome addition to the female perspective of American life in the fraught days of the Second World War."--Karla Bennett Brunner, MA, English, M.Ed, Poet, Editor and retired English professor
"...Situated in the shadow of the Holocaust, the term "historical novel" belies the disconcerting relevance for our times."--Susan Rostan, author of Digging: Lifting the Memorable from Within the Unthinkable
"...well-researched and terrific... story about a young woman's struggle to balance love for husband, family, and country during WWII with her determination to fight the racial, religious, and gender discrimination...".--Hillary Adrienne Stern, author of The Garment Maker's Daughter
