Ursula H. Meier

Journey to Freedom: a Story of Tragedy, Courage and Love Ursula H. Meier

Journey to Freedom won the Eudora Welty Memorial Award in the National League of American Pen Women's nationwide fiction writing contest. Set in war-torn Europe of 1944, Journey to Freedom takes the reader inside the world of a young woman who becomes the victim of Hitler's Racial Laws. Juliet Nestor, daughter of an "Aryan" father and a Jewish mother, is classified a "Mischling" and no longer considered a German citizen. Deportation to a Labor Camp looms over her. Her search for a refuge takes her to rural Eastern Prussia and Poland. On her adventurous journey she falls in love with a young German officer. A bittersweet love story ensues. Two strong Polish women, Vera and Olga, along with Paulie, a vulnerable little boy, befriend Juliet and help her to overcome the tragic events she ultimately has to face. The turbulent last months of WWII take Juliet back to Germany. In a small Bavarian town she experiences the final days of Germany's brutal regime. Peace signifies a new and exciting beginning, but for Juliet Nestor there are still hurdles to overcome and deep emotional wounds to heal. Surprises unfold that will mesmerize the reader.