THE LOST LOVES OF WORLD WAR II tell three dramatic stories of the atrocities of Nazi Germany and the horrors of the concentration camps.

The first of the stories, Katia, begins in 2004 with Maddy McAllister, a young college foreign exchange student from America. She's given the opportunity to write the memoires of an elderly German lady, Katia Mahler. Maddy lives with Katia while writing her story. Katia tells Maddy of her family, their saga and what life was like behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War. Maddy doesn't understand why she was selected to write this story, until she discovers there is a connection between herself and Katia. That connection leads to the second story, For Maria.

For Maria picks up six years later in Saginaw, Michigan. Maddy is now married and a journalist. She is writing articles for the newspaper about Katia, her family and how people were separated during the war. She puts forth a question in one of her articles, searching for children lost during the war, and the most amazing things begin to unfold for Maddy's family.

The Train Baby's Mother takes a couple minor characters from the previous two novellas and further enhances the stories of war-torn Germany and the carnage created from it. Captured Jews are herded onto a train bound for the concentration camps, when one young couple decides to toss their baby girl from the train in hopes of saving her life. She is found in the snow by a couple of children and her story is told through flashbacks with characters in 1965 New York City. Hadassah Jensen is dying of cancer, and her family is struggling to understand why God would allow this to happen after Hadassah survived Ravensbruck during the war.

THE LOST LOVES OF WORLD WAR II is a magnificent compilation of masterfully written stories that enlighten us on the struggle to survive in Germany when life is ravaged by war. It tells of the far-reaching ramifications for families being separated and gives a new perspective on life. Bruce Judisch uses personification in his first two stories to bring a little levity to some very sad situations. He also incorporates a couple of endearing love stories into the mix. Sharon Bernash Smith writes the final story in this novel and makes your heart ache for the characters and their circumstances. This is an inspirational story of how God's hand works in our lives, even when we can't see it. Grab a box of Kleenex for these heartwarming, yet gut-wrenching tales!