Anna Schmidt

Journalists Suzanne Randolph follows a story to Oswego, New York, where she encounters Theo Bridgewater, a pacifist Quaker seeking to reunite with his refugee family.

Safe Haven

Catalina Petre

This is the third book in the Peacemakers series and I hope not the last. I received a copy of "Safe Haven" and the first two books. I really enjoyed the first two books and I was sure this book will not disappoint as Anna Schmidt is a talented writer able to create stories that draw you in and keep you captivated.

"Safe Haven" is set during WWI, in USA. President Roosevelt has agreed to allow 1000 refugees to come to the United States as ‘guestes’ and settle at Fort Ontario Emergency Refugee Center in Oswego, New York.

The main characters in the story are Suzanne Randolph and Theo Bridgewater. Suzanne has lost trust in men after being hurt and used by a congressman, but she is a determined journalist, searching for that one big story which will redeem her name and career. In the beginning she sees the refugee camp and the stories of the people there are her one change to revive her career. Suzanne heads to Oswego, hoping to make her mark. Theo is a farmer from Wisconsin, who lives with his family and works on the family farm, with German origins. Theo and his family are Quakers, pacifists, who believe the war is not the answer to any problem. Theo's aunt Ilse, uncle Frantz, and cousin Lisle travel to the refugee camp. Theo's parents ask him to travel to New York to find them and bring them to Wisconsin. However, the U.S. State Department expects the refugees to return to Germany when the war ends, as they are ‘guests’ of the president for the duration of the war.

Suzanne and Theo meet in Oswego as they are both boarding a room in the same house. Initially, Suzanne perceives Theo as only one of the sources for her article that can provide her with more information about the refugees. The two begin to spend much more time together and they get to know each other more closely. Throughout the book their relation develops, but it is also constantly tested.

I have enjoyed reading this book, and I found the characters well build and likeable. "Safe Haven" is a well written, interesting book which held my interest from beginning to end. I wish there would be a fourth book as I still have questions about what happened to some characters and what will happen to the ones I have already read about.
I have received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads

Safe Haven

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