The Promise of the Sunflowers

By Franz Elmer, Diane Gray, Diane Gray

When you hear someone described as a WWII survivor, do you ever suppose that person to be a German? Franz Elmer was born in 1932 to German parents living in Yugoslavia. His early years are full of typical boyish escapades-until his father loses his butcher shop and the Axis invades Yugoslavia in April of 1941. After surviving the bombing and days of shooting, nine-year-old Franz takes on multiple jobs to help support his family, including working on his grandparents' farm, raising silk worms, and collecting leeches for medical treatments. But when the economy worsens yet again, his family moves to Germany-one of the few places where jobs are available-only to find themselves fleeing back to Yugoslavia when the constant Allied bombing threatens their safety. By 1945, however, nowhere is safe if you're German. By the time Franz is twelve years old, he and his family are forced from their home and marched to a Russian work camp. The Promise of the Sunflowers , written by Diane Gray, as told to her by Franz Elmer, is a story of hope and kindness in the midst of suffering and cruelty, reminding us that goodness comes in surprising shapes and sizes.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1511450665
• ISBN13: 9781511450669
• Release Date: May 2015
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 540 Pages
• Weight: 1.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 1.2" x 6.0"