The Last Green Valley: A Novel

In late March 1944, as Soviet forces advance into Ukraine, Emil and Adeline Martel face an impossible choice: remain and risk deportation to Siberia, or flee westward with Nazi officers who have promised to protect ethnic Germans. The Martels are part of a community of German-heritage families whose ancestors have farmed in Ukraine for over a century. Having already endured Stalin's regime, Emil and Adeline decide to leave their homeland in retreat, traveling with forces they despise in hopes of escaping the Soviets and reaching the West. Caught between two opposing armies and confronting severe hardships, the Martels pursue their goal of immigrating to freedom. Their story traces a family's survival, resilience, and determination to realize their dreams amid the brutal final days of World War II.