For Abe Dubinski and his family, life on the canal is both peaceful and productive. Employed as a lock tender, Abe is responsible for the safe passage of barges carrying anthracite from Pennsylvania to New York. When the canal company announces its plan to close the canal in 1933, Abe worries about his job and his company home. Still, in his heart, he knows that his family will be okay. But the peace is shattered when a Nazi youth camp opens on the banks of the canal. Under the direction of their Nazi leaders, more than one hundred teenage boys in brown shirts erect tents in the fields that abut Abe’s home. Threats of violence put his wife and children in imminent danger. Abe Dubinski must take action to protect his family, even if that action threatens his very soul.
Ninety years later, Charlie Levenson moves into the former lock tender’s house, intent on living out his remaining years quietly after the death of his wife, Zoya Aziz. A series of threatening encounters with strangers compels Charlie to examine the circumstances of his wife’s death. If he’s right, his granddaughter may also be in danger. Charlie must put his dream of a quiet life on hold. No matter the cost, Charlie has a responsibility to stand up to hate.
What would you do to protect your family when the Nazis come to town?
"Markowitz’s parallel narratives touch upon several fascinating ideas, including the reach of Nazism—even in rural America—during WWII, the lasting impacts of the January 6 insurrection on today’s world, and the similarities between two time periods each burdened with an oppressive sense of dread. The inclusion of Zoya’s ghostly figure and her own story of coming to America from Iran provides another layer of texture and perspective while also endearing the grieving Charlie to readers." Kirkus Reviews
