The Great War cover

The Great War

by Norma Jean Lutz

America has entered the Great War, and life is changing. Carl struggles to raise a Victory Garden in their backyard, while Edie tries to fix meatless meals and bake breads using less flour. Other changes are scary. Students are required to burn German books at school, and Carl and Edie are persecuted because their last name, Schmidt, is German. German-Americans are being beaten and thrown into prison, and even Papa has a brush with the law. Then Carl is given a chance to support the war effort by spending the summer working at a farm, his first time living away from home. Will he be able to earn the respect of the people he meets there? And when a murderous mob sets out to attack a peaceful Mennonite community, will he be able to warn them in time?

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?