A Gripping Historical Fiction of German American Internment https://ift.tt/ns8ReBg
In the annals of American history lies a little-known executive order known as Executive Order 9066, issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942. The executive order established internment camps in the United States. Many historians and students of history, including Christopher Tremoglie in Washington Examiner, position this act as an example of “government racism.” However, most Americans are unaware that Executive Order 9066 not only targeted people of Japanese descent; it also resulted in the internment of thousands of people of German and Italian descent. Those individuals targeted by Executive Order 9066 were designated “enemy aliens,” and their livelihoods and everyday existences were completely destroyed. In Nancy Jensen’s latest novel In Our Midst, one German family’s experiences — including their internment in such a camp — in the United States during World War II’s latter years unfold and reveal this little-known exploit for a new generation of readers.
In Our Midst follows the experience of the Austs, a close-knit family who live joyously and successfully in the small town of Newman. The Austs own and operate a German restaurant after their attempts at farming all but failed. The Aust family is proudly German, and Nina and Otto — both German immigrants from Koblenz — pride themselves on the fact that their sons Kurt and Gerhard speak both German and English and keep Germany close to their hearts. However, on Saint Nikolas Day, the Austs notice a considerable, and distinctly negative, change in how their once kind neighbors and customers treat them. Soon, Nina Aust finds herself seized by the FBI, her family’s restaurant ransacked, and her husband and sons imprisoned in an internment camp. FBI investigations and cruel camp guards, as well as their neighbors, continually test the Austs’ American loyalty, and the family members find their bonds, their love for one another, and their community threatened by American suspicion, racism, hatred, fear, and suspicion.
When this period in American history is discussed, historians often focus on the American government’s internment of individuals and families of Japanese descent, leaving untold the stories of families with German or Italian heritage. The German American Internee Coalition explains that the American government justified the internments because the government “had to do its utmost to ensure domestic security against dangerous elements in its midst.” Thus, German American families like the fictional Aust family experienced extreme psychological, emotional, and even physical distress from which many of them were unable to recover. As the Coalition points out, “too many were assumed guilty and never able to prove their innocence,” and that a “comprehensive federal review of the European American experience has never been done.” Thus, Jensen’s novel becomes an even more important contribution to not only the historical fiction canon but also the American literary one because of its specific focus and the lack of acknowledgement on the American government’s part regarding the events that inspired the book.
In Our Midst arrives as a historical lesson and warning about the power of propaganda, the depths of unchecked hate, and the potency of suspicion. The lesson and warning are especially powerful in the aftermath of the 2024 United States elections, which resulted in Donald Trump’s reelection to the US presidency. Psychological propaganda proved a disturbingly inimitable force for Trump’s campaign, and his alarmingly anti-immigrant and racist rhetoric unfortunately resonated with a large swath of voters. In Our Midst explores the World War II era tactics employed by the United States government in order to flush out those disloyal to American interests and American ideals. One particularly striking scene in the novel is when Nina observes a series of “dignified little banners” hung “for a husband, a son, a brother gone to war.” Nina wonders where the banners are for women like her — “As a wife. As a mother” — who, too, have paid a high cost in the war due to imprisonment, as well as social, domestic, and financial ruin. Thus, the novel unmasks the ugly side of American patriotism and the propaganda historically developed to instill it.
What also makes In Our Midst a distinctive, necessary novel is Nina Aust, the powerful, strong, determined wife and mother who unselfishly sacrifices her own well-being in order to preserve her marriage and her family. The novel is truly Nina’s story, and the depiction of a German immigrant’s female experience, too, distinguishes In Our Midst from other works of World War II-era historical fiction. Nina endures not only racism, but also sexism, as she takes charge of her family’s business affairs and eventually makes the decision to join her husband and sons in the internment camp. Young men in her community call her disparaging names and reduce her worth to only what she can offer men sexually. Nina’s remarkable sense of self-preservation comes from her ability to logically and confidently assert herself into the various roles her new, seemingly impossible, circumstances demand. She observes the paranoia of her time and community critically, yet objectively:
How long did it take, Nina wondered, for a person to stop hoping for nonsense to be turned into sense? How long before one stopped asking for explanations and simply responded like a radio to its dial?
Her actions and individuality — fueled by love, devotion, and truth — in adversity’s face fortify her personal strength and make her a gritty, yet inspirational, character.
In Our Midst uncovers World War II’s collective and individual domestic struggles. More significantly, it enters the literary scene at a critical time, and its immediacy — despite its historical setting — is undeniable. With a powerful heroine and a unique storyline inspired by one of American history’s cruelest points, In Our Midst is unforgettable and heartbreaking. Nonetheless, it is also inspiring, reminding readers that in the midst of what seems to be the darkest moment, even the smallest ounce of love and fortitude create the brightest guiding stars.
FICTION In Our Midst
By Nancy Jensen
Dzanc Books
Published April 28, 2020
Paperback January 14, 2025
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