Order Now

AMERICAN SHOES

A Refugee's Story

Winner of the 2023 Moonbeam Awards for best young adult nonfiction, American Shoes is a profound mosaic of memories recounting the childhood of American-born Rosemarie “Rosel” Lengsfeld. Trapped with her family inside Germany during the rise of Adolf Hitler and the entirety of World War II, Rosel is offered rescue from the Nazi carnage in 1946. A fifteen-year-old Rosel must make a heart wrenching decision to leave her parents and little sister behind in order to return home to an America she can barely remember.

Order Here
Read an Excerpt

“If I am here to impart one thing about life, about my life, it is that love is greater than hate, that good always trumps evil in the end, and that our lives do have a divine purpose and meaning.”

- Rosemarie Lengsfeld Turke

More Videos

Meet The Authors

Garrett L. Turke
Read Bio
Rosemarie Lengsfeld Turke
Read Bio
“A vividly told, viscerally affecting story of heart wrenching loss, terror, and, ultimately, triumphant victory of good over evil.”
Twesigye Jackson Kaguri
Author of A School for My Village and Victory for My Villager
“A powerful book for understanding life and justice…with important lessons for our current times. American Shoes is a powerful, emotional, sensual, intimately woven story teaching us how wounds morph into wisdom.”
Carla Guggenheim
Physician and Former Professional Dancer
“The reader will vicariously be engrossed in the kaleidoscope of emotions and feelings of Rosel. Garrett Turke’s expose’ and descriptive details will permanently be etched in your mind as you follow the path of Rosel and her family. ”
James M. Wahl
Retired Family Court Specialist/Court Magistrate
“The harrowing tale of one family’s struggle for survival in WWII Germany cinematically told through the eyes of a young girl forced to grow up far too young, American Shoes offers a powerful message about trauma and redemption. In these trying times, Rosel’s story reminds us that we must confront the darkness of our history, or we risk repeating it.”
George Kitson
television writer, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
“I was drawn into the account from the first page by the immediacy of the first person narrative, and inspired throughout by her courage in facing obstacles, her capacity to transcend them and appreciate the blessings in her life.”
Ruth Seagull
Lifelong Friend
“Such a brave story! Rosemarie L. Turke shares her experiences--as a refugee--from the most humiliating to the most hopeful, with relentless honesty, yet without bitterness. American Shoes will encourage and ever so gently challenge you to enlarge your vision and create a healthier future for you and for those around you.”
Gerard Mauzé, Jr.
Educator, Juvenile Justice Trainer
“Heartbreaking yet hopeful, American Shoes is a riveting true story that captured my heart while taking the journey with Rosemarie. All ages will enjoy learning about the power of the human spirit through her story.”
Antriece Hart
Motivational speaker and author of Anointed Visions
“American Shoes is one of the most poignant books on the market. It’s a page-turner that should be read by every age.”
Brit Elders
writer, editor, and CEO at ShirleyMacLaine.com
“The story alone is riveting, but the way it is structured is so tantalizing that you won’t be able to easily put it down until you reach the very end. When you reach the end, you’re going to be thinking that you want to read even more!”
Sara Aoyama
Reviewer (5 out of 5 stars)
Previous slide
Next slide
More Reviews
Moonbeam Children's Book Awards
Booklist Starred Review

Press

Authority Magazine Logo

Social Impact Authors: How & Why Authors Rosemarie Lengsfeld Turke and Garrett L Turke and are Helping to Change Our World

Copyright © 2024 AmericanShoesBook.com | All rights reserved. Website design: RedframeCreative.com