Memory's Thief Awakens

In 2010 Los Angeles, Elise Dove, now elderly and diagnosed with Alzheimer's, feels her memories slipping away, personified as a thief named Agnes. As she senses her past vanishing, Elise becomes obsessed with finding Mariko, her childhood friend from a WWII internment camp. The urgency to reconnect before her memories are lost propels her to use modern technology, leading her to Mariko's daughter in San Francisco. Elise's journey is not just about reunion, but about reclaiming the most formative friendship of her life before it is erased forever. The emotional weight of impending loss and the hope of reconnection set the stage for a story about memory, identity, and the enduring power of friendship.

Five Regrets, One Fate

Elise recalls her father's five regrets—small decisions that, in the climate of wartime suspicion, led to his arrest and the family's internment. These include keeping war medals, owning a copy of Mein Kampf, careless words about chemistry, and delayed citizenship. Each regret becomes a domino, toppling the family's American dream and sending them into exile. Elise's reflection on these moments reveals how the course of a life can hinge on seemingly minor actions, and how the consequences of fear and misunderstanding can ripple through generations. The chapter is heavy with the ache of "what if," and the realization that identity is shaped as much by circumstance as by choice.

Arrested in Davenport

In 1943 Iowa, Elise's ordinary life is shattered when the FBI arrests her father as an "enemy alien." The event is sudden and traumatic, witnessed by neighbors and leaving the family stigmatized and isolated. Elise's mother is left desperate and bewildered, while Elise herself is thrust into a world where her father's innocence is irrelevant in the face of national fear. The arrest marks the beginning of a long journey through loss, shame, and the struggle to maintain dignity in the face of public condemnation. The emotional impact is immediate and lasting, as Elise's sense of safety and belonging is ripped away.

American Dream, Shattered

Elise's parents, German immigrants, had embraced American life, striving to assimilate and build a future for their children. But the war exposes the fragility of their acceptance, as suspicion and xenophobia override years of honest living. Elise reflects on her family's journey from hopeful newcomers to outcasts, and the pain of being judged not for who they are, but for where they came from. The chapter explores the duality of identity—how one can be both American and "other"—and the heartbreak of realizing that belonging can be revoked in an instant. The emotional tone is one of betrayal and longing for a home that no longer exists.

Pariah Among Friends

After her father's arrest, Elise becomes a pariah at school and in her community. Friends abandon her, and even her best friend, Collette, is forced to sever ties. The cruelty of children and the silence of adults compound Elise's loneliness. At home, poverty and uncertainty deepen as her mother struggles to provide. Elise's world contracts, and she learns to hide her pain to protect her fragile mother. The chapter is suffused with the ache of lost innocence and the resilience required to endure social exile. Elise's internal strength begins to emerge, forged in the crucible of rejection.

Forced to Leave Home

Unable to pay rent, Elise's family is forced to leave their home and move to a dilapidated cottage on the edge of town. The move is both a physical and emotional displacement, stripping away the last vestiges of normalcy. Elise tries to find hope by tending the neglected garden, clinging to the idea that beauty can grow even in barren soil. The family's eventual decision to join her father in the Crystal City internment camp is both a surrender and a reunion, trading freedom for togetherness. The emotional tone is bittersweet, as the pain of loss is tempered by the promise of being whole again.

Reunion in Crystal City

The Sontags arrive at Crystal City, Texas, where the heat and barbed wire are constant reminders of their captivity. Yet, the reunion with Elise's father brings relief and a sense of wholeness. The camp is a strange blend of normalcy and deprivation, with schools, markets, and community events existing alongside guards and fences. Elise's initial despair gives way to adaptation, as she learns to navigate this new world. The emotional arc moves from fear and disorientation to cautious hope, as the family finds ways to create meaning and connection even in exile.

Heat, Barbed Wire, Friendship

Amid the monotony and hardship of camp life, Elise meets Mariko, a Japanese American girl whose warmth and imagination offer a lifeline. Their friendship transcends the divisions between German and Japanese internees, and together they dream of futures beyond the camp. Mariko's unfinished story about a warrior princess becomes a shared project, symbolizing their resilience and hope. The chapter is alive with the joy of connection, the comfort of shared secrets, and the bittersweet knowledge that their time together is limited. The emotional core is the healing power of friendship in the darkest of times.

Finding Home in Exile

As Elise and Mariko's friendship deepens, both girls grapple with what it means to belong. The camp, though a place of confinement, becomes a kind of home through the bonds they form. Elise learns that home is not a place, but the people who love you. The girls support each other through cultural differences, family tensions, and the ever-present threat of repatriation. The emotional tone is one of acceptance and growth, as Elise begins to see herself not just as a victim, but as someone capable of shaping her own story.

Mariko: A Kindred Spirit

Elise and Mariko's friendship flourishes, grounded in shared dreams of freedom and a future in New York. They confide in each other about their families, fears, and hopes. But the threat of repatriation hangs over them, as both girls realize their families may be sent to enemy countries. The promise to meet again in America becomes a lifeline, even as circumstances conspire to pull them apart. The emotional arc is one of deepening attachment and the pain of impending loss, as the girls cling to each other in the face of uncertainty.

Two Families, Two Fates

The camp's internal politics and the pressures of war force families to make impossible choices. Elise's family is selected for repatriation to Germany, while Mariko's faces a similar fate in Japan. The girls' friendship is tested by cultural expectations, parental authority, and the machinery of war. Their final days together are marked by promises, tears, and the exchange of Mariko's unfinished notebook. The emotional tone is one of heartbreak and courage, as both girls vow to find each other again, even as they are swept away by forces beyond their control.

Promises and Partings

The day of departure arrives, and Elise is denied a final farewell with Mariko. The pain of parting is acute, compounded by the knowledge that their promise to reunite may never be fulfilled. Elise clings to Mariko's notebook as a tangible link to her lost friend. The journey to Germany is fraught with fear, deprivation, and the trauma of witnessing war's devastation firsthand. The emotional core is the enduring power of love and memory, even as the world conspires to erase them.

Power, Division, and Survival

In postwar Germany, Elise's family faces hunger, danger, and the loss of home. The destruction of Pforzheim and Stuttgart is overwhelming, and the family is forced to rely on the kindness of strangers and their own ingenuity. Elise's sense of self is tested as she navigates a world where survival often means compromise and silence. The emotional tone is one of resilience and guilt, as Elise grapples with what it means to endure when so many do not.

Looming Repatriation

As the war ends, Elise's family struggles to rebuild their lives in a shattered Germany. The arrival of American occupation brings both relief and new challenges. Elise's marriage to Ralph, an American soldier, is a pragmatic choice—a way to escape, not an act of love. The emotional arc is one of ambivalence, as Elise weighs gratitude against the cost of freedom, and begins to imagine a future that is hers to shape.

Torn from Friendship

Elise's marriage to Ralph brings her to Los Angeles, where she is thrust into a world of privilege and expectation. The relationship is one of convenience and mutual benefit, not romance. Elise struggles to find her place in the Dove family, haunted by the loss of Mariko and the unresolved pain of her past. The emotional tone is one of displacement and longing, as Elise searches for meaning and connection in a world that feels both foreign and familiar.

Across War-Torn Europe

Ralph's death in Eastern Europe leaves Elise a widow and an outsider in the Dove family. Hugh, Ralph's brother, becomes her confidant and, eventually, her true love. Through Hugh's kindness and support, Elise finds the courage to pursue her own dreams, completing her education and building a new life. The emotional arc is one of healing and transformation, as Elise learns to forgive herself and embrace the possibility of happiness.

Loss, Survival, and Guilt

Elise and Hugh marry, creating a blended family with Irene and her children. Elise channels her pain into acts of kindness, opening a flower shop that supports vulnerable girls. The legacy of war lingers, but love and service become her way of making sense of suffering. The emotional tone is one of gratitude and purpose, as Elise finds fulfillment in giving to others and cherishing the family she has built.

New Beginnings, Old Wounds

In her later years, Elise is haunted by the unfinished story of her friendship with Mariko. The discovery that Mariko is alive—and the realization that both women have carried the weight of regret—brings a final opportunity for forgiveness and closure. Their reunion is bittersweet, marked by the knowledge that time is short but love endures. The emotional core is the healing power of reconciliation and the peace that comes from letting go.

Marriage of Convenience

Elise and Mariko's final conversation is a reckoning with the past. Both women confess their regrets and forgive each other, recognizing that their friendship has survived despite years of silence and separation. Mariko's death is gentle, and Elise is left with the knowledge that she has kept her promise—not just to Mariko, but to herself. The emotional arc is one of acceptance and release, as Elise prepares to let go of her memories, trusting that love will outlast even forgetting.

The Cost of Freedom

As Elise's memory fades, she reflects on the journey that has defined her life. The story of Calista, the warrior princess, becomes a metaphor for her own escape from captivity—first literal, then emotional. Elise's final act is one of flight: choosing to live, to love, and to forgive, even as the details slip away. The emotional tone is one of transcendence, as Elise embraces the freedom that comes from knowing she has lived, loved, and been loved in return.

Characters

Elise Sontag Dove

Elise is the heart of the novel—a German American girl whose life is upended by war, internment, and displacement. Her journey from Iowa to Texas, Germany, and finally Los Angeles is marked by loss, resilience, and the search for home. Elise's relationships—with her family, Mariko, and later the Dove family—shape her identity and her understanding of love and forgiveness. Psychologically, Elise is both wounded and strong, learning to adapt and find meaning in suffering. Her development is a testament to the power of friendship, the pain of exile, and the possibility of healing. In her old age, Elise's struggle with memory loss becomes a final test of her ability to hold on to what matters most.

Mariko Inoue Hayashi

Mariko is Elise's soulmate in exile—a Japanese American girl whose creativity and warmth offer Elise hope in the bleakness of internment. Mariko's own journey is marked by cultural conflict, family expectations, and the trauma of repatriation to Japan. Her unfinished story about Calista mirrors her own struggle for agency and freedom. Psychologically, Mariko is both a dreamer and a survivor, forced to make painful choices that haunt her for decades. Her relationship with Elise is the emotional core of the novel, and her eventual confession and forgiveness bring closure to both women.

Otto Sontag (Papa)

Otto is a principled, gentle man whose small mistakes and outsider status lead to his family's suffering. His five regrets become the axis on which Elise's fate turns. Otto's struggle to protect his family, maintain dignity, and resist evil in small ways (like making faulty fuses) reveals the moral complexity of survival under oppression. His love for his wife and children is unwavering, but he is haunted by guilt and the knowledge that he could not shield them from harm. Otto's journey is one of endurance, humility, and quiet heroism.

Freda Sontag (Mommi)

Freda is a tender soul, deeply affected by loss and displacement. Her fragility is both a source of vulnerability and a catalyst for the family's choices—her inability to cope alone leads Otto to request internment together. Freda's love for her children is fierce, but she is often overwhelmed by grief and fear. Her psychological arc is one of survival through dependence, and her relationship with Elise is marked by both closeness and the pain of shared suffering.

Max Sontag

Max is Elise's little brother, whose childhood is shaped by war and exile. He is resilient, quick to make friends, and less burdened by the past than Elise. Max's journey is one of adaptation—he becomes more German than American, ultimately finding his place in Munich. His innocence and optimism provide a counterpoint to Elise's struggles, and his presence is a source of comfort and continuity.

Ralph Dove

Ralph is an American soldier who marries Elise out of friendship and a desire to right wrongs. His motivations are complex—part altruism, part rebellion against his privileged family. Ralph's political idealism and quest for meaning lead him to his death in Eastern Europe, a victim of his own naiveté and the dangers of a world in flux. Psychologically, Ralph is both generous and self-absorbed, seeking to save others while struggling to find his own place. His relationship with Elise is one of mutual benefit, not romance, but his actions change the course of her life.

Hugh Dove

Hugh is Ralph's older brother, a man marked by physical frailty but emotional strength. He becomes Elise's confidant, supporter, and eventually her true love. Hugh's kindness, integrity, and capacity for empathy are a balm to Elise's wounds. His own history of loss and disappointment makes him uniquely able to understand and nurture Elise. Their relationship is built on honesty, mutual respect, and the shared experience of surviving trauma.

Frances Dove

Frances is the formidable head of the Dove family, determined to maintain appearances and control. Her grief over her husband's and son's deaths is masked by criticism and high expectations. Frances's relationship with Elise evolves from suspicion to acceptance, as she comes to see Elise's strength and goodness. Psychologically, Frances is both brittle and loving, struggling to adapt to a world that no longer fits her ideals.

Irene Dove

Irene is Ralph and Hugh's sister, a woman whose pursuit of happiness leads her through failed marriages and personal crises. She is both a source of chaos and a loving, if inconsistent, mother. Irene's relationship with Elise is initially superficial, but deepens as they share the responsibilities of family and loss. Her children, Pamela and Teddy, become surrogate children for Elise and Hugh.

Pamela and Teddy

Irene's children, Pamela and Teddy, are symbols of hope and continuity. Their affection for Elise and Hugh helps heal the wounds of war and loss. They represent the possibility of new beginnings and the enduring need for family and belonging.

Plot Devices

Dual Timelines and Memory as Structure

The novel employs a dual timeline, alternating between Elise's present-day struggle with Alzheimer's and her vivid recollections of the past. This structure allows the story to unfold as a series of memories, filtered through the urgency of impending loss. The personification of Alzheimer's as "Agnes the Thief" is a powerful device, heightening the stakes and imbuing the narrative with poignancy. The use of Mariko's unfinished notebook as a symbolic plot device ties together themes of unfinished business, the power of storytelling, and the quest for closure. Foreshadowing is woven throughout, as early regrets and promises echo in later events, and the motif of flight—literal and metaphorical—recurs as a symbol of freedom and self-discovery.

Analysis

The Last Year of the War is a profound meditation on the fragility of belonging and the resilience of the human spirit. Through Elise's journey—from American girl to pariah, exile, survivor, and finally, matriarch—the novel explores how identity is shaped by both choice and circumstance. The story interrogates the costs of fear, prejudice, and the ways in which nations and individuals betray their ideals in times of crisis. At its heart, the book is about the redemptive power of friendship and love, and the necessity of forgiveness—not just of others, but of oneself. The dual timeline and the specter of memory loss underscore the urgency of holding on to what matters, even as time and fate conspire to erase it. The novel's ultimate lesson is that home is not a place, but the people we love and the choices we make to keep loving, even when the world is broken. In an age of renewed questions about identity, migration, and the meaning of citizenship, Meissner's story is both a warning and a beacon: we are more than the sum of our origins, and the stories we tell—and remember—can set us free.

Last updated: December 16, 2025