By Ann Marie Stewart

The Remnants

Coming October 2026

Historical Fiction

Lena and Nikolai Siemens dream of a simple life on the steppes of 1920s Crimea—farming their land, raising their children, and practicing their Mennonite faith in peace.

But as Stalin’s iron fist closes around Russia’s German Mennonite communities, Lena and Nikolai flee toward Moscow in a desperate bid for freedom. Surrounded by thousands of fellow refugees, they wait in disease-ridden camps, watching children die while bureaucrats deny their exit visas again and again.

After months of uncertainty, Nikolai is arrested. Lena takes refuge in a maternity home. And three-year-old Kolja is deported back to Crimea, fifteen hundred miles away.

Then the miracle happens: Exit visas. But only for forty-eight hours. No time to reach Kolja before the door closes forever.

Now Lena and Nikolai face an unbearable choice: Escape with their newborn and trust their family will be reunited . . . or stay in Russia and risk the wrath of Stalin.

A Mother’s Story

Award-winning author Ann Marie Stewart crafts a meticulously researched historical family saga based on the true story of her grandparents’ resilience in the face of overwhelming odds. A powerful testament to the unbreakable bonds of family, The Remnants will captivate historical fiction fans and readers of The Nightingale and Before We Were Yours.

What People Say

“A story of struggle, of perseverance, and ultimately of triumph, it was so beautifully written and assiduously researched….With the lovely voice of a poet, the hard, true eye of a historian, and a deeply personal connection to her heritage, Ann Marie Stewart has given readers a moving account of the incredible journey that brought her grandparents to America following the Russian Revolution.”

–William Kent Krueger, New York Times #1 bestselling author of This Tender Land

“–a hymn to the cost of freedom. The historical drama she based on that story is finely crafted, powerful, deeply moving, and ultimately unforgettable.”

–Jacquelyn Mitchard, #1 New York Times bestselling author The Deep End of the Ocean

“The Remnants is a moving story framed by the theme of home….The story contains tragedy, loss, grief, fear, and hardship, as characters contend with interrogations, prisons, missing family members, uncertainty, limited choices, and impossible decisions. And yet, it is also a tale of joy and survival—and poignant reunions.”

–Julia María Schiavone Camacho, Ph.D. Professor of History, Goshen College