Because I love the author's writing, I had no idea what this story was about. Boy was it intense! Once again, though, I liked the story.
First up we meBecause I love the author's writing, I had no idea what this story was about. Boy was it intense! Once again, though, I liked the story.
First up we meet Ava during WWII. She's a war widow and living with her deceased husband's mother, who she barely knew and has zero love for Ava. Ava gets a job to help process the Germans who are being held at an internment camp. We also get to know Gunther who was studying to become a doctor before he's detained for the simple fact that he's German. Their paths cross and she's given the opportunity to see Germans in a different light.
Then we meet angry, broken Mattie. Her twin brother's been killed during the Vietnam War, one she protested and everyone knew her thoughts. She also left home after her twin was killed because she couldn't face being around her family. Sadly, her mother's declining health draws her home.
I really loved both timelines, probably the 1942 one more than the 1969 one. Ava is put in a hard spot by befriending a German man while at war. She makes sure to remind people that it was the Japanese who bombed Pearl Harbor, where her husband (who she barely knew) was killed. It's a fine line she walks as she teaches him better grammar and enunciation.
For the 1969 timeline, it's hard to warm up to Mattie because she's so angry. Once we begin to understand her, I begin to like her a smidge more. She's trying to uncover information her mother has alluded to in her fatigued state. Nash, her brother's best friend, has returned from the war, having dealt with his own tragedies to help her family on their farm. She enlists his help to figure out the mystery! What they learn will be eye opening!
Just a heads up that this spoiler has to do with the ending after things are revealed!!
SPOILER! Only "reveal" if you want to learn part of what happens! (view spoiler)[Something I didn't understand, if Gunther and Ava have such a beautiful love, why isn't that love shown to the kids? It sounds like Gunther shows interest in Mark, but definitely not Mattie. He's distant and seemingly unfeeling. Not at all the sensitive, thoughtful Gunther we meet throughout the story in 1942+. I understood why he might've been bitter - never going around other people because of his heritage, but you'd think with all of the love he has that he'd spill that into his kids. (hide spoiler)]
A hard story, but aren't many war stories that tackle raw emotions and real life circumstances difficult to read?
*I received this book through a book tour, but wasn't asked to review it. This is my personal opinion....more
Set in 1945 in Indiana after Germany surrenders, we meet Ellie, a young girl who recently graduated from high school and plans to go to college and beSet in 1945 in Indiana after Germany surrenders, we meet Ellie, a young girl who recently graduated from high school and plans to go to college and become a teacher. Growing up in a Mennonite community, her ex-boyfriend gave her a taste of the worldly life, and it appealed to Ellie!
Her comes Jude, back from the war, battle-scarred, and angry. He wants nothing to do with the community, and he certainly isn't going to church.
But God...
I loved looking she world through Ellie's eyes. She has so much innocence, and her goals will take her into a world where that innocence will be easily shattered. Ellie and her family aren't unaware of the world around them, but they're sheltered in a sweet way. She also asks lots of hard questions, especially in regard to her faith.
Jude is the strong, silent type. Unfortunately, his father made sure of it. Being back home, you can feel his world crumbling around him. If he's not a Marine, who is he? The last thing he wants is to be a farmer and most certainly not back in this farm house with all of his awful memories.
The community shows up, mostly in the form of Ellie's family, and I loved it. They were the Lord's hands and feet to Jude and his mom. It was heartwarming to watch that play out.
I felt completely engrossed in the story and time period. The way the characters talked, how they lived, etc was rich in detail and drew me in!
*I received this book for review. This is my personal opinion....more
Midnight on the Scottish Shore is about Cilla van der Zee, cousin to Aleida from Embers in the London Sky. Cilla escapes the Netherlands, hoping to aiMidnight on the Scottish Shore is about Cilla van der Zee, cousin to Aleida from Embers in the London Sky. Cilla escapes the Netherlands, hoping to aid the Allies, but she's captured and believed to be a spy for Germany. The Allies decide to use her in their secret Double Cross unit of M15! Cilla is willing, but the man who captures her is also the one who has to aid her as part of the scheme.
I loved Cilla! LOVED her! She takes lemons and makes lemonade. While the lighthouse becomes her prison, she also learns to find freedom in it. It doesn't come quickly or easily. And let's just say Lachlan Mackenzie doesn't make it very enjoyable. I mean, while Cilla is lovely, she's also a spy for Germany (repeated over and over in Lachlan's mind)!
Lachlan, for his part, wants to do his duty to his country, but his past is always looming over him thanks to his younger, wayward brother, Neil. Lachlan toes the line and is very black & white. He's also honorable, loyal, and trustworthy. What woman would fall for the fuddy-duddy?
I knew this was going to be a book I didn't want to put down! There's so much to talk about in regards to it. Cilla used humor in hard circumstances, and she was sharp as a tack! Extending forgiveness to someone who has hurt you makes you vulnerable. Earning trust can seem impossible, but it is worthwhile. All of the ways military and gov't people have to come up with plausible ways to misdirect the enemy and the way it's done with Yardley, Cilla, and Lachlan is masterful.
I'll admit that I can't get enough of Sarah Sundin's stories! They're so well written and keep me riveted on every page! I'm already ready for her next book... no pressure, Sarah!
*I received the book for review. This is my personal opinion....more
Once again, the author has managed to pull me into a world of her imagination and bring every bit of the story to life!
I honestly don't know where to Once again, the author has managed to pull me into a world of her imagination and bring every bit of the story to life!
I honestly don't know where to even start to describe everything in this story. I loved the different writing "pieces" in the story (wait until you discover them!). The characters will make you feel ALL of the emotions. It was so fun getting to know the girls through their penpal letters.
We meet Mercy who has left Hollywood under suspicious circumstances. The details unfold throughout the story. She makes it to Mercy Peak where her dearest friend and penpal, Rusty is from. Rusty is from Mercy Peak and through her letters convinces Mercy to come to her town one day.
Neither of the girls have lived easy lives, but through their letters, they encourage one another.
You absolutely get the small town feel through the author's writing. All of the added characters bring it to life. The people we meet on Mercy's journey to unravel the mystery of a lost treasure adds so much richness to the story. You get the sense of them all making her one of their own - in the best way possible.
We also get to know Rusty through the letters she exchanges with Mercy. She's cut from the mountain and tough as they come. She's a straight shooter who tells it like it is. Rusty is exactly the person you want in your corner. Unfortunately, her life took an awful turn, leaving Mercy to go it alone.
When Mercy arrives in town, the residents realize she's the one who now owns Wildwood, the estate of Randolph Gilman who the townsfolk basically despised and sadly, for good reason. He was one of the four boys who make a pact in regard to any future treasure they found. Life doesn't always go the way we plan and that's played out in the lives of these 4 young men as they grow older and tragedy strikes.
There's so much to the heart and meat of this story. Renewed hope, restoration (of SO many things), forgiveness, trust, and belonging. As a reader, we're reminded that the Lord can restore and He has a plan.
This story is so rich, deep, and sometimes poetic, I am honestly not doing the story justice with the review. It took me a while to read the story, longer than usual, because I didn't want to miss a single word. So, I took my time and savored it. I can't recommend it enough!
*I received the book for review. This is my opinion....more
Sarah Sundin has such a gift for bringing WWII to life in her stories. They always compel me to want to do better if I'm ever in situations like her cSarah Sundin has such a gift for bringing WWII to life in her stories. They always compel me to want to do better if I'm ever in situations like her characters!
Aleida is thrown into a nightmare no one would ever want to live. She's separated from her 3yr old son as they try to escape the Netherlands. Her only hope is that he's made it to England and she'll be able to find him once she gets there. Your heart just breaks for all she goes through.
Once she finally makes it to London, Hugh, a BBC radio correspondent comes along at just the right time and Aleida tries to convince him to tell her story! You can sense his compassion immediately, but he's up against various obstacles. Some botched reports and being seen as man who takes his job as a lark doesn't lend to him getting to do the work her truly wants. I was also fascinated by the work Aleida volunteered for!
Then the murders start happening. People are dropping like flies and none of it makes sense. They have a list of suspects, but none of them seem to have a reason for truly harming someone. Hugh is trying to figure it out while also helping Aleida find Theo. Around every turn they seem to hit a brick wall. I'll admit, the end had me more than a little surprised!
I think the author did a really great job of capturing Aleida's OCD and Hugh's gentleness in trying to help her cope through various situations. Also, the abuse from her husband is palpable at the start of the story and you can see the lasting effect is has on her. While the abuse is never shown, her fear, his treatment of her & their son, and his words convey just how awful he is. Thank goodness for the faith thread throughout the story!
*I received this book for review. This is my personal opinion....more
This was an incredibly heavy story to read. In many of the WWII stories we read, there are moments of lightness, victory, and even a bit of romance. IThis was an incredibly heavy story to read. In many of the WWII stories we read, there are moments of lightness, victory, and even a bit of romance. If you're looking for a "light" read, this story is NOT it. If you want to get into the trenches and live vicariously through fictional characters who are trying to survive the annihilation of an entire country, this story is absolutely for you.
I'll tell you, you have flickering moments of lightness, but it felt like a blink and it was gone. Any victory was very short lived. As for romance, I don't think I could say that it was really in the story. There were glimpses of love and growing feelings, but always just seemed out of reach for the sisters.
We're carried (rather quickly in the beginning) from the start of Warsaw becoming occupied by the Germans in 1939, and within just a couple of years the girls we meet at the start are no longer the same innocent young women. Their lives and the world around them have been devastated and you will feel every bit of it with them. The author is certainly gifted in that area!
Antonina and Helena were truly just your average twin sisters who were the apple of their father's and aunt's eyes. Then, war. Both sisters, over time, have to make heart wrenching decisions. It was so compelling to live through their fictional lives, wondering to myself what I might do in those situations. Like them, one doesn't know until they're faced with it.
A heart-wrenchingly powerful story that was written to help us never forget what happened to millions of innocent people! This story will absolutely move you.
To me, there wasn't an incredibly strong faith thread in the story - more so towards the very end. The family was Catholic and it was mentioned they went to church on Sundays. While both sisters struggled (and understandably so) Antonina, I think, questioned God the most. They would remember things their father said to them, and Antonina (maybe Helena) spoke to a priest once who really encouraged her. (view spoiler)[Antonina also sleeps with a man she had fallen in love with (and he loves her) before the war in a moment of desparation. (hide spoiler)]
*I received the book for review. This is my personal opinion....more
I don't know what I was expecting when I read this novel, but it went beyond what I could've imagined. It was heart wrenching on so many levels. You bI don't know what I was expecting when I read this novel, but it went beyond what I could've imagined. It was heart wrenching on so many levels. You become friends with all of the guys as they're growing up and while they're away at war. The authors didn't shy away from the atrocities of that death march so that made it very hard to read, even in a fictional account.
We get to know the boys and Claire as they're growning up in Alabama. We see the contrast of the "innocence" of their lives as young boys, although they all faced different challenges, to the horror they experience while at war. As a reader, the authors do an incredible job of making you feel like you're a fly on the wall of the story, that you're right there with them.
This is a much different feel than stories set in Europe during the same time period. I think because the men were left to their own devices and had no aid from any Allies, you feel their sense of hopelessness against their will to survive together.
The book isn't for the faint of heart, but one that's incredibly powerful!...more
Where to begin to share my thoughts on this deep and powerful story. I couldn't even have imagined what I'd read in it had I tried. Yes, it's set duriWhere to begin to share my thoughts on this deep and powerful story. I couldn't even have imagined what I'd read in it had I tried. Yes, it's set during WWII, but not the WWII you'd be thinking of.
I will say that this story isn't an easy read. War stories typically aren't, but this one is next level. It's raw, and dark, and gives you a clear understanding as to why people have PTSD to the nth degree! I "enjoy" war stories because they remind me of the resilience of human beings, people overcoming the odds, overcoming death. Thankfully, reading them with a Christian worldview, there's hope infused into those stories. Like Moran Kai, sometimes people have to dig deep (deeper than we could ever imagine) to find and hold onto that faith.
We meet Kai as a wide-eyed little girl. Then, everything changes. Her entire world is turned upside down. She and her parents are living as missionaries in this small village in Burma. Years later, she and her father are still in the village when the Japanese start to infiltrate the Kachin Mountains. Ryan shows up to come alongside them as a missionary. Not long after, Kai's father heads into the jungle and leaves them to take care of the villagers.
It's so interesting how the author weaves in their beliefs and understanding of God together, but also how they're still somewhat attached to their former ways. Kai has been around these people all her life and she has learned their ways. Many of the people don't trust her because of reasons I won't reveal, but it has a profound impact on her when the villagers have to flee for their lives.
What Kailyn goes through for the entirety of the book is absolutely traumatizing, but when is war not? Nothing is left out in this story. Horrific things happen left and right. YET, there's always this underlying faith that stalks Kai like a tiger. Will she give in to the light or to the darkness? Ryan, despite all of his effort, can't keep her safe, but the choices she makes for so many painful reasons, leads them on a journey that's treacherous and filled with destruction.
I'll admit that this story isn't going to be for everyone, but it certainly was for me. It's not an easy read, but there's a force that pulled me to keep going. It's heavy, but the people endure. It's dark, but there is always a spot of light drawing the characters to keep doing the "first thing's first". My heart was twisted and wrung out by the time I finished the story, but like spring shoots of green begin to sprout and a teeny tiny ray of sunshine begins to unwind it.
I hope you'll give this story a chance because I think you'll find it powerful and gives hope in the end!
*I received this book for review. This is my personal opinion....more
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