An inspiring must-read. Larry Loftis gleaned details of Corrie Ten Boom's wartime experiences from her books & the memoirs of those who knew her (likeAn inspiring must-read. Larry Loftis gleaned details of Corrie Ten Boom's wartime experiences from her books & the memoirs of those who knew her (like Hans Poley & nephew Peter van Woerden). So this book gives a comprehensive look at how she & her family stayed the course through horrific circumstances. Loftis also draws in details of what was happening around the Ten Booms--including a few tidbits about fellow Hollanders Anne Frank & Audrey Hepburn. Very thorough & well researched. A fitting companion to the classic, The Hiding Place. ...more
A lyrical beauty-from-ashes love story. Two young people whose coming-of-age was delayed by the holocaust find each other in a displaced person's campA lyrical beauty-from-ashes love story. Two young people whose coming-of-age was delayed by the holocaust find each other in a displaced person's camp. Since the concentration camp horrors aged them before their time, Lev invites Gerta to grow young again with him & helps her find faith, hope & herself as they explore what a future together might hold. Gerta's journey to find her voice again is quietly moving. I'm so glad I spent time with this worthwhile celebration of life. ...more
Lyrical writing. Equal turns touching & riveting. A story of courageous people inspired by their real-life counterparts. My favorite part--the beautifLyrical writing. Equal turns touching & riveting. A story of courageous people inspired by their real-life counterparts. My favorite part--the beautiful father/daughter relationship. So glad I chose this as my audiobook for commuting back & forth to school this week!...more
An exciting tale of love and survival amidst horrible circumstances. At the center of this page-turner is the pure-hearted, resilient Izzy, a stubbornAn exciting tale of love and survival amidst horrible circumstances. At the center of this page-turner is the pure-hearted, resilient Izzy, a stubborn, wise, yet innocent character, who strongly brought to mind Annie from Betty Smith’s Joy in the Morning. I loved how Bill and the other men guarded Izzy’s secret and protected her. This is not exactly a sweet story—the author presents the crudeness of the men’s language, terminology, and actions as they might have been. But it is poignant and victorious. An author to watch!...more
Intense. Riveting. Emotional. Excellent WWII thriller about courage, integrity & sacrifice in the face of evil. Once I started listening, I could not Intense. Riveting. Emotional. Excellent WWII thriller about courage, integrity & sacrifice in the face of evil. Once I started listening, I could not stop! (strong language & disturbing scenes in concentration camp) Excellent story-telling. ...more
Unforgettable & inspiring! This tale is told from the viewpoint of 3 different women: NY socialite & aid worker Caroline Ferriday, Polish teen Kassia Unforgettable & inspiring! This tale is told from the viewpoint of 3 different women: NY socialite & aid worker Caroline Ferriday, Polish teen Kassia & German doctor Herta Oberheuser. For me, Caroline's story sparkled & I found myself enjoying those chapters the most. This story is solidly lodged in history & very evocative of each setting. I listened to this as an audio book & the women reading truly brought these characters alive for me. Great story!...more
“These prisoners—the ones who painted or wrote poetry or played in the orchestra—they refused to let the spirit die.” ~Kristy Cambron, The Butterfl“These prisoners—the ones who painted or wrote poetry or played in the orchestra—they refused to let the spirit die.” ~Kristy Cambron, The Butterfly and the Violin~
Kristy Cambron’s debut novel, The Butterfly and the Violin, tells the story of two women: Sera James in present day and Adele Von Bron in 1942. Sera is an art dealer who becomes fascinated by a painting she saw once as a girl—of a young female violinist with piercing blue eyes. It’s a painting of haunting beauty, and Sera is compelled to chase it down.
As she does, we discover the subject is Adele Von Bron, once a celebrated Austrian violinist, who ends up imprisoned in a concentration camp for smuggling Jews out of Vienna. Surprisingly, the painting was not commissioned when Adele was rich and famous. Instead, the canvas captures Adele the prisoner, who found a way to honor God with her music even in Auschwitz, an Adele matured & refined by suffering.
We learn that this particular masterpiece so captivates Sera because it speaks of hope in the worst of circumstances—and that’s what I love about this story.
For Adele’s story is one of hope and joy amidst heartbreak and loss. Adele’s legacy is powerful enough to help Sera break free of her own selfish bubble of personal pain and reach out for life and love.
The Butterfly and the Violin reminds us that even when men try to remake the world in their own image, they can never erase God’s image in us. And all that is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent & worthy of praise cannot be silenced for long.
What I liked best . . .
Two storylines—present day with a link to the past (my favorite plot device) The old-Hollywood-movie feel of Sera’s contemporary romance Adele’s riveting Holocaust storyline Vladimir’s big heart & unfailing kindness Omara’s strength & courage Dancing on the banks of the River Seine on a sunny Paris day The Standing-Ovation-Worthy ending of Adele’s personal Holocaust experience!!!
My favorite quote . . .
“For the first time in her life she felt beautiful in her weakness, feeling God’s strength uplifting her from all sides.”
***Thanks to Kristy Cambron & Litfuse for providing a copy for me to review....more
The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord. He turns it wherever He wishes. ~Proverbs 21:1~
This verse came to mind again aThe king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord. He turns it wherever He wishes. ~Proverbs 21:1~
This verse came to mind again and again as I read Kate Breslin’s riveting debut novel, For Such a Time. Set during World War II in a Czechoslovakian transit camp, this book tells the story of Jewish prisoner Hadassah Benjamin and Colonel Aric von Schmidt, the SS Kammandant who saves her from a firing squad. She brings to mind happier days, when he was a simple country boy, searching the woods for treasures to bring home to his beloved mother.
As for her part, Stella tries to use her position as the Kammandant's secretary to protect what Jewish prisoners she can and struggles with her growing love for him.
Her Uncle Morty has assured Stella that---as in the story of Esther---God will use her to save His people. But since Stella is barely on speaking terms with God, she finds this difficult to believe.
The events that bring Hadassah and Aric to faith, love, and triumph make for a wonderful story.
Throughout the Bible, God touched the hearts of those in power to reach out in love and protection to Moses, Joseph, and many more of His children. During the Holocaust, He used unlikely heroes (think of the fast-living, ladies' man Oscar Schindler) to preserve His people. And He also presided over unconventional romances---the upright Jewish leader Boaz with Ruth the Moabitess and a Jewish spy with former prostitute Rahab---to name a few.
So it was no stretch for me to immerse myself in a novel where God prompts a disillusioned Nazi to protect a beautiful woman prisoner and through her, changes that man's heart. I’m sure in real life, God gave many such men a chance to repent and turn to Him. And what better way to touch the humanity within them than through the noble lives of the people they were oppressing?
I love how Kate captured God's heart in this story! Although neither character is consciously seeking Him, God calls out to them. In the midst of all the horror and ugliness of the world men remade in their own sinful image, He desires to give them abundant life, peace, purpose, joy, and even romance.
What I liked best . . .
The period details---I'm a World War II fiction fan Stella's encounters with God through His miraculous word Aric's fascinating character arc Having my heart stolen by a brave little boy named Joseph Snowball fights, porcelain jewelry cases & the Blue Danube Waltz Prisoners like Morty, who refuse to be beaten down & silenced The unexpected, nail-biting, FANTASTIC ending!
My favorite quotes . . .
"Earthly hearts cannot always fathom divine reasoning. Remember, we live not in our time, but in God’s."
"It went against her conscience, defied even her bloodlines---yet she felt something for this man. He’d broken through her resistance, made her feel decent and human again, all the way down to her bones."
"Why had she assumed God would speak to her in some great audible sign, like a thunderclap, lightning, or a burst of fire from the sky? Had anger and bitterness made her deaf to His whisper? 'Tell me, Lord,' she pleaded softly. 'I promise to listen.'"...more
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