Greater Love Hath No Man

Hidden Among The Stars by Melanie Dobson is both a fascinating and a horrifying Christian contemporary and historical novel. It has dual timelines of 1938 Austria and present day America. It covers the most evil and brutal periods in history as the Nazis march into Austria. Characters and the reader get caught up in the depravity. There are no levels to which man will not sink to do evil. The reader is reminded of the famous words of Edmund Burke “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” In 1938 it felt like the world had gone mad. Evil lurked around every corner but there were good and brave men and women who were prepared to take a stand. “There’s always a cost for standing up against evil.”

At first people were ignorant of the evil. “Hitler would hardly concern himself with the Jewish Austrians who lived in these Alps.” Far too soon the innocents were caught up in the madness. ” ‘I’ve done nothing wrong’… ‘Innocence is secondary in this Reich.’ ”

The novel shows the search for justice. To right the wrongs as present day collides with the past.

There is a mystery to be solved – an ancient children’s novel, Bambi holds a secret but what is the key to unlocking it?

We all want to know our roots. There is a search for ancestry as identity is important.

How far would you go to keep a secret? How far would you travel to unravel the past? What would you do in the name of love?

The novel has some difficult to read scenes as it concerns anti Semitism and the Holocaust. “How could anyone hate another person because of their ancestry?” With a time frame of 1938, the reader witnesses Kristallnacht.

In present day we meet a young woman passionate about children’s books. Several are referenced which is a joy for the modern reader.

Family is important. Families were fractured by the Nazis as people were forced to choose the Party above all things.

Melanie Dobson has written a fabulous novel that educates, entertains and horrifies. As a historian with a passion for keeping the memory alive of the six million innocents, I found Hidden Among The Stars a marvelous read that highlights the sacrifices of the few and the suffering of the many. May we never repeat the evils of the past. May we always remember the six million men, women and children who perished. And may we salute the brave people who stood up for what is right in the face of pure evil.

Thank you Melanie Dobson for your marvelous story.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” John 15: 13.

I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

JULIA WILSON