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The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barratt

Jan7

There Once Was A City

The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barratt is a powerful Christian historical novel that consumed me from the start.

The action is set in Warsaw during World War II as we follow twin sisters and their very different wartime experiences. Both are incredibly brave. Both fight the Nazis but use very different methods. One hides and passes on, Jewish children through an underground network. The other fights for the resistance. Neither shares their activities with the other in order to protect.

Warsaw bore the brunt of the Nazis persecution. Hitler wanted Warsaw razed to the ground – but reckoned without the brave spirit of the people offering resistance where they could.

Even the children were brave. They learned how to act and when to be silent. “You must never tell anyone who you are but you must always remember.” Roots and heritage are very important.

When persecution of the Jewish people began, many stood idly by but “what happened… mattered to me… I could not look away.” A character decided “I must do something.”

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The Wartime Book Club by Kate Thompson

Jan2

A Golden Thread

The Wartime Book Club by Kate Thompson is a powerful historical novel that totally consumed me and I read in just one sitting.

The novel is based on a true story of friendship, courage and resistance in times of war. It is set in Nazi occupied Jersey during World War II.

Books were important to the islanders. They provided an escape for minds though their bodies were in captivity. Librarian Grace cared for the books, hiding the banned books away. She brought books to the islanders and set up the wartime book club. “The library… represented safety and security, a sense of order that the world outside could… never offer.”

The book club united those from all different walks of life. The people bandied together receiving a collective hope that the books provided.

There was much bravery. “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.” Brave souls did what they could to save others as there were also those who would denounce their neighbours for a few reichsmarks. “War… was the greatest killer of trust.”

Love blossoms in times of war. We witness a love that binds. Also, a love between friends that gives each a hope, a hope needed to survive. “Hope was a powerful thing… and… she had to coat herself in, like armour.” Without hope the people perish.

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Fawkes by Nadine Brandes

Dec31

Seeking His Voice

Fawkes by Nadine Brandes is a Christian Young Adult historical fantasy that has its’ roots in fact as we follow those plotting for King James I downfall.

Society is divided into two. There is hatred, prejudice and fear everywhere. It is not enough to just be for or against anything. Personal principles and beliefs should be put aside and the truth should be sought.

Life is a spiritual battle. We need to make sure we are listening to the voice that speaks truth and life, and not be deceived by the lies of the enemy.

There are those who claim to speak the truth but they are deceivers. We need to tune into the voice of God.

We see that racial prejudice was all around. A character has to hide her true self behind gloves and a mask. Only when she recognizes a pure heart will she unmask herself.

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Upon The Midnight Clear by Scott R Rezer

Dec30

When A Bell Rings

Upon The Midnight Clear by Scott R Rezer is a beautiful Christian Christmas dual timeline novel that I absolutely loved. It is the fourth book in A Festival Of Carols series but can be read as a stand-alone.

The novel is set in 1969 and 2018 in Philadelphia. The two time periods are linked by the two main characters who are older versions of themselves in 2018.

There are the themes of veterans and homelessness. In 1969 America was involved in the Vietnam war. No one wanted it but still young men were drafted. “A victim of a war nobody wanted.”

In 2018 there are veterans from the war in Afghanistan. War leaves no one unchanged. “They might have come home from the war, but they never left it.” Many left their minds on the battlefields and returned suffering from PTSD and survivor’s guilt.

Re-integration into society was impossible and many brave men and women ended up on the streets, hiding away, invisible to many. They banded together. “The vets who understood the sacrifices of war.”

War changed the vets and they did not feel worthy to return home. “Most people on the street long to return home. They’re often not sure how to do it.” They found it safer to hide away.

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