About the book:
Gisela must hold on to hope and love despite all odds in the midst of a war-torn country.
Gisela
Cramer is an American living in eastern Germany with her cousin Ella
Reinhardt. When the Red Army invades, they must leave their home to
escape to safety in Berlin.
However,
Ella is a nurse and refuses to leave, sending her young daughters with
Gisela. During their journey, Gisela meets Mitch Edwards, an escaped
British POW. She pretends she is his wife in order to preserve his
safety among other Germans, especially one wounded German soldier, Kurt,
who has suspicions about Mitch's identity. Kurt also has feelings for
Gisela and tries to uncover the truth about her "marriage."
Their
journey to Gisela's mother in Berlin is riddled with tragedy and
hardship, but they strive to keep Ella's daughters safe so they can
reunite with their mother. During the journey Gisela and Mitch begin to
develop feelings for one another beyond friendship. They reach Berlin,
but their struggles are far from over. Gisela and Mitch must learn to
live for the day and find hope in the darkest of circumstances.
In
this moving, historically accurate portrayal of WWII Germany, the
characters learn that, even with destruction all around them, some
things last forever.
My review: This was an interesting story, but tough to read for all of the tragedy Gisela endures. I can't imagine what it would be like to be trapped in this horrible situation, between the Nazis on one hand but being more afraid of the Russians, the "good guys" and the inhumane way they would treat everyone, especially women. Gisela constantly feels guilt for not protecting her cousins and having to leave her family behind again and again. I felt for her but was also frustrated because people make their own choices; you can't control everyone. I got a little tired of the rehashing of her regrets. I also felt Gisela was gullible to believe an acquaintance's claim, especially since she knew this girl was trying to pull her and Mitch apart, and I was especially mad at her for an incredibly stupid choice she makes at the end of the book. There's a lot of action as the group fled the Red Army and got shot at and bombed along the way. There's a little bit of romance and I wished for more happiness to offset the tragedy. I thought it seemed very real that they questioned God's existence and whether He was listening and I liked that they finally had to decide if God was in control. It was interesting to learn this story is based on two women's true experiences! If you like historical fiction, especially about World War II from a unique perspective, you might want to check it out.
I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.
More reviews at Litfuse!
My review: This was an interesting story, but tough to read for all of the tragedy Gisela endures. I can't imagine what it would be like to be trapped in this horrible situation, between the Nazis on one hand but being more afraid of the Russians, the "good guys" and the inhumane way they would treat everyone, especially women. Gisela constantly feels guilt for not protecting her cousins and having to leave her family behind again and again. I felt for her but was also frustrated because people make their own choices; you can't control everyone. I got a little tired of the rehashing of her regrets. I also felt Gisela was gullible to believe an acquaintance's claim, especially since she knew this girl was trying to pull her and Mitch apart, and I was especially mad at her for an incredibly stupid choice she makes at the end of the book. There's a lot of action as the group fled the Red Army and got shot at and bombed along the way. There's a little bit of romance and I wished for more happiness to offset the tragedy. I thought it seemed very real that they questioned God's existence and whether He was listening and I liked that they finally had to decide if God was in control. It was interesting to learn this story is based on two women's true experiences! If you like historical fiction, especially about World War II from a unique perspective, you might want to check it out.
I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.
More reviews at Litfuse!
Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/wAD3T
About the author:
New York Times best-selling author Liz Tolsma is the author of Daisies are Forever, Snow on the Tulips, and the contributing author of A Log Cabin Christmas.
When not busy putting words to paper, Liz enjoys reading, walking,
working in her large perennial garden, kayaking, and camping. She lives
in Wisconsin with her husband and children, all adopted internationally.
". . . compelling and fast-paced tale about the atrocities and tremendous losses. . . ." —Library Journal
"Excellent storytelling, accurate historical reporting and gritty, persevering characters make this WWII-era novel a must-read." —CBA Retailers + Resources
One winner will receive:
- A Kindle Fire HDX
- Daisies are Forever by Liz Tolsma
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