About the book:
This book was absolutely amazing! I love books that take place both in a contemporary setting and in a historical setting and Melanie Dobson was masterful in weaving them together. She also amped up an already suspenseful story by teasing us with a twist and a mystery she didn't reveal the truth of until the last possible moment! In 1938 Hitler is taking over Vienna and Max Dornbach is trying to help his Jewish friends by hiding their valuables from the Nazis. He ends up asking his childhood friend, Annika, to help hide them, along with Luzia Weiss, a young Jewish woman. Annika feels torn between loyalty and love for her friend and jealousy over his apparent feelings for Luzia, which may jeopardize their lives even more.
In 2018, Callie Randall lives a small life as she runs a bookstore with her sister and tries to find out the truth about her surrogate mother, Charlotte, who doesn't know who she is other than that she was left in a French orphanage in 1938. When her sister buys an old edition of the book, 'Bambi,' and she discovers Annika's name in the cover and a tie to Luzia Weiss, a name in a book Charlotte was found with as a baby, she thinks she might have found the key. A professor responds to her blog post about Annika, a person he's been searching for ever since his uncle told him about a woman he met shortly after World War II in Austria. She told his uncle about treasure the Nazis threw into lakes as they fled from the Allies and he's been fascinated ever since. Her search will push her beyond her comfort zone as she encounters adventure and possibly love.
I'll say it again, this book blew me away! I loved the characters, especially Callie, as I could relate to her personality and love of books. I loved the references to children's stories she had read. I loved that they asked the hard questions as they pondered the Holocaust and the professor losing his wife to cancer and that the theology was sound as the professor looked to the Bible and God's character. There were some hard things dealt with but it wasn't graphic. There was a hint of romance. The mystery was fascinating and I loved learning about Jewish books and writers back in 1938. I also loved learning about the treasure the Nazis threw in the lakes near Vienna and the possibilities there. The ending was wonderful, if bittersweet. I highly recommend this book!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers. I was not reimbursed for this review. This is my honest opinion.
Q & A with Melanie Dobson
1st Chapter pdf
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