Review: The Curator's Daughter by Melanie Dobson

A young girl, kidnapped on the eve of Word War II, changes the lives of a German archaeologist forced into the Nazi Party and--decades later--a researcher trying to overcome her own trauma.

1940. Hanna Tillich cherishes her work as an archaeologist for the Third Reich, searching for the Holy Grail and other artifacts to bolster evidence of a master Aryan race. But when she is reassigned to work as a museum curator in Nuremberg, then forced to marry an SS officer and adopt a young girl, Hanna begins to see behind the Nazi facade. A prayer labyrinth becomes a storehouse for Hanna's secrets, but as she comes to love Lilly as her own daughter, she fears that what she's hiding--and what she begins to uncover--could put them both in mortal danger.

Eighty years later, Ember Ellis is a Holocaust researcher intent on confronting hatred toward the Jewish people and other minorities. She reconnects with a former teacher on Martha's Vineyard after she learns that Mrs. Kiehl's mother once worked with the Nazi Ahnenerbe. And yet, Mrs. Kiehl describes her mother as "a friend to the Jewish people." Wondering how both could be true, Ember helps Mrs. Kiehl regain her fractured childhood memories of World War II while at the same time confronting the heartache of her own secret past--and the person who wants to silence Ember forever.

Kindle Edition

Published March 9th 2021 

by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

3.5/5 stars

I have read three of Melanie Dobson's previous historical fiction books, each of them I enjoyed for their unique storyline during WW2.    With The Curator's Daughter she again has written a dual time period story with the past during the war.  The difference is that this one takes place in Germany with a story I was unfamiliar with.

Without divulging parts of the story not mentioned in the blurb, this story showed a side of the Nazi reign that I knew nothing about and for that I am grateful for the educational lesson.  It is evident the author knows her stuff and has research extensively.  The characters were real and even though I didn't feel an emotional connection with what Hanna was going through there was enough to keep me reading. 

 As for the present time period, I struggled with that and honestly wish the whole book was just about the past.  The writing during that time just seemed off to me somewhat, compared to Dobson's past books. There wasn't the depth of character I crave and at times it felt disjointed. But given all the glowing reviews it could just be me.

My thanks to Tyndale House for a e-arc (via Netgalley) in exchange for a honest review.

Review: Hidden Among the Stars by Melanie Dobson

From the award-winning author of Catching the Wind, which Publishers Weekly called “unforgettable” and a “must-read,” comes another gripping time-slip novel about hidden treasure, a castle, and ordinary people who resisted evil in their own extraordinary way.

The year is 1938, and as Hitler’s troops sweep into Vienna, Austrian Max Dornbach promises to help his Jewish friends hide their most valuable possessions from the Nazis, smuggling them to his family’s summer estate near the picturesque village of Hallstatt. He enlists the help of Annika Knopf, his childhood friend and the caretaker’s daughter, who is eager to help the man she’s loved her entire life. But when Max also brings Luzia Weiss, a young Jewish woman, to hide at the castle, it complicates Annika’s feelings and puts their entire plan―even their very lives―in jeopardy. Especially when the Nazis come to scour the estate and find both Luzia and the treasure gone.

Eighty years later, Callie Randall is mostly content with her quiet life, running a bookstore with her sister and reaching out into the world through her blog. Then she finds a cryptic list in an old edition of Bambi that connects her to Annika’s story . . . and maybe to the long-buried story of a dear friend. As she digs into the past, Callie must risk venturing outside the safe world she’s built for a chance at answers, adventure, and maybe even new love.

Kindle ebook, 400 pages

Published September 2018

by Tyndale House Publishers

*** 1/2

Opening Line:

The blade of a shovel, cutting through frosted grass. That’s what she remembered most from the spring of 1938.

I have been a fan of Melanie Dobson since reading her books Catching the Wind, Château of Secrets and Shadows of Ladenbrook Manor - all historical fiction.

It is 1938 and Austria is getting overtaken by the Nazis, three young people’s lives are about to get entwined together as family secrets are uncovered and friendships are put to the test. How an original copy of Bambi, gifted from mother to daughter, ignites a journey for the present day story. 

Hidden Among the Stars weaves between 3 women with 3 vastly different stories to tell. Again I found myself drawn to the past story (nothing new there). Set around a castle, hidden treasure and forbidden love I couldn’t help feeling for these young women. It was a brutal time with the author not holding back on the atrocities that took place. While I enjoyed this book I was able to predict the outcome as the story unfolded - which isn't a bad thing.

Sometimes it’s the little tidbits I glean from certain books that stay with me, such is the case here. Callie works in a bookstore and it’s her knowledge of children’s literature and the past that did interest me.  References to some of my favorite kids' books even adding a few to my tbr pile. The author of Bambi and Curious George both Jewish fled hours before Nazis invaded (I’m still googling).

This is Christian fiction and heavy in both time periods, more so than in the author’s previous books. I feel there is a fine line where it can be too over-the-top, just right or not enough, in terms of sharing the faith of the characters, without sounding overly preachy and taking away from the story. With this book I think it was just the right blend, especially the past story. The  nightmarish path these girls faced, the struggles, it was authentic and believable. For Callie while her story was not as devastating as the other two she clung to her faith.

All in all an entertaining read, my thanks to the publisher (via netgalley) for an advanced copy of this book.

click on cover to take you to make review (except Catching the Wind - review coming soon -how did I miss that!?)

Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor by Melaine Dobson

When Heather Toulson returns to her parents’ cottage in the English countryside, she uncovers long-hidden secrets about her family history and stumbles onto the truth about a sixty-year-old murder.

Libby, a free spirit who can’t be tamed by her parents, finds solace with her neighbor Oliver, the son of Lord Croft of Ladenbrooke Manor. Libby finds herself pregnant and alone when her father kicks her out and Oliver mysteriously drowns in a nearby river. Though theories spread across the English countryside, no one is ever held responsible for Oliver’s death.
Sixty years later, Heather Toulson, returning to her family’s cottage in the shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor, is filled with mixed emotions. She’s mourning her father’s passing but can’t let go of the anger and resentment over their strained relationship. Adding to her confusion, Heather has an uneasy reunion with her first love, all while sorting through her family’s belongings left behind in the cottage. What she uncovers will change everything she thought she knew about her family’s history.

Award-winning author Melanie Dobson seamlessly weaves the past and present together, fluidly unraveling the decades-old mystery and reveals how the characters are connected in shocking ways.

Set in a charming world of thatched cottages, lush gardens, and lovely summer evenings, this romantic and historical mystery brings to light the secrets and heartaches that have divided a family for generations.

Paperback, 352 pages

Expected publication: June 16th 2015 by Howard Books
 arc - netgalley
****

"Some people, when they discover the terrible things that happened in their past, drape that knowledge around them like a cloak of bitterness.  They may even dig deep and wallow in it for a season.  Or a lifetime."

I have come to the realization that I love books that jump back and forth in time.  Books that create that atmosphere of mystery, of forbidden love, and secrets too long hidden. Throw in some hidden diaries/journals and I am in my happy place.  There are a number of authors out there that do a wonderful job with this (is there a genre name for this?) and Melaine Dobson has turned into one of my favorites.  Her previous book Chateau of Secrets was a favorite of mine in 2014.

It only took me a couple days to read Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor.  As you can read from the synopsis above there is a lot going on here.  Staying true to the time periods this story flowed along smoothly, the author definitely knows her way around the English countryside. Her descriptions had me visualizing not just the Manor with it's lush gardens and the butterflies, but the surrounding area as well. 

The plot was intriguing, there were enough twists and turns that I didn't see coming.  Maggie, Libby and Heather were all interesting characters, they were unique and realistic,  there was that depth that I love.  I got to know each of these ladies, the author made me care for them and what was happening in their lives.

This is a book about love and forgiveness, about relationships and healing the past while you still can.  This is Christian Fiction but not overbearing and preachy.  Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor was a pleasure to read and will appeal to fans of Kate Morton and Lucinda Riley.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an arc.

Chateau of Secrets by Melaine Dobson

A courageous young noblewoman risks her life to hide French resistance fighters; seventy years later, her granddaughter visits the family’s abandoned chateau and uncovers shocking secrets from the past. Gisèle Duchant guards a secret that could cost her life. Tunnels snake through the hill under her family’s medieval chateau in Normandy. Now, with Hitler’s army bearing down, her brother and several friends are hiding in the tunnels, resisting the German occupation of France.

But when German soldiers take over the family’s château, Gisèle is forced to host them as well—while harboring the resistance fighters right below their feet. Taking in a Jewish friend’s baby, she convinces the Nazis that it is her child, ultimately risking everything for the future of the child. When the German officers begin to suspect her deception, an unlikely hero rescues both her and the child.

A present day story weaves through the past one as Chloe Salvare, Gisèle’s granddaughter, arrives in Normandy. After calling off her engagement with a political candidate, Chloe pays a visit to the chateau to escape publicity and work with a documentary filmmaker, Riley, who has uncovered a fascinating story about Jews serving in Hitler’s army. Riley wants to research Chloe’s family history and the lives that were saved in the tunnels under their house in Normandy. Chloe is floored—her family isn’t Jewish, for one thing, and she doesn’t know anything about tunnels or the history of the house. But as she begins to explore the dark and winding passageways beneath the chateau, nothing can prepare her for the shock of what she and Riley discover…

With emotion and intrigue, Melanie Dobson brings World War II France to life in this beautiful novel about war, family, sacrifice, and the secrets of the past.
 

Paperback, 400 pages

Expected publication: May 13th 2014 by Howard Books 
(my copy received from netgalley for an honest review)

*****

"Secrets can destroy"

"Courage doesn't mean you stop being afraid...It means you continue to fight, even when you're terrified."

This is my first book by Melanie Dobson and I have to say that I was very impressed.  I love dual time period stories, this one alternated between World War II and present day. This story had me engaged right from the beginning, the authors writing style made it easy to get lost in this saga.  There is a lot going on here, drama, mystery, suspense, romance, deception and secrets to name just a few.

Beginning when France is invaded by the Germans we meet Gisele Duchant, a brave and caring young woman who is forced into the role of host to the Germans when her home is taken over by them.  As you can tell from the synopsis above she was keeper of secrets that once revealed had the power to destroy. Fast forward 70 years and her granddaughter, Chloe Salvare visits the chateau and uncovers pieces of her family's past that are shocking.

The transition between the two time periods was easy to follow and usually had me wanting to read more, love little cliffhangers.  It was easy to get acquainted with Gisele and Chloe during this book and was a little glum to have to bid them farewell,  in my opinion that means the author did her job in creating characters and a story to leave this kind of affect on her readers.  Well done Melanie Dobson, I will be on the lookout for more of your books.

This book reminded me of Kate Morton, who is one of my favorite authors, and will appeal to those that like HF taking place in France and during WWII.