The Hiding Place: a Graphic Novel by Corrie ten Boom

It's World War II.

Darkness has fallen over the world as the Nazis spread fear and hatred.

No one feels safe.

But on a quiet city corner in Holland one woman fights against injustice and darkness. In her quiet watchmaking shop, Corrie ten Boom and her close-knit family risk their lives to hide hundreds of Jews and others hunted by the Nazis in a secret hiding place they built into the old building.

Until one day when Corrie and her family are betrayed. They're captured and sent in cattle cars to the notorious Nazi concentration camps to die. Yet even in that darkest of places, Corrie still fights.

This is her true story, now a graphic novel.

Hardcover, 240 pages

Published April 9, 2024

 by Chosen Books

5/5 stars

I don’t read a lot of graphic novels, but I jumped when this became available at the library.

I already know the story of Corrie Ten Boom, her sister Betsy and the watchmaking shop.  But I was intrigued to see how this story would work since it's target audience is children. There are some mature things that take place and I was curious.

The illustrations were nicely done, the layout of the house along with the hiding places was illustrated with accuracy.  The story stayed true to history with sensitivity without shying away from what took place.  

I think it’s a story that all ages should read, to know what took place in the Netherlands during the war. A story that will open up opportunities for discussions.

Coming in at 240 pages it is condensed from the original but doesn’t shy away from the true events. A book I recommend for all ages.

Chasing Shadows by Lynn Austin

Lena is a wife and mother who farms alongside her husband in the tranquil countryside. Her faith has always been her compass, but can she remain steadfast when the questions grow increasingly complex and the answers could mean the difference between life and death?

Lena’s daughter Ans has recently moved to the bustling city of Leiden, filled with romantic notions of a new job and a young Dutch police officer. But when she is drawn into Resistance work, her idealism collides with the dangerous reality that comes with fighting the enemy.

Miriam is a young Jewish violinist who immigrated for the safety she thought Holland would offer. She finds love in her new country, but as her family settles in Leiden, the events that follow will test them in ways she could never have imagined.

The Nazi invasion propels these women onto paths that cross in unexpected, sometimes-heartbreaking ways. Yet the story that unfolds illuminates the surprising endurance of the human spirit and the power of faith and love to carry us through.

Paperback, 420 pages

Published June 8, 2021

 by Tyndale House Publishers

4/5 stars

This book has been patiently waiting on my TBR pile since June 2021 when it was first released. Not only am I drawn to Lynn Austin as an author but this book drew me in with the blurb about three women during World War II in the Netherlands. As much as I love reading historical fiction I love reading historical fiction that relates to my families heritage and this one fit the bill perfectly. It takes place during a time that my parents lived through and rarely talked about so for me this was a glimpse into what they went through during the war.  I know it wasn’t pretty and this book showcased that only the residences of the country but for Jews escaping Germany finding themselves again hiding persecution from the Nazis.

Told from three different points of view gives a broad view of the story. There is Ans, a young woman who craves adventure and moves to the city just before the war breaks out. She gets more than she bargained for. There is Miriam, a young Jewish violinist who escaped Germany for the safety of Holland only to be caught in the grips of the Nazis yet again. Then there is Lena, wife, mother to Ans who lives in the country with her husband and other children, she relies on her faith to get her through this terrible time.

Chasing Shadows is not just a story of survival but it is a story of faith, trust and sacrifice. It is well written, heartbreaking as is most World War II stories are but it also showcases a country that comes together to fight for their rights and freedom. 

Definitely a book and author I recommend.

This book was part of my 2022 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge.

 

Spotlight: The Munich Girl: A Novel of the Legacies That Outlast War by Phyllis Edgerly Ring

Anna Dahlberg grew up eating dinner under her father’s war-trophy portrait of Eva Braun.

Fifty years after the war, she discovers what he never did—that her mother and Hitler’s mistress were friends. The secret surfaces with a mysterious monogrammed handkerchief, and a man, Hannes Ritter, whose Third Reich family history is entwined with Anna’s.

Plunged into the world of the “ordinary” Munich girl who was her mother’s confidante—and a tyrant’s lover—Anna finds her every belief about right and wrong challenged. With Hannes’s help, she retraces the path of two women who met as teenagers, shared a friendship that spanned the years that Eva Braun was Hitler’s mistress, yet never knew that the men they loved had opposing ambitions. Eva’s story reveals that she never joined the Nazi party, had Jewish friends, and was credited at the Nuremberg Trials with saving 35,000 Allied lives.

As Anna’s journey leads back through the treacherous years in wartime Germany, it uncovers long-buried secrets and unknown reaches of her heart to reveal the enduring power of love in the legacies that always outlast war.

 Ring Publication Date: November 14, 2015

 Whole Sky Books eBook & Paperback; 356 Pages 

Genre: Historical Fiction 

 Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

 Praise
“I was drawn in by Phyllis Ring’s economical and expressive language. Then the story took over! Protagonist Anna Dahlberg must face the emotional fallout from a traumatic plane crash, while simultaneously uncovering the first clues in a shocking generational mystery involving key players in the Third Reich. Everything’s complicated by a new romance that may help her overcome the past and find her true inner strength. But is it real? Love can manifest itself in enigmatic–and unexpected–ways.” -Elizabeth Sims, author and contributing editor at Writer’s Digest magazine

 “… fresh perspective of German women at opposing ends of the warring spectrum … a beautiful story of enduring friendship and the lengths people will go to for love.” -The Stellar Review “So persuasive is this novel that, before I could believe it was in fact a piece of fiction, I contacted the author and asked where she did her research and where she came up with the idea.” -Leslie Handler, The Philadelphia Inquirer

 Phyllis Edgerly Ring writes fiction and non-fiction. She left a part of her heart in her childhood home of Germany, which she visits as often as she can.

Her newest release, The Munich Girl: A Novel of the Legacies That Outlast War, follows the lives of three women there before, during, and after the Second World War. The novel’s protagonist begins a journey that links past and present when she discovers that her mother shared a secret friendship with Hitler’s mistress, Eva Braun. The New Hampshire author loves writing, travel, and the noblest possibilities in the human heart and is always curious to discover how history, culture, relationship, spirituality, and the natural world influence us and guide the human family on its shared journey.

For more information, please visit Phyllis Edgerly Ring’s website.
You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

The Beekeeper's Daughter by Santa Montefiore

From the #1 internationally bestselling author, her first book set in America, the story of a mother and daughter searching for love and happiness, unaware of the secrets that bind them. To find what they are longing for they must confront the past, and unravel the lies told long ago.

England, 1932: Grace Hamblin is growing up on the beautiful estate of the Marquess and Marchioness of Penselwood. The beekeeper’s daughter, she knows her place and what the future holds—that is until her father dies. Her childhood friend Freddie has recently become her lover, and she is thankful when they are able to marry and take over her father’s duties. But there is another man who she just can’t shake from her thoughts…

Massachusetts, 1973: Grace’s daughter Trixie Valentine is in love with an unsuitable young man. Jasper Duncliffe is wild and romantic, and in a band that might hit it big. But when his brother dies and he is called home to England, Jasper promises to come back for Trixie one day, if only she will wait for him. Grace thinks that Trixie is surely abandoned and tries to support her daughter, but Trixie brushes off her mother’s advice and comfort. She is confident that Jasper’s love for her was real…

Set on a fictional island off the coast of Massachusetts with charming architecture, beautiful landscape, and quirky islanders, The Beekeeper’s Daughter is “a multigenerational banquet of love…one of the most engrossing reads of my year” (Elin Hilderbrand).

Kindle Edition, 400 pages

Published April 14th 2015 by Simon & Schuster (first published April 1st 2014) 

ARC via netgalley

**** 

Santa Montefiore had me at Secrets of the Lighthouse, that was an audio read for me and I loved it. 
With The Beekeeper's Daughter I was granted an arc from the publisher via netgalley and hoped my

anticipation level wasn't too high. 

This book alternated between 1930's England and 1970's USA.  Though the location in Massachusetts

is fictional the story line felt real and believable.  As you can read from the synopsis above young Trixie 

is in love but tragedy changes her plans for the future.  Jumping back to 1934 when her mother is young

and the advent of WW II shows how these two story lines connect.

The Beekeepers Daughter is a story of forbidden love, commitment, war and bees.  This is a book about 

relationships, between father/daughter, mother/daughter and husband/wife.   The author slowly reveals the

past in a sort of mesmerizing manner.  I had no problem visualizing the sights and smells described here,

my imigination took me over to prewar England, to the bee hives and gardens. 

   

Written with words that drew me in and kept my attention right to the end.  Fans of Lucinda Riley and JoJo Moyes will enjoy this also.

Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner

She stood at a crossroads, half-aware that her choice would send her down a path from which there could be no turning back. But instead of two choices, she saw only one—because it was all she really wanted to see…

Current day, Oxford, England. Young American scholar Kendra Van Zant, eager to pursue her vision of a perfect life, interviews Isabel McFarland just when the elderly woman is ready to give up secrets about the war that she has kept for decades...beginning with who she really is. What Kendra receives from Isabel is both a gift and a burden--one that will test her convictions and her heart.

1940s, England. As Hitler wages an unprecedented war against London’s civilian population, one million children are evacuated to foster homes in the rural countryside. But even as fifteen-year-old Emmy Downtree and her much younger sister Julia find refuge in a charming Cotswold cottage, Emmy’s burning ambition to return to the city and apprentice with a fashion designer pits her against Julia’s profound need for her sister’s presence. Acting at cross purposes just as the Luftwaffe rains down its terrible destruction, the sisters are cruelly separated, and their lives are transformed…

Paperback, 416 pages

Published February 3rd 2015 by NAL 

arc - edelweiss

*****

Susan Meissner has become a favorite of mine. Starting with Shape of Mercy, then Lady in Waiting and A Sound Among Trees she has shown herself to be a talented author.  Her research is spot on and with the many elements in this book I really appreciate the amount of work that went into writing it. 

Taking place during World War II Emmy and Julie are two sisters evacuated to the country from London.  It didn't take long till I was totally absorbed in this book.  Focusing mainly on Emmy the author created someone who had a goal, who wanted to make something of her life and was determined. Thinking that the war could not interfer with her plans she sets off a change reaction of events over a selfish decision.

I really enjoyed this story, it was a raw look at London and what happened during the war and the lingering effects on it's citizens.  It was emotional as I really connected with Emmy and could understand her drive and desire to control her future. There are many layers in this book and to expound on them all would contain too many spoilers.

"Emmy was vaguely aware that life was full of moments when a person knew she was at a crossroads, and that the road on the left led in a direction completely opposite from the road on the right.  

Once you stated down one road, there was no going back to that common place where the two roads began.  So you must weigh the consequences.  You must consider the outcome.  You must take your time choosing.

She was not aware that there were also moments in your life when there are two roads before you but you see only the one because that is all you want to see.

You don't weigh the consequences, then.  You don't consider the outcome.  You don't take your time choosing.

Emmy would look back on that moonlit night and wonder and wonder and wonder..."

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

In love we find out who we want to be.
In war we find out who we are.

FRANCE, 1939

In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France... but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When a German captain requisitions Vianne’s home, she and her daughter must live with the enemy or lose everything. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates all around them, she is forced to make one impossible choice after another to keep her family alive.

Vianne’s sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old girl, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets Gäetan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can... completely. But when he betrays her, Isabelle joins the Resistance and never looks back, risking her life time and again to save others.

With courage, grace and powerful insight, bestselling author Kristin Hannah captures the epic panorama of WWII and illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: the women’s war. The Nightingale tells the stories of two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals, passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love, and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France--a heartbreakingly beautiful novel that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the durability of women. It is a novel for everyone, a novel for a lifetime.

Hardcover, 448 pages

Published February 3rd 2015 by St. Martin's Press

arc - netgalley

*****

I am relatively new to Kristin Hannah, Home Front was my one and only book of hers that I've read, which I loved.

I finished The Nightingale a couple days ago and needed a day or two to gather my thoughts and calm my beating heart.  It's not that often that a book affects me like The Nightingale has and I don't even know if I can do this review justice.  Oh I've read plenty about France during WW II, but The Nightingale is different.

Isabelle and Viann are sisters, different as night and day.  I connected right away with  both of them and it wasn't hard to, the author's writing style just drew me right in.  Written with much detail and emotion I couldn't stop reading.  I got to know both of them so well and as the war progressed their true nature took over.  What lengths will you go to protect those you love?  Or fight for something you believe in? This is a book about survival, loyalty, family, forgiveness and love (plus more).

Beautifully written The Nightingale shows vivid details of what the French had to endure, it didn't matter your religion or nationality or even your age you were at the mercy of the Germans.   Heartbreaking, this book will stay with you long after you are finished.

How Angels Die by David-Michael Harding

In the darkest days of World War II, when France found itself at the mercy of a brutal dictator, the front-lines of resistance may just have been in the grasp of a few good women.

How Angels Die, the epic work of historical fiction by author David-Michael Harding, delivers a highly inventive and uncommon take on the French Resistance that is certain to appeal to anyone who relishes a blood-pumping drama, which also sheds searing new light on the astounding bravery, profound passion, and razor-sharp cunning of the fairer sex during the most trying times. In four fateful days, two remarkable sisters, Monique and Claire McCleash, battle the German occupation of their coastal French town in the early days of June 1944. While their mission is the same, their methods of upending the occupation are irreconcilably at odds. The strikingly beautiful Monique puts her body and wit to work for the Resistance by dating and sleeping with German officers; her younger sister Claire elects instead to serve as an active combat guerrilla fighter for the cause.

Brimming with high drama that is punctuated by family humor, How Angels Die lifts the veil on a lesser-known side of the French Resistance. Through the prism of two intrepid women, the novel illuminates how these women employ their formidable assets and fierce love of country to face down a vicious enemy. With page-turning action, unstoppable passion, and historical accuracy, this heart-racing novel is a must-read for sisters, history buffs, and action enthusiasts alike.
 

Paperback, 420 pages

Published December 20th 2011 by Q&CY BOOKS 

(my copy provided by author for an honest review)
****

 After reading the synopsis above it is hard to add much about the book without giving too much information away.  Again I was back in France during World War II, this book takes place over a 4 day period and what an intense 4 days that was. 

This was an emotional book!  Two sisters, each part of the French Resistance, but with very different roles.  Sean & Estelle are the parents, this is a family divided by the distinct roles they each play.  This book isn't just about the war, it's also about trust, commitment, feelings, loyalty, revenge, family dynamics, romance and so much more. But it also isn't just about Claire and Monique, there is Paul and Valerie, Sophie and even Claudine each dealing with their own private pain.

There is a large cast of characters here, each showing the effects that this war had on them.  Yea it is violent at times, but it was a violent war.  I don't really know my French history that well and can't say if there was actually a French Resistance Group, but the author has written a very original story that was not just emotional but a believable and vivd look at German occupied France.  He painted pictures with his words that were authentic and shows his knowledge of the time period.

It started out a little slow for me, but at the 20% mark (on my kindle) it became 'unputdownable'.  I have no finger nails left and even resorted to drinking strong coffee at 9pm just so I would be able to stay up late.

A big thank you to the author for connecting with me and providing a copy of this book.  Most definitely will be reading more by David-Michael Harding.

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.

Review & Giveaway: Dominion by C.J. Sansom

C.J. SANSOM REWRITES HISTORY IN A THRILLING NOVEL THAT DARES TO IMAGINE BRITAIN UNDER THE THUMB OF NAZI GERMANY.

1952. Twelve years have passed since Churchill lost to the appeasers and Britain surrendered to Nazi Germany. The global economy strains against the weight of the long German war against Russia still raging in the east. The British people find themselves under increasingly authoritarian rule–the press, radio, and television tightly controlled, the British Jews facing ever greater constraints.

But Churchill’s Resistance soldiers on. As defiance grows, whispers circulate of a secret that could forever alter the balance of the global struggle. The keeper of that secret? Scientist Frank Muncaster, who languishes in a Birmingham mental hospital.

Civil Servant David Fitzgerald, a spy for the Resistance and University friend of Frank’s, is given the mission to rescue Frank and get him out of the country. Hard on his heels is Gestapo agent Gunther Hoth, a brilliant, implacable hunter of men, who soon has Frank and David’s innocent wife, Sarah, directly in his sights.

C.J. Sansom’s literary thriller Winter in Madrid earned Sansom comparisons to Graham Greene, Sebastian Faulks, and Ernest Hemingway. Now, in his first alternative history epic, Sansom doesn’t just recreate the past–he reinvents it. In a spellbinding tale of suspense, oppression and poignant love, DOMINION dares to explore how, in moments of crisis, history can turn on the decisions of a few brave men and women–the secrets they choose to keep and the bonds they share.

Publication Date: January 28, 2014
Mulholland Books
Hardcover; 640p
ISBN-10: 0316254916 

 

C.J. Sansom is another new author to me, though I have seen his Matthew Shardlake series around (on my bookshelf in fact) and have heard nothing but good things about it.  I was very excited to be asked to be part of this tour. Once I read the synoposis of this book I knew I was in for a good read.  Coming in at over 600 pages it isn't for the faint of heart.  There is nothing better on these cold wintery days than a good door-stopper of a book that is also a remarkable story.  Alternative history is a new genre for me, having only read Stephen King's 11/23/63, I was anxious to see how this one would pan out.  It didn't take long for this book to grab my attention and I was not disappointed at all.

Between the two main protagonists David Fitzgerald (spy for the Resistance) and scientist Frank Muncaster the author's development of their characters was gradual and though I knew a lot about them I think that I bonded more with Sarah, David's wife.

An intriguing look at what England would have been like had they surrendered to Hitler back in 1940, this book (jumping to 1952) is rich in details and believable. As the story slowly develops there was this gradual change that took place which kept me reading and reading some more. Yes there were a few parts that got a bit wordy, but once past the mystery and suspense continued.

This book will appeal to those that like historical fiction, alternative history, suspense and mystery books.

I have a hardcover copy of this book up for grabs (US/Canada only).  Just fill out the form below for your chance to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(be sure to click on the banner for more stops on this tour)

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About the Author

C.J. Sansom is the bestselling author of the critically-acclaimed Matthew Sharlake series, as well as the runaway international bestseller Winter in Madrid. He lives in Sussex, England.
You can find more information on C.J. Sansom and his novels at www.cjsansom.com or on Facebook.

The Orchid House by Lucinda Riley

For fans of The House at Riverton and Rebecca—a debut spanning from the 1930s to the present day, from a magnificent estate in war-torn England to Thailand, this sweeping novel tells the tale of a concert pianist, Julia, and the prominent Crawford family whose shocking secrets are revealed, leading to devastating consequences for generations to come.

As a child Julia Forrester spent many idyllic hours in the hothouse of Wharton Park, the great house where her grandfather tended exotic orchids. Years later, while struggling with overwhelming grief over the death of her husband and young child, she returns to the tranquility of the estate. There she reunites with Kit Crawford, heir to the estate and her possible salvation.
When they discover an old diary, Julia seeks out her grandmother to learn the truth behind a love affair that almost destroyed Wharton Park. Their search takes them back to the 1930s when a former heir to Wharton Park married his young society bride on the eve of World War II. When the two lovers are cruelly separated, the impact will be felt on generations to come.

Lucinda Riley skillfully sweeps her readers between the magical world of Wharton Park and Thailand during World War II with irresistible and atmospheric storytelling. Filled with twists and turns, passions and lies, and ultimately redemption, The Orchid House is a romantic, poignant novel that became an instant bestseller in the UK and Germany.

Paperback, 449 pages

Published February 14th 2012 by Atria Books (first published November 25th 2010

This is the Lucinda Riley's debut and I just love the cover!  Orchids are one of my favorite flowers and I can never grow them myself.

The ratings for this book are mixed, either you love it or you don't.  I didn't even look at the ratings when I purchased this book (it came highly recommended from readers that I have similar tastes with), then once I started reading I began to wonder and thats when I checked it out.

I am giving this book 3 stars, that means 'I liked it" and that's not a bad thing, right?

Let me start by saying that I love books with dual time period stories.  I love long lost letters/diaries that hold secrets to the past that affected the future in dramatic ways.  So of course this book really appealed to me. Comparing it to Kate Morton really grabbed me because she is one of my very favorites and I will grab anything she writes.

The opening of this book was really good and it did grab my attention. but as time went on I started to struggled to connect with most of the people in this book, especially Julia, whom the book focuses on.  The only one that I could feel any emotion for was Julia's grandmother, Elsie, but at the same time surprised as to her role in the present day story line.  Yes she played a big part, but for such a close family why wasn't she around more to support Julia in her tragedy? Taking place 9 months lately and this is their first encounter together.  I can only be vague here for those that have not read this book yet.

With the discovery of an old diary this story shifts back and forth in time. I found the past time period better written and more interesting, I was able to connect with Olivia, Elsie, even Harry (though I didn't like him much, the author did a good job of portraying him as unlikeable).  There was depth to these characters which showed more emotion and feeling.  I struggled with the present day people, they felt flat to me and really I wasn't all that interested in what happened to them.  Also parts of this storyline were predictable.

Will this stop me from reading more by Lucinda Riley?  Definitely not!  This is the authors debut and as far as I am concerned it can only get better.  Her 4th book is being released in March,  The Midnight Rose, I received a review copy and can't wait to dig into it.  

Gracianna by Trini Amador (Book Tour)

The gripping story of Gracianna--a French-Basque girl forced to make impossible decisions after being recruited into the French Resistance in Nazi-occupied Paris.
Gracianna is inspired by true events in the life of Trini Amador's great-grandmother, Gracianna Lasaga. As an adult, Amador was haunted by the vivid memory of finding a loaded German Luger tucked away in a nightstand while wandering his great-grandmother's home in Southern California. He was only four years old at the time, but the memory remained and he knew he had to explore the story behind the gun.
Decades later, Amador would delve into the remarkable odyssey of his Gracianna's past, a road that led him to an incredible surprise. In Gracianna, Amador weaves fact and fiction to tell his great-grandmother's story.
Gracianna bravely sets off to Paris in the early 1940s--on her way to America, she hopes--but is soon swept into the escalation of the war and the Nazi occupation of Paris. After chilling life-and-death struggles, she discovers that her missing sister has surfaced as a laborer in Auschwitz. When she finds an opportunity to fight back against the Nazis to try to free her sister, she takes it--even if it means using lethal force.

As Amador tells the imagined story of how his great-grandmother risked it all, he delivers richly drawn characters and a heart-wrenching page-turner that readers won't soon forget.

This story begins in the Pyrenees, at the border of France and Spain, Gracianna has a dream to go to America one day.  Moving to Paris she is able to get a job and starts saving.  She is following shortly  by her childhood friend and love interest, Juan and then her sister, Constance.  It is at this point the Nazi's enter Paris and life won't be the same again. Without giving too much of the story away, the author has woven a wonderful story that had me captivated right from the very beginning, this book was hard to put down.


Trini Arnador was able to show not just Gracianna's strengths, but also her many struggles with life in Nazi occupied Paris.  Once her sister disappeared you could feel the bond between them and her despair as well as her determination to find her again.  Vivid pictures of what life was like not just in Paris, but in Auschwitz also.  A very moving story and I am glad to have been a part of this tour.

"Through effort and sacrifice the impossible can be done"

About the Author

Trini Amador vividly remembers the day he found a loaded German Luger tucked away in a nightstand while wandering through his great-grandmother’s home in Southern California. He was only four years old at the time, but the memory remained and he knew he had to explore the story behind the gun. This experience sparked a journey towards Gracianna, Amador’s debut novel, inspired by true events and weaving reality with imagination. It's a tale drawing from real-life family experiences.

Mr. Amador is a traveled global marketing "insighter.” He is a sought-after guru teaching multinational brand marketers to understand how customer and consumer segments behave based on their needs, values, motivations, feeling and values. He has trained over five thousand brand marketers on how to grow brands in over 20 countries in the last 15 years. His counseling has been valued at global brands including General Electric, Microsoft, AT&T, Yahoo!, Sun Microsystems, Google, Jack Daniel’s, The J.M. Smucker Co., DuPont, Mattel, and Rodale, Inc..

Amador is also a founding partner with his wife and children of Gracianna Winery, an award-winning winery located in Healdsburg, California. The winery also pays tribute to the Amador Family’s maternal grandmother, Gracianna Lasaga. Her message of being thankful lives on through them. The Gracianna winery strives to keep Gracianna’s gratitude alive through their wine. Learn more at: www.gracianna.com, like Gracianna Winery on Facebook or follow them on Twitter @GraciannaWinery.

Amador resides in Sonoma County with his family.

The Gods of Heavenly Punishment by Jennifer Cody Epstein (Book Tour)

A lush, exquisitely rendered meditation on war, The Gods of Heavenly Punishment tells the story of several families, American and Japanese, their loves and infidelities, their dreams and losses, and how they are all connected by one of the most devastating acts of war in human history.

Fifteen-year-old Yoshi Kobayashi, child of Japan’s New Empire, daughter of an ardent expansionist and a mother with a haunting past, is on her way home on a March night when American bombers shower her city with napalm—an attack that leaves one hundred thousand dead within hours and half the city in ashen ruins. In the days that follow, Yoshi’s old life will blur beyond recognition, leading her to a new world marked by destruction and shaped by those considered the enemy: Cam, a downed bomber pilot taken prisoner by the Imperial Japanese Army; Anton, a gifted architect who helped modernize Tokyo’s prewar skyline but is now charged with destroying it; and Billy, an Occupation soldier who arrives in the blackened city with a dark secret of his own. Directly or indirectly, each will shape Yoshi’s journey as she seeks safety, love, and redemption.

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Publication Date: March 11, 2013
W.W. Norton & Company
Hardcover; 384p
ISBN-10: 039307157X




 Following 3 separate story lines where I wondered how they were related to one another, the author did a wonderful job of making the stories mesh together.  I found this to be a very emotional book, having never read any HF that has taken place in Japan before.  This book also took place in the US, between the years 1935 - 1962 before, during and after World War II.  

I won't summarize the story for fear of accidently leaking spoilers.  But this is a story that I found very captivating, the author has a nice way with words.  I was able to visual so much in my mind, which of course brought the story to life.  Each new chapter gave a different perspective of the affects this war had, not just on the families but the country also.  This novel was really an eye opener for me, most of my reading about WW II has taken place in Europe.  Reading from the Japanese side was not only interesting, but heart breaking as well.

There was alot going on in this book, but in the end it all came together.  A new author to me, one that I would like to read more of.

Jennifer Cody Epstein is the author of The Gods of Heavenly Punishment and the international bestseller The Painter from Shanghai. She has written for The Wall Street Journal, The Asian Wall Street Journal, Self, Mademoiselle and NBC, and has worked in Hong Kong, Japan and Bangkok, Thailand. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband, two daughters and especially needy Springer Spaniel.

For more information, please visit www.jennifercodyepstein.com.