O'Brien's Desk: Review

Reviewed by Keri Minehart

O'Brien's Desk is the debut novel by author Ona Russell. Some of the issues addressed in the book—political corruption, drug addiction, anti-Semitism and homophobia—could easily be ripped from today’s headlines, but when Russell read of them, the newspapers they came from were anything but current. The clippings she pored over were from the 1920s, hidden for more than 70 years in a dusty pile of scrapbooks. These articles—chronicling the life of O’Brien O’Donnell, a highly public yet secretive judge—became the foundation for Russell’s first historical mystery, O’Brien’s Desk, hailed by NPR’s Richard Lederer as “terrific” and “riveting” and by novelist Anne Perry as “an intriguing and thoroughly researched story that gives us insight into the moral dilemmas of 20th Century America.”

The year is 1923, and O’Brien O’Donnell, called Obee by his friends, is a well-loved judge in Toledo, Ohio. His progressive politics and humanitarian strides make him one of Ohio’s most admired figures. At 59, he has recently married and become a father for the first time. Soon after the birth of his daughter, Obee receives a chilling blackmail letter that takes him to the brink of insanity. From his hospital bed, he turns to his trusted colleague, Sarah Kaufman (who was also a real person), for help. Sarah is a woman ahead of her time—a single, Jewish, career woman of exceptional intelligence and strength. She is eager to stop the blackmailer from ruining Obee’s chances for re-election and launches an investigation to clear his name. In doing so, she risks her own life to save his.

An interesting note about O’Brien’s Desk is that the real-life O'Brien O'Donnell was Russell's grandfather-in-law. When her mother-in-law passed away, she came across O’Donnell’s scrapbooks, and she began work on her first novel based on information she gained from them. The scrapbooks weren’t her only source however; Russell did meticulous research to make the story more authentic.

Equal parts rich history lesson and can’t-set-down mystery, this novel has already left a wake of enthusiastic readers in its path. Many of them are eagerly anticipating Russell’s next novel in the series, set during the Scopes “Monkey” trial, also with Sarah Kaufman as the heroine. Russell's attention to detail, especially in describing 1920s Ohio and its political climate, add to the quality of the novel. O'Brien's Desk would be a great read for any fan of historical fiction.

More information about this book:
Sunstone Press, April 2004
www.onarussell.com

The Scent of Lilacs: A Family in 1964

The Scent of Lilacs, a new novel by Ann H. Gabhart, looks at a family in 1964, in rural Kentucky. David Brooke is a some-time pastor who also runs the local newspaper, while raising his 13-year-old daughter Jocie. His wife ran off several years ago to California, taking their now 20-year-old daughter Tabitha. David’s Aunt Love, and Wes, the newspaper pressman who tells Jocie he’s from Jupiter, provide an extended family.

Tabitha soon arrives home, and life at the Brooke home is never the same, as various family secrets are revealed. The story is told from the alternating perspectives of David, Jocie, and Aunt Love, and along the way we learn more about tragic events in their past. Jocie in particular matures, as she learns to appreciate Aunt Love, who she always resented for her scripture-quoting discipline, and learns more about her family. Serious moral issues are brought forth, including out-of-wedlock children, adultery, and child abandonment. Yet throughout all the troubles, The Scent of Lilacs is told in a light-hearted way, with interesting, likeable characters in their ordinary lives in a small town.

With its more recent setting, The Scent of Lilacs has more of a nostalgic than historical feel, as a story that could happen today as well as then. The characters, and their relationships with each other, are more central than the background time period. Most importantly, the characters’ Christian faith brings them closer together through the experiences of the summer of ’64.

Above All Earthly Powers: Exciting Conclusion to "Songs in the Night"

Above All Earthly Powers, by Jack Cavanaugh, brings the International Historical Fiction series "Songs in the Night" to a conclusion. The first two books, While Mortals Sleep and His Watchful Eye, told the story of German Christians living in Nazi Germany during the 1940s, up to the end of World War II. Now we revisit the Schumacher family and the "Hadamar Six" children -- over 15 years later, in Communist East Germany.

A strong beginning – August 13 1961, when the Berlin Wall went up – introduces us to the East German characters and their lives in the post-war years. Elyse is now grown-up, and along with her mother (Mady), and Lisette, work in a Soviet-run shoe factory. Elyse and Lisette are vacationing on the west side when the wall goes up, and hence have their first meeting with Park (Colonel Parker, met at the end of the previous book). The scene’s ending seems unexpected and disappointing at first – after all, what East Germans, finding themselves on the free side when the wall happens to go up, would choose to go back behind the wall? Instead, the author tells a story of life behind the wall, which of course requires that the characters return to where the real action is. Still, the story returns often to those moments of freedom -- the great contrast between care-free West Berlin, characterized by Café Lorenz and its sweet confections, and the oppressive life of East Berlin.

We soon meet up with the Hadamar survivors – blind Tomcat, Down’s syndrome Viktor, club-footed Hermann, and Annie and Marlene – now residing at the government-run K-7 facility, under the watchful care of Herr Otto Witzell. Through some interesting plot developments, Tomcat and the others are reunited with Mady, Lisette and Elyse. Soon an even greater reunion of family and friends sets the group on a new mission: escape from Soviet-controlled East Berlin, a life no better than what they had in Hitler’s years.

None of the characters individually stand out as the main character, and we never get a look at strong character development, of really getting inside of one character’s head. Instead, we see the camaraderie between the old friends and their interactions, as the story alternately tells a little about each one. Much like a family reunion, none of the major characters are new, and all the minor characters have direct connections with the original group. Like true family, the reunited characters pick-up right where they left off. Most surprisingly, the younger Hadamar group, parted from the Schumacher family over 15 years before (when they were no more than 5 years old), still clearly remember everyone from those early years.

In keeping with this reunion-type theme, though, we see plenty of relationships resolved – Lisette and Konrad, Mady and her father, and even Mady and Park. We also see new relationships formed, particularly among the younger generation, including Elyse and Tomcat. Before the 1960s story ends, we have met up with all the surviving characters from the previous two books, including brief scenes with Gael, as well as Ernst and his French wife Rachelle. Willi, Konrad’s evil brother, is back for a stronger and even more menacing role.

Despite lack of character depth, the action plot and suspense keeps the story going, and neatly ties up all the loose ends. After wrapping up the 1960s story (1961 through 1963), the overall story of 1989 also has some surprises, and concludes the rest of the story (begun in the first pages of While Mortals Sleep when the Berlin Wall came down in November 1989). Unlike the typical prologue in historical fiction novels, this story directly ties in with the past events, and so through the trilogy we follow the characters over the span of 50 years (1939 to 1989). Above All Earthly Powers brings the focus back full-circle, to the original vision of freedom and hope, of their beloved friend and mentor, Josef Schumacher.

I'll Watch the Moon: An Inspiring Story from Ann Tatlock

It is 1948, and Minnesota (and the rest of the country) is in the midst of a polio epidemic. The situation becomes personal for 9-year-old Nova Tierney when her 14-year-old brother Dewey contracts the dreaded disease. Both children enjoy astronomy and watching the night sky – so when Dewey despairs, looking always at a hospital ceiling, Nova promises him that she will "watch the moon" for him.

Ann Tatlock’s inspiring novel, I’ll Watch the Moon tells a woman’s reminiscences of her life growing up in the post-World War II Midwest. Nova and her brother and mother live with Aunt Dortha, who runs a boarding house in St. Paul, MN. Beyond the close friendship of brother and sister, though, lies a deeper story about Nova’s mother; boarder and Holocaust survivor Josef Karski; and a child who longs for a father.

As with earlier Tatlock novels (such as All the Way Home), this fourth novel is told in a casual first-person style. Nova views the story as an adult piecing together all the pieces: her own memories, plus what her mother later told her before dying of cancer. We are easily drawn into the story and care about the characters, while learning some about polio epidemics, a scary thing before the vaccine was developed. As one who cannot remember the time, it was interesting to learn that – before people knew what caused polio – it was associated with summer activities, especially water and swimming areas. The characters also think the polio epidemic will end when the frost comes, as though it were caused by mosquitoes and killed off by the cold weather. The historical background also tells of the origin of the March of Dimes and FDR’s involvement, as a polio victim himself.

For a Christian novel, the religious element is weak (perhaps to reach a non-Christian audience?). I’ll Watch the Moon contains plenty of references to God, with some attention to the term Providence and its meaning -- but little mention of Christ or Jesus. An emotional incident relayed from Josef to Nova’s mother suggests that a Jewish (non-Christian) Rabbi found hope and something greater than himself (in his circumstances, the Holocaust) – and that is a major lesson learned. The story never goes beyond that point, toward any discussion of Christian beliefs or faith.

Still, this novel has an enjoyable story, a time-slice look at ordinary people in middle America, in the not-too-distant past. The characters, mainly adults, grow and learn from their experiences. The plot brings about a rather surprising and abrupt twist near the end, to show that real life, as in the story, does not always play out the way we expect it to.

Highland Grace: A Moving Conclusion to the Blue Ridge Legacy

Gary Parker’s three-book series, Blue Ridge Legacy, concludes with Highland Grace. Continuing the story of 100-year-old Abby Porter, this final part tells of the Porter family during the years 1945 to 1974. Finally we see where Abby’s great-granddaughter, Lisa, fits into the family tree; and Lisa, the one learning the story from Abby, can make the family faith her own as well.

As begun in Highland Mercies, the previous book, the story now focuses on Abby’s children, as the post-World War II generation takes over from the previous one. Abby and Thaddeus are still around, but more in the background, and brother Daniel is soon removed from the scene. Much of this story revolves around Abby’s wayward younger son, Steve Waterbury. Now that Abby and her generation have their faith in God, the next generation must go through its struggles – and will Steve find his way back home?

The story is told in three sections: 1945 to 1946; 1946 to 195x; and from then to 1974 – but as with multi-generation stories, sometimes many years are skimmed over before more action occurs. Along the way the family lives through the turmoil of those years, including the Korean and Vietnam Wars.

The highlander ways have passed, as the first part of Highland Grace makes clear. This first part concludes lingering plot elements from the first two books: the long-standing conflict with the Clack family; and Daniel’s vow to get back his family’s land (now lost over 30 years before). After a few interesting plot twists, those two problems are resolved, and the story can move forward. Much of the next two sections deal with a familiar story theme: sibling rivalry between two brothers, with an inferior-feeling younger brother envious of the older.

Still, it is interesting to follow the lives of these characters, much like a real family with many relationships to each other. Even another Clack character comes around to play the brief role of villain, in Jim Waterbury’s brother-in-law (his wife’s side of the family). It also is neat to see the story come up to the present, to fit the modern-day Lisa into the picture along with her early life in the 1970s.

Island of Refuge (by Abby Parks): Gripping from Beginning to End

Reviewed by Rita Gerlach
As a child, Tara Madison is given her own island on Tampa Bay. Over the years, her island serves as her refuge. It becomes a place of escape. The tirades of her abusive father are too difficult to bear, and the sorrow of watching her invalid mother waste away leave Tara feeling hopeless and alone.

One night when Tara is a young woman, she rows out to her island in hopes of finding solitude. Instead she finds something she never imagined. It is the eve of World War II, and it has come to invade her private world.

That night, Tara’s world changes forever when she discovers an escaped convict hiding in her island hut. Instead of reporting Tommy to the authorities, Tara insists on helping him prove his innocence.

Island of Refuge reminds me of those 1940's Hemmingway novels made into movies such as Key Largo and To Have and Have Not that, to this day, glue you to your seat. Island of Refuge is a tightly woven suspense mystery. It keeps you questioning with every turn of the page. You suspect that the book is about uncovering Tommy's innocence, but it is much more than that. Tara discovers the Truth that sets her free, and that God will always help those in need of finding it.

I enjoyed this novel very much and highly recommend it. It is a five star piece of literature.

Ms. Parks’ book, Island of Refuge, is published by Publish America. (ISBN: 1-59129-123-2)

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Reviewer's bio: Rita Gerlach is the author The Rebel's Pledge, a romantic historical novel of Colonial times that has been rated at five stars. She writes with an inspirational mindset. She has written several articles for The Christian Communicator Magazine, and is preparing to publish a historical series set prior to the American Revolution. These two new novels are entitled Thorns In Eden and The Everlasting Mountains.

Look for them soon!

Where Hearts Live (by Sara DuBose)

Reviewed by Rita Gerlach
There is something special about the Southern Writer, a special bond with storytelling, a unique style in the weaving of the craft of storytelling.

Sara DuBose is as good a southern writer as one would expect to find. Her unique and heartwarming book, Where Hearts Live, is a gem. She paints a picture of Chantilly, Alabama in the early 1950's that changed my mental picture of the deep south being all swamp and heat. Instead her vivid writing style introduced me to houses with front porch swings, hospitality, and shady magnolia trees, as well to a plethora of characters.

Where Hearts Live is a book for young and old alike. The childhood stories of Mary Lynn take us back to our own childhood, for most of us more than likely experienced similar situations.

Where Hearts Live is filled with characters that are real...much like Twain did in his books. There is the lovable Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Molly, and Grandma Lil, and Preacher Sam, a Burl Ives type pastor, whose sound theology, love for children, and gift for storytelling make him a beloved figure in the community and in Mary Lynn's heart. The book would not have been complete without Mary Lynn's dog, Sir Prize. The dialogue is fresh and believable.

I really loved reading this book. I highly recommend it for a relaxing read. Also it is a good book for young readers. Mom's, try reading this one to your kids before bedtime.

Where Hearts Live is also a book that takes us back to a time when values were valued, when love was the cement that bound families together. Where Hearts Live would make a good movie or play. Do not hesitate to read Ms. DuBose's delightful book. You won't regret it!

Reviewer's bio: Rita Gerlach is the author The Rebel's Pledge, a romantic historical novel of Colonial times. She writes with an inspirational mindset. She has written several articles for The Christian Communicator Magazine, and is preparing to publish two new historical novels in a series, a story of the Revolution, England, and the wilderness of Maryland, entitled Thorns In Eden with the sequel The Everlasting Mountains.

Reviewer's web site: http://users.starpower.net/rpkg/index.htm
Reviewer's email address: rpkg@erols.com

Review of "Treason & Triumph"

Reviewed by Rita Gerlach

At the onset of a war that would leave Europe devastated and the Jewish people raked by the Holocaust of Hate, two women from vastly different worlds, become embroiled in Churchill's plan to thwart the Nazis' plan to produce the first atomic bomb. Trapped in a switch of identity, both women must rely on the traitor to save them.

Treason and Triumph opens with the Spanish Civil War and takes the reader into the nerve center of the Third Reich. It is the late 1930's. Hitler's agenda spreads through Germany like a vile poison. His war machine rages through Europe, bringing insurmountable suffering and destruction, especially to the Jewish people. American journalist, Marla Franklin is sent to cover the war for the London Times. Lady Catherine Rushmore, cousin to Britain's king, is a talented concert pianist forging her way into the heart of England's cultural elite as a talented concert pianist, when she is given an assignment to serve her king and country.

Marla and Catherine are identical in appearance and are recruited into Churchill's Project Amanita. The mission is to penetrate into the heart of the Nazi leadership and carry out a plan of espionage. With patriotic fervor, and unswerving bravery, the two women vow to sacrifice their very lives in order to fulfill their mission along with the Amanita Team.

In the beginning of the story, it is not known that one person on that team is a traitor and spy, a Nazi desirous to see the Nazis win the war and rule the world. As events unfold, suspicions rise. The story continues on a tense pace to discover who the traitor is.

TREASONS & TRIUMPH is a suspenseful World War II thriller. From start start to finish Treason & Triumph is fast paced. Bonnie Toews' novel is not just an entertaining thriller. It is novel that transports the reader into the horrors of World War II. It is vivid in imagery and not for the light hearted reader. Her novel demonstrates a writing skill that all writers should strive for: the ability to tell a story that is real to the reader, and give the reader a greater sense of the duty of mankind. Treason & Triumph shows good and evil, the moral and the immoral. The reader will discover that with there is no greater love than for a man, or woman, to lay his or her life down for a friend. Marla and Catherine are willing to sacrifice their lives in order to save the lives of millions. Treason & Triumph is a compelling story of sacrifice in a time when morals and honor were something of value, challenged by the immorality of Nazi brutality. I highly recommend this book, especially to readers who enjoying stories of WWII. Bonnie Toews knows how to draw a reader in and keep you turning the pages.

Reviewer's bio: Rita Gerlach is the author The Rebel's Pledge, a romantic historical novel of Colonial times. She writes with an inspirational mindset. She has written several articles for The Christian Communicator Magazine, and is preparing to publish a historical series set prior to the American Revolution.

Wallenberg is Here! -- A True Holocaust Story

Carl Steinhouse’s new book, Wallenberg is Here!, tells a fascinating, true story about a "lost hero." Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat of the famed Wallenberg family, used his wits and resources to take on the Nazis in Budapest, Hungary. His efforts saved tens of thousands of Jews from certain death.

Wallenberg is Here! brings a historical story as historical fiction, a novel with dialog, conflict, and suspense. Character contrast is shown between the selfless Wallenberg and his greatest foe, Adolph Eichmann—"the bloodhound" of the Jews. The story gives a detailed chronology; each scene begins with a heading of the date and exact place, even to precise streets or buildings in Buda or Pest, the two parts of Budapest. For further variation, Wallenberg is Here! alternates between short narrative prose describing overall events, scenes involving Wallenberg and his associates, and anecdotal scenes with various individual Jews – some of whom soon perish, others who escape impending destruction, and others who are rescued by Wallenberg.

The horrific story is (of course) similar to others from the Holocaust, with events that call to mind, for example, scenes from the movie "Schindler’s List." In tribute to that now well-known event, the author includes brief dialog referring to Schindler. Though Wallenberg’s story takes place outside the concentration camps, it includes all the other horrors: innocent people shot at random in the streets; Jews herded onto cattle cars; others shot and thrown into the Danube River; and still more marched for miles to the nearest train loading points. As with any book dealing with this subject, Wallenberg is Here! does not make for easy, fun or light reading. But the real world often contains such unpleasant and depressing events, and Wallenberg offers hope in the midst of a terrible situation. Though Wallenberg and his associates are hopelessly outnumbered, they do what they can, giving protective custody with Swedish Schutzpasses to thousands. As the persecution intensifies, and anarchy reigns in the new Hungarian "Arrow Cross" government, all Wallenberg can do is put out small fires in a blazing forest – jumping from one emergency to another, and the reader feels the hopelessness of the situation. Yet from the many Jews saved from each crisis, spreads the whisper "Wallenberg is here."

Steinhouse concludes the intriguing "hero" story with its tragic aftermath, in which Wallenberg quickly disappeared behind the Iron Curtain. Unbeknownst even to Wallenberg, a new Cold War had begun even before the "hot war" had ended, by January 1945. Having told a great, true story from history, the author adds a call for action – for the U.S. government and the world to learn the rest of the story from the former Soviet Union.

Somewhere A Song: Follow-Up to Pella's "Written on the Wind"

Somewhere A Song, the sequel to Judith Pella's Written on the Wind, begins immediately where the last book ended. Soon all three Hayes daughters--Cameron, Blair, and Jackie--hear the news of the attack on Pearl Harbor -- December 7, 1941. Cameron has just returned to the Soviet Union; Blair has been living in the Philippines for a few weeks; and Jackie continues her life in Los Angeles. The story covers events of the next six months, until June 1942.

Though the book opens and closes on Cameron's life, Blair's story is the most exciting and developed one. After all, as Cameron knows too, the action is now in the Pacific. Blair matures through her hardships, as she faces evacuation from Manila, separation from Gary due to the war, and then a rough lifestyle in the wilderness of the Philippines. Later she and some friends live for a while with Christian missionaries in a remote area. The once-spoiled "glamour girl" learns to survive by depending on God, noting that He always provides others to help her along.

Cameron, meanwhile, has changed her attitude from religious indifference to outright hostility. Her harsh attitude poses irreconcilable differences with Alex--her recent romantic interest--and his new-found Christian faith. The story of Cameron's Russian half-brother is developed more, with a few tantalizing clues for Cameron as well as the reader -- again to await further development in the next book. As in the first book, Cameron's American journalist and Russian friends are back in their minor roles, including the Fedorcenko family. Fans of Pella's "The Russians" series can appreciate these minor characters in this new "Daughters of Fortune" series, with a glimpse at the later years of Anna Yevnovna, her son and grandchildren.

Jackie's story is again too brief (another excellent storyline), but includes more of her relationship with a Japanese-American man, Sam, and a surprising outcome. As hostilities increase in California, towards Japanese after Pearl Harbor, Jackie and Sam must decide what's most important in their lives. This part of Somewhere A Song also discusses the internment camps for Japanese-Americans, a subject also dealt with in another recent Bethany House historical novel (All the Way Home, by Ann Tatlock).

Somewhere A Song is another excellent addition to Judith Pella's "Daughters of Fortune" series. Building on the events from the first novel, it continues several interesting plot developments. Again, several story elements are left hanging, for the reader to eagerly await the next book.

New Trailblazer Books: Blinded by the Shining Path and

The Trailblazer Book series, for young readers (ages 8 – 12) introduces two new stories about boys living in vastly different societies and parts of the world, both of whom are impacted by the Christian missionary of their time.

In Blinded by the Shining Path, the authors present a more contemporary story, about present-day evangelical Christianity in Peru. The story takes place only ten years ago, in 1992, with a plot loosely based on true events in the life of Romulo Saune (pronounced ROW-muh-low SOUW-nyay), evangelist to Peru. The story is told from the viewpoint of 14-year-old Alfredo Garcia, peasant boy and reluctant member of the violent communist group, The Shining Path. After an action suspense beginning, Alfredo soon tells his story -- much of the book in first person -- of events that led up to this point in the story. Through Alfredo the reader learns about Peruvian Indians, specifically the Quechua tribe from the Andes Mountains, and their many hardships: poverty and crime from the roving bandits. Current-day evangelistic work is mentioned, including the well-known Jesus film and its role in spreading the gospel to the people of Peru. As usual, notes at the beginning and end of this Trailblazer book tell more about the missionary and his life. Since this story takes place so recently, the book also includes a follow-up, of events since Romulo's death in 1992.

Risking the Forbidden Game presents life in the Muslim world in 1925. Jamal is a twelve-year-old Arab boy living in Morocco during the French occupation. Living amidst soldiers of the French Foreign Legion, Jamal and his friend, Hameem, begin a daring game. They collect items from the foreigners, or infidels – and whoever acquires the most "points" from items collected, wins. Jamal starts collecting Jesus pictures from the American missionary Maude Cary, but soon realizes that the pictures tell a story. He finds himself challenged with the message that the nice missionary lady tells, and torn between his Muslim upbringing and what he learns about Jesus. The historical situation includes a rebellion by Muslim soldiers (under Abd el-Krim) against the French rulers, and the uncertainty: who will win control of Morocco?

Risking the Forbidden Game is also a good introduction for children, of the day-to-day life of Muslim children -- who have many rules and restrictions placed on them. Yet Jamal and Hameem come across as ordinary children, who go to school most days of the week but enjoy their playtime – and sometimes get into trouble for missing their morning prayers. Much of the story occurs during Ramadan, in April of 1925, and Jamal may go hungry if he wakes up too late to eat before the sun comes up. (Muslims cannot eat during the day for the month of Ramadan). Notes at the book’s end tell more about Maude Cary’s missionary work, which spanned the first fifty years of the 20^th century. As told afterwards, three main characters – Jamal, Hameem, and a French Foreign Legion soldier – are loosely based on actual people impacted by Maude Cary’s work.

Both of these Trailblazer books, Blinded by the Shining Path and Risking the Forbidden Game are excellent additions to the ever-expanding children’s series, with adventure and positive character development, and should especially appeal to young boys.

His Watchful Eye: German Christians During World War II

His Watchful Eye, Jack Cavanaugh's sequel to the Christy-Award winning While Mortals Sleep, begins three years after the first book ends, in the fall of 1943, and continues until the war's end in April 1945. This story has a decidedly darker tone. Though Hitler reigned in the first book, Berlin had not yet seen the devastation of war and harder times. Now young German men march through Russia, terrorizing peasants and slogging through winter mud. Berlin, too, is a bombed-out shell of its former greatness.

Josef Schumacher, the main character in the first book, has only a minor role now. Three years after his torture at Hadamar, where the Nazis cruelly experimented on his body, Josef is now a shell of a man, slowly dying. The young people he once pastored now take on primary roles, and we get a glimpse of life as experienced by Konrad, Lisette, and Ernst. Konrad quickly becomes disillusioned by the war in his infantry experiences on the Russian front, where his friend Neff soon dies. Ernst works as a research scientist, enjoys testing rockets and is acquainted with Von Braun. Lisette stays with Mady and Joseph, caring for several misfit, handicapped children at their "Ramah Cabin" in the countryside near Berlin. Konrad in particular changes his views, providing lots of angst (for the reader as well as other characters) as the former killer determines a new, non-violent approach. But just how far can or should he take his new vow to never again kill, when he also needs to protect his friends?

The 1989 Prologue story continues from the first book, tantalizing the reader with a few more clues to the characters' future fate. The prologue also makes more sense after reading the full novel -- which introduces more of the characters who will be reunited years later. Yet, though the intriguing, but short, 1989 story leaves a cliffhanger, His Watchful Eye appears to wrap things to a close. So a third book in this series appears uncertain. The combination of past events and the meeting at the Berlin Wall build strong curiosity, in any case. What happens next to our friends, after World War II and during those Cold War years in communist East Germany?

His Watchful Eye follows in the great style of Cavanaugh’s historical fiction, with an interesting and adventurous story supported by characters with strong friendships, and even some romance. The war without, and a personal, determined enemy keep the suspense building up toward a strong finale as Allied troops approach Berlin in the spring of 1945.

The Hope Before Us: Conclusion to World War II Series

Elyse Larson's "Women of Valor" series concludes with its third installment, The Hope Before Us.

Set in France during the fall of 1944, this book looks at France shortly after the Occupation, the early days of liberation. The war is not over yet, and indeed the characters see action that would later be known as the "Battle of the Bulge," but the Germans are generally on the run. Into this setting come Marge and Em Emerson, two sisters ages 24 and 22, from Oklahoma. Marge is a nurse recently assigned to a hospital near the front lines, in France near Belgium. Em works as a press correspondent in Paris, but soon takes on additional employment with the OSS, or Secret Services.

Marge's life gives the view at the front lines -- the horrors of war, including its impact on civilians. Yet she meets David, who as a conscientious objector serves as a medic, and is inspired by his godly attitude.

Em lives the life of danger, often taking chances in her drive to get good stories -- which she usually does. Through her the reader learns about the many risks taken by ordinary citizens of France as they worked for the Resistance movement. With her winsome style, she even witnesses the beauty of the Alps by bicycle as she traces routes taken across enemy lines.

The story alternates between Marge's nurse work and Em's adventures, providing more romance in Marge's story and more edge-of-your-seat adventure through Em's life. After establishing Marge's routine life, as contrasted with Em's journalistic adventures, action builds for an exciting, tense climax when the two sisters are united and together perform a daring rescue.

History covered includes the war in Europe from the fall of 1944 until January of 1945, a time when the Nazis continue retreating from France. The Allies have liberated much of France and now push into Belgium as well as into Germany, winning Aachen in October. But then the Germans pushed back in December, suddenly reclaiming areas previously liberated, in what would become known as the Battle of the Bulge.

Though the last in a three-part series, The Hope Before Us reads as a stand-alone novel. The previous two books in the series featured different main characters, and now a new set of "women of valor" are introduced for this separate story. After reading this book, I look forward to the previous two books, and wish there could be additional stories. With the two sisters still involved in the war at the book's end, January 1945, so much more could still be told.

Highland Mercies: Blue Ridge Legacy Continues

Gary Parker's "Blue Ridge Legacy" continues the story of Abby Porter, who in the first book, Highland Hopes, grew up in the Blue Ridge mountains of western North Carolina in the early 20^th century. Now Abby continues her story immediately where it left off, in the fall of 1929. After seeing some closure in the first book -- Abby reconciled to her father just before his death, and Daniel getting the money to buy back the family land -- the Porter clan is thrown into chaos. The Great Depression has arrived even in Blue Springs, and quickly all the Porter members lose their life savings when the banks fail.

As with the first book, Highland Mercies captures the heart and spirit of the proud Highlanders. In this book, which tells of the years 1929 to 1945, modern life has caught up even to the folk of Blue Ridge, with all the conveniences of cars, electricity and telephones. A time and place reminiscent of "The Waltons," the rural Highlanders face Prohibition, hard economic times, and then the shock of Pearl Harbor and World War II.

Yet even more so than the background setting, the characters themselves enrich Highland Mercies. Once again, Parker's characters exhibit great depth and show clear contrasts in how they respond to life's problems. Abby Porter Waterbury matures, no longer the ambitious young person determined to forever leave Blue Springs and make something of her life. Now, as she faces marital problems and raising two boys to adulthood, Abby realizes that a time must come to give up her own dreams so that others can enjoy theirs. Her faith is more mature and real now, not a mere emotional experience at conversion (yet which showed little evidence in her life). The hard times in her own life mirror that of the country mired in the Depression, and now her true character comes through, one depending on God to care for her and her loved ones.

Just as the hard times prove Abby's heart of faith, so they will test other characters, and find them wanting. Abby's husband Steve, who already showed signs of weakness in the first novel, not surprisingly develops even greater problems when demand for lawyers dries up. Daniel Porter, married with young children, at first seems able to withstand the hardships. After all, he has always been able to take care of himself and family as long as he could work hard. He never had a problem with being lazy or taking to "the doublings" (liquor). Yet as the years and problems accumulate, Daniel seems unable to let go of the past, such as his dream to buy back the land. Perhaps his confidence has been in himself, not in God, and now the temptation of alcohol rings stronger.

Other characters are back, including the ever-troublesome Clack family, for more clan conflict. Abby's stepmother Elsa, and half-brother Solomon (Elsa's son) have larger roles as well, and it is exciting to follow their lives through the years. Appropriately enough, too, Abby's sons become part of the story in later years, perhaps setting the stage for the next book in this enriching series. Highland Mercies is a strong follow-up in the "Blue Ridge Legacy," and I look forward to the next book in the series.

Freedom Trap: "Promise of Zion" Book 5

Robert Elmer's "Promise of Zion" series continues with the recently released 5^th book, Freedom Trap. (The author announces in this book that the series will finish with the next book, True Betrayer.)

This book finds Emily on the island of Cypress, visiting the Jews at the refugee camp run by the British. Remembering a promise she made to Dov -- to do anything she could to find his parents -- she continues her search for Dov's mother. Dov, meanwhile, has returned to the Old City Jewish Quarter with his brother Natan. Arabs bomb the area daily, and soon Dov finds himself living in a crowded apartment with a Jewish family and nearly a dozen small girls from a nearby (now destroyed) orphanage. Soon we see a new side of Dov, who now considers others, not just himself. Somehow he must get the orphans to safety.

While the British pull up their final stakes, in a hurry to leave the area, the Arabs mercilessly attack the Jews--who will soon declare their new nation of Israel. Emily, too, sees the harsh reality along a highway from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem: cars and trucks wrecked everywhere along the road, and groups of Arabs from the hillsides above waiting to attack any more non-British vehicles.

As in the previous books, Elmer tells a thrilling action-adventure with great historical detail. This book introduces additional elements of 1948 Palestine, including life in the refugee camp, where the British have detained thousands of Jews who sought a new home in Israel. Though nothing like the Nazi concentration camps, conditions are harsh and many Jews die of diseases such as tuberculosis. Another historical detail, a hanging trolley run by cables above Jerusalem, provides an interesting plot-device (though the author notes that this train did not in fact exist until later that year).

Freedom Trap is another excellent book for young people, and a book that sparks interest in the real historical events of Israel's founding in the late 1940s.

"Promise of Zion" Series for Young Readers: Books 3 and 4

Previous reviews have told of the first two books in Robert Elmer’s "Promise of Zion" series. Now, a look at books three and four in the series:

In Refugee Treasure, the third book in Robert Elmer's "Promise of Zion" series for young readers, Dov Zalinsky wanders the streets of Jerusalem in search of his family. He soon meets an Arab Christian man, and finds himself involved with his new friend's problems. Mr. Bin-Jazzi has some newly discovered, ancient scrolls, and Arab men will stop at nothing to steal the scrolls. Dov finds many adventures as he explores Jerusalem and helps hide the scrolls.

Meanwhile, Emily Parkinson is back with her parents in Jerusalem. Many British families have already left the country due to the political problems, and now the Parkinsons want to send Emily away by the end of the year as well. Emily, though, does not want to leave what is, after all, her home; she hardly remembers her birth country. She also cannot stop thinking about Dov Zalinsky, and begins her own investigation to find the boy's parents.

Refugee Treasure shows the beginning signs of growth and maturity in the main two characters. Hardened, stubborn Dov is now more willing to accept help from others. Emily is no longer the naïve, trusting child who only believes what her daddy has told her. Now her eyes are opened more to the plight of Jews such as poor Dov and others less fortunate than she. Accordingly, the two children get along better when they finally meet again, having both matured through their experiences.

Whereas the previous book, Peace Rebel, covered a time period of less than two weeks, this third story covers the next few months, from September through November 1947. It is a turbulent period in Palestine, with the British announcing their withdrawal from the area that September. Then on November 29, 1947, the United Nations votes to allow a new state of Israel. Dov and Emily are part of the adventure, a time of history making. Radio broadcasts in the story's background are taken from the actual words of those BBC broadcasts. The Dead Sea Scrolls were also discovered this same year, and a minor character is introduced who in fact had the scrolls in his care during this time period.

The fourth book in the "Promise of Zion" series, Brother Enemy, continues the ongoing story of Dov Zalinski and Emily Parkinson, thirteen-year-olds in Palestine in the late 1940s.

Several months have passed since the day the UN voted for a state of Israel, and Arab violence against the Jews has escalated. In the spring of 1948, Dov sneaks over to the Wailing Wall – in Arab disguise – and still encounters trouble. Jews are no longer safe in the Arab quarter, where Dov once lived with Mr. Bin-Jazzi, an Arab Christian. Soon Dov finds himself back in the Jewish quarter, working with the Hagenah, the Jewish volunteer army. Then he gets involved with radio technology and broadcasts for Israel’s cause, while continuing his search for his older brother, Natan.

Emily, previously determined to stay in Jerusalem, watches as the city she loves erupts in violence that touches her own life as well. Her mother lives in fear, never leaving their house, and Emily is forced to realize her own selfishness – and how she can make her mother happy. Thus she comes to accept the inevitable of going "home" to England.

Historic events in Brother Enemy include an urban bombing near a shopping center – based on two actual bombings from the time – as well as the Hagenah’s battle against Arabs near a small town.

Both Refugee Treasure and Brother Enemy are enjoyable and educational. The stories provide great action adventure with a rich historical setting, complete with author notes and suggestions for learning more about the historical period.

Peace Rebel: Young Teen “Promise of Zion” Continues

Robert Elmer’s Peace Rebel picks up the exciting story begun in Promise Breaker, this time focusing more directly on Dov Zalinski and Emily Parkinson. Dov is finally in Palestine, having been pushed off his ship and rescued from the waters by Emily Parkinson. Before long, the two children are gathered and sent with other refugees to a kibbutz (Jewish farm).

Emily is quite upset at being separated from her father and having to suffer the humiliating experiences of illegal Jews. Indignant and impatient, she tries to take matters into her own hands when it seems no one else will help take her back to her parents. However, she soon gets more than she expected and finds her life in danger.

Dov quickly becomes restless with life at the kibbutz, and also seeks a way out, to find his long-lost parents in Jerusalem. His anger and stubbornness often get the best of him, pulling him away from those who try to help him. Dov’s and Emily’s experiences pull them together, to friendship in spite of their differences.

Peace Rebel introduces new characters while omitting several main characters from the previous book, such as Emily’s parents and other relatives. Henrik Melchior, a Danish boy about 15 or 16, enjoys life on the kibbutz. A friendly, outgoing boy who tries to help Dov and Emily, Henrik is a Jewish Christian with a heart for Jewish refugees, desiring to tell them of the “Peace Rebel,” Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus). Readers of Robert Elmer’s previous children’s series, “The Young Underground,” will enjoy this follow-up about Henrik, one of the main characters in that World War II series.

Other interesting characters in Peace Rebel include a group of American tourists, an event based on an actual visit by such tourists to the Holy Land in 1947. This story includes more background about the Jewish terrorists of the time, who sought violent means to force Britain’s hand and allow Jews to come to Israel. Along the way, Dov is tempted. Should he follow the way of peace, or the way of war and violence?

Peace Rebel brings another exciting action-packed episode to the “Promise of Zion” series, with another cliff-hanging end to be picked up in a third book. Currently the first four books in this series have been published, with a 5th one due out in March 2002.

Promise Breaker: A Young Teen Look at Israel in 1947

Robert Elmer’s “Promise of Zion” series for pre-teens and young teenagers tells the story of Israel becoming a nation shortly after World War II. It is Europe and Palestine, 1947, and many Jews that survived the holocaust find themselves unwelcome in many European countries. Many end up in displaced persons camps, and Palestine’s allure is strong. The British rule the place of so much controversy, and use their military might to keep illegal immigrants out. But a few still manage to sneak into the country.

Promise Breaker, the first book in the series, introduces 13-year-old Dov Zalinski, a Polish Jew abandoned by his parents at the outbreak of World War II, when he was only 5. Years of life in an orphanage, followed by Nazi work camps, have hardened the boy, who trusts no one and insists he can get by on his own. His parents long ago promised that the family would move to Jerusalem. Now, stuck in a camp for displaced orphans, Dov decides to run away and find his family, whether they be in Warsaw or Jerusalem.

Emily Parkinson, also age 13, has lived in Jerusalem with her family since age 5. The only child of British Major Parkinson, Emily is spoiled and demanding. She always knows how to get what she wants from her father, but this year her actions will get her into more problems than her father can rescue her from.

The action-adventure story alternately follows the lives of Dov and Emily, showing both sides of the difficult situation. Through Dov, we encounter the Mossad, a Jewish group which sent its agents throughout Europe, helping Jews travel to “Eretz Israel,” and the difficulties that Jewish traveling groups faced. Emily’s father portrays the hard-line British military stance, determined to stop the immigrant ships. Fiery-tempered and lacking compassion, he assumes that all the incoming Jews are violent and connected with recent terrorism, such as hotel bombings. To make for interesting family relationships, the Major’s brother, Anthony, is married to a Jewish Christian woman. Emily unquestioningly trusts her father, yet wonders at things she sees at Uncle Anthony’s home.

The action-packed story never lets up, with an entertaining story suitable for pre-teens and young teens, showing life for holocaust survivors --without the many horrifying events of the death camps. Dov clearly suffers, trying hard not to remember the past. The author adds interesting background notes at the end, telling which parts of the story are true, and sources for further information. The character of Dov Zalinski was based on many events that happened to an actual Jewish Holocaust survivor, and the author interviewed him in preparation for the “Promise of Zion” series.

Hidden Places: A Farm Family During the Great Depression

Hidden Places, a historical fiction novel by Lynn Austin, vividly relates the struggles and hidden secrets of a farm family in the early 1930s. Eliza Wyatt, recently widowed with three young children, finds herself in charge of the Wyatt family orchard. Though embittered against God, she has followed the advice of her late husband's Aunt "Batty" to pray for an angel-and it seems God has brought such a messenger, someone to help with the difficult work. Yet the stranger, Gabriel Harper, seems to be less than forthright about himself and his past.

Everyone in the Deer Springs community is struggling, with land and farming equipment selling for pennies. Hobos ride the railroads and trespass on people's land, often begging for a meal in exchange for work. The local bank is closing, requiring all mortgages to be paid in full, including a loan on the Wyatt Orchard. To make matters worse, Eliza soon learns that she and her children do not even have legal ownership of the farm. Her husband Sam died before his father, and Frank Wyatt's will has left everything to his oldest son, Matthew. However, no one has seen Matthew in over ten years, since the Great War.

Eliza takes in the stranger, Gabe, who shows up at her doorstep, then nurses him through a bad "lockjaw" infection. Meanwhile, neighboring Aunt Batty (Betty, who sometimes seems crazy, or "batty") must move into the farmhouse when her roof collapses under the weight of snow, and she brings her half-blind ugly dog and fat cats with her, to add to the hectic madhouse. Aunt Batty's high-spirited joy uplifts the others, for added comic relief, though Eliza amusingly wonders if her children will become as crazy as Aunt Batty.

Eliza is determined to hold onto the orchard, for her children's sake. But that means keeping the farm going, while coming up with $500 and solving the mystery of Matthew Wyatt's whereabouts. Eliza soon discovers the family's dark secrets, while struggling inside with her own secret past, her own lies.

Through first person narratives, alternating between Eliza and Aunt Batty, comes an enriching story with strong characters and plot twists. Though many of the events takes place in the characters' past, in the 1890s and early 1900s, the issues are controversial, serious ones even by today's standards: children conceived out of wedlock; child abuse; attempted murder/suicide; even apparent identity theft. A family situation pulled straight from the Biblical story of Joseph and his brothers yields a similarly tragic result. Several characters deal with anger towards their fathers, yet can now hope for reconciliation.

Yet Hidden Places is not merely an emotional "soap opera" devoid of day-to-day troubles. The story also provides rich detail of the everyday working life of farmers, by an author clearly familiar with work. In the late winter, Eliza learns how to properly prune the fruit trees: to cut the newer branches "that take energy away from the fruit-bearing limbs," to open up the tree's center and allow light through to help ripen the fruit. Gabe sharpens the saw blades, operates a grindstone, and arranges for nearby hobos to carry off the larger pieces of brush for their bonfires. Later, when the radio announces a freeze warning, the whole family--even the youngest child, four year-old Becky--pitches in to make "smudge pots" with oil and corn cobs to keep the trees warm, staying up all night to replenish the oil as needed. A full year's work includes taking produce to market to get the best price, as well as various stages of harvest (first the cherries, later the peaches, pears and apples) for which temporary workers are hired; followed by canning the many fruits and vegetables for the winter ahead. Many conversations take place in the midst of work, as the characters get to know each other better, each becoming part of a smooth-running team operating in perfect symmetry.

Through the unfolding story, the Wyatt characters come alive to the reader, taking on their own identity as we relate to their problems, their hopes and dreams. Eliza and her family and friends remind us again of the importance of family and a place to call home.

For further information. see Lynn Austin's website

The Swan House: Early 1960s Atlanta

Elizabeth Musser's new book, The Swan House, introduces Mary Swan Middleton, a sixteen-year-old girl growing up in Atlanta, Georgia in the early 1960s. Mary Swan has enjoyed a privileged life in the ritzy Buck Head section of town, with all the advantages of wealth including private girls' prep school, society dinners and dances, and a black maid to keep the house in order. Yet in this coming of age story, Mary finds her life torn apart by tragedy and a struggle to bring meaning to her life.

The historical account of the 1962 Paris plane crash, in which over a hundred Atlantans returning from an art tour perished, sets the stage. Mary's mother was on the plane, and the accident sends Mary's world tumbling. When Ella Mae, the family's black maid, suggests that Mary help out others as a way to overcome her depression, Mary discovers a whole new world on the other side of town. Grant Park is a rough, inner-city neighborhood, where every Saturday Mt. Carmel church serves spaghetti lunches to the poor. Yet Carl Matthews, a streetwise black teen, has something that Mary doesn't have. From him and the other blacks in Grant Park she finds both poverty and love, including God's love that goes beyond prejudice.

A school dare, a mystery that Mary must try to solve during the school year, drives the story along. In the process, Mary uncovers the truth about her mother, an artist who suffered from depression. At the same time she encounters the world around her, a world of racial prejudice as well as the hypocrisy and superficiality of the wealthy world. Through Carl Matthews and best friend Rachel Abrams comes discrimination against blacks and Jews respectively. Even Mary's boyfriend Robbie, from a "good family," chafes at the restrictions and high expectations placed on him by his father.

In this turbulent time of the Civil Rights movement, Carl and his friends follow the news of the day, including the incident at University of Mississippi that year, when a black student registers at the all-white school despite the protests. At various times in the story, Carl and his friends attend Civil Rights meetings, are beat up by whites while leaving church, and perform as a band for the "fancy white clubs" in Buck Head.

Part-child, part confused adolescent, Mary Swan enjoys reciting classical poetry and "corrupting" poems with silly rhyming lines, staying up late playing poetry trivia with Rachel. She also eagerly joins her 13-year-old brother Jimmy in schemes to keep rich women (who only want his money) away from daddy, while longing for a closer relationship to her busy and aloof daddy.

Other interesting characters include Miss Abigail, the Christian woman who gave up her wealthy life to live and work in the inner-city, first in Detroit and now Atlanta. Through association with her, Mary learns of the generous help that other wealthy ladies have given to Grant Park, and discovers the reason for Miss Abigail's joy. The Middleton's next door neighbor Trixie also helps out the family, having been close friends with Mary's mother and now someone that Mary can turn to.

The author grew up in Atlanta and currently works as a missionary in France; The Swan House provides a strong background of both places. Coca-Cola and its Atlanta legacy is here, as is the higher society of art appreciation, the influential Atlantans who would bring greater art and culture to the city; also Georgia Tech football games. Many prominent locations are actual historic places in Atlanta, including the Swan House (now open to tours), the High Museum (now part of the Woodruff museums) and Oakland Cemetery. According to the author's notes, a church in Grant Park continues to provide spaghetti meals to the poor every week. Even the Varsity, a fast-food teen hangout, is an actual place still in existence today. Sprinkled throughout are French words and phrases, courtesy of Mary's mother who was part French. Mary enjoys many days in her mother's Atelier (art studio), and makes many references to French painting styles. Painting, she realizes, is good therapy as well as a talent she has inherited from her mother.

It is indeed Mary Swan's story, told in first person from the present day (summer of 2000) perspective while visiting with her daughter Abbie. Mary takes a fresh look back, telling her story to Abbie with fond remembrances of that year, 1962 to 1963.