Twenty and Ten - Claire Bishop (1952)

Title: Twenty and Ten

Author: Claire Huchet Bishop

Genre: Historical fiction

Published: 1952

Number of pages: 78

Recommended for: Elementary school kids

Summary: (official) Looking for a story about courage to read to your child? One that instills character by virtue of its essence, and not by sermonizing? I always am, and this old favorite (read to me when I was nine) is luckily still in print.During the Nazi occupation of France, twenty ordinary French kids in a boarding school agree to hide ten Jewish children Then German soldiers arrive. Will the children be able to withstand the interrogation and harassment?

Twenty and Ten is based on a true story -- one of many similar incidents that took place all over Europe during World War II. It is a book that has much to say to children of any age.

Content Review

Sexual content: None.

Profanity: None.

Violence: Very minimal and done in a kid-friendly, appropriate manner

Drug content: None.

My opinion: Based on a true story, Twenty and Ten is about twenty fifth-grade French children who take in ten Jewish children during the Nazi occupation of France in 1944.

The story opens up and is told from the view of a young girl named Janet. She begins saying she wanted to write because she doesn't want to forget "it" when she becomes older.

She and a few other children are playing the Flight of Egypt, with Joseph, Mary, and Jesus fleeing King Herod. The game soon ends in a fight, and the children are called inside where a refugee sits. The refugee basically tells them they have to hide ten Jewish orphans, because, like Jesus, they are being persecuted and the Nazis are like Herod's soldiers.

The children, anxious for some adventure and "real life" instead of "make believe" willingly offer their help and promise not to say anything.

Through some rationed chocolate, the children stumble across a hidden cave, and that becomes their secret hiding place.

-

The storyline is similar to Newbery winner Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. Girl gets thrown into dangerous situation with the Nazis, and then girl has to do something extremely brave - and alone. The writing was nothing special, and I didn't really connect with the characters. I also would have liked to know more about the real characters. However, it is written in a way that grown-ups normally talk to kids, and has a slight Christian background. There was nothing in here I found kids would be REALLY scared of. Overall, this is an inspiring story of bravery in the midst of evil.

Life Code - Dr. Phil McGraw (2013)

Title: Life Code: The New Rules For Living in the Real World

Author: Dr. Phil McGraw

Genre: Advice

Published: 2013

Number of Pages: 244

Recommended for: Teenagers and adults

Summary: (official) In Life Code: The New Rules for Winning in the Real World, six-time New York Times #1 best-selling author Dr. Phil McGraw abandons traditional thinking and tells you the ugly truth about the users, abusers, and overall “bad guys” we all have in our lives. He also reveals the secrets of how they think and how they get to and exploit you and those you love.  Dr. Phil abandons convention to prepare you to claim what you deserve and claim it now.

Content Review

Sexual content: Some minor stuff.

Profanity: Some bleeped out quotes.

Violence: None.

Drug content: None.

My opinion: I love watching Dr. Phil and lately, all he has been talking about is Life Code "that my son published!" I liked some of the excerpts he used in the show, and I don't know anyone who doesn't have a BAITER (backstabbers, abusers, imposters, takers, exploiters, reckless) in their life.

~

The first part talks about BAITERs, and how to identify them. The second part is the new "playbook" and strengthening YOURSELF. The final chapter talks about protecting/raising your children in this world.

This is the first self-help book I've ever read. The first chapter is pretty boring, as he mostly rambles about why he wrote the book. If you get bored, don't give the book up - because it gets much better. I really enjoyed the first parts, which were about BAITERs and I loved the final chapter. The middle got a little boring, but I think that was because a lot of it didn't apply to me. My child isn't getting bullied (I don't have kids), nobody in my family is a drug addict, and I am not in a abusive relationship (I'm single). Nevertheless, it would still be useful to people in those situations. This book is packed with very useful information and advice.

I would very highly recommend this book.

The Invisible Wall - Harry Bernstein (2007)

Title: The Invisible Wall: A Love Story That Broke Barriers
Author: Henry Bernstein
Genre: Historical memoir
Published: 2007
Number of Pages: 300
Recommended for: 13+
Summary: (official) The narrow street where Harry Bernstein grew up, in a small English mill town, was seemingly unremarkable. It was identical to countless other streets in countless other working-class neighborhoods of the early 1900s, except for the “invisible wall” that ran down its center, dividing Jewish families on one side from Christian families on the other. Only a few feet of cobblestones separated Jews from Gentiles, but socially, it they were miles apart.
On the eve of World War I, Harry’s family struggles to make ends meet. His father earns little money at the Jewish tailoring shop and brings home even less, preferring to spend his wages drinking and gambling. Harry’s mother, devoted to her children and fiercely resilient, survives on her dreams: new shoes that might secure Harry’s admission to a fancy school; that her daughter might marry the local rabbi; that the entire family might one day be whisked off to the paradise of America.
Then Harry’s older sister, Lily, does the unthinkable: She falls in love with Arthur, a Christian boy from across the street.
When Harry unwittingly discovers their secret affair, he must choose between the morals he’s been taught all his life, his loyalty to his selfless mother, and what he knows to be true in his own heart.
A wonderfully charming memoir written when the author was ninety-three, The Invisible Wall vibrantly brings to life an all-but-forgotten time and place. It is a moving tale of working-class life, and of the boundaries that can be overcome by love.

Content Review

Sexual content: None, really. I mean, nothing that would really offend anyone. A circumcision is told in somewhat detail.
Profanity: "Bloody 'ell" hell, one use of s***, b***ard. Racial slurs.
Violence: Jews are beat up, Henry's father goes into rages, smacks Lily, and pulls her hair on one occasion. Nothing super serious.
Drug content: Henry's father is a drunken idiot.

My opinion: I don't have a little brother, but if I did, I would want him to be like Harry. A librarian recommended this to me, knowing how much I like this kind of stuff and I was not disappointed.
(some minor spoilers included)
What makes the story the most is the people. I mean, the way their religion, background, and personality.
Harry - a sweet little Jewish boy who tells the story
Lily - Harry's intelligent Socialist sister, who has been deeply in love with a Christian since she was 12. (the character I felt most sorry for)
Arthur Forshaw - Christian boy in love with Lily, who fought in WWI
Harry's Mom - like any mother, who wants the best for her children and always trying to make ends meet.
Harry's Dad - a big jerk who doesn't care about his family, and who drinks and smokes and doesn't ever acknowledge his family
Rose - Harry's snotty sister who acts like her Dad
Sarah - Jewish girl sent to Australia for kissing a Christian boy
Freddy - Christian boy who Sarah kissed, goes to war, loses both his legs, and commits suicide
As a Christian who has been passionately curious about Judaism, hearing stories of Christian anti-Semitism make me so angry!! I can completely see why Jews don't approve of inter-marry. Jews have been persecuted for quite some time, and they want to keep their religion and traditions. This book (and some parts of Fiddler on the Roof) tell just how important keeping traditions are to them.
I think perhaps (in some cases, such as the two mentioned in the book) they take it a little to far, but I can see their point of view.
Anyways, the title seems to really fit the story. I mean, 2 rows of houses on the same street - each acting like the other doesn't exist? And then it is a love story that seems to tear off a few bricks on that invisible wall. Towards the end, the wall lowers, and is only a few feet high - the two sides can see each other, and are so much closer than ever before, but there is still a wall. And in the end, it is a baby who tears down the wall.
I would recommend it to high schoolers and up. There are some difficult sentences and I don't think anyone younger would get the plot enough to enjoy it.

If the plot sounds interesting, you definitely won't be disappointed. Harry has also written 2 sequels which I will definitely try.

A Coal Miner's Bride - Susan Campbell Bartoletti (2000)

Title: A Coal Miner's Bride: The Diary of Anetka Kaminska (Dear America; Lattimer, Pennsylvania, 1896)

Author: Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Genre: Historical fiction

Published: 2000

Number of Pages: 219

Recommended for: 10+

Summary: A diary account of thirteen-year-old Anetka's life in Poland in 1896, immigration to America, marriage to a coal miner, widowhood, and happiness in finally finding her true love.

Content Review

Sexual content: A few references to kissing, love, etc. Nothing major.

Profanity: None. 

Violence: This is a fictional account of the Lattimer Massacre. Some minimal violence.

Drug content: Drinking, whiskey, and cigarettes are mentioned.

My opinion: A Coal Miner's Bride is the diary of a young Polish girl who goes to America after her future husband, who she has never met, pays her fare. Her future husband, Stanley, has three little girls and his wife had died in childbirth. However a romance blossoms between Anetka and a soldier, Leon, who she claims not to like but anyone who has read a romance before knows they're in love. Leon as well as Anetka's little brother Josef go to America to be with their Papa, leaving behind Poland and all they have ever known.

The story was interesting, the characters were realistic (with flaws) and believable, and it tells the little known story of the Lattimer Massacre. The ending was sad, and it had an Epilogue which read like a nonfiction, with everyone's obituary which was kinda depressing. The ending included more information about the time period, pictures, and a pronunciation guide to some Polish words in the book.

Kisses From Katie - Katie Davis (2011)

Title: Kisses From Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption 

Author: Katie Davis with Beth Clark

Genre: Christian memoir

Published: 2011

Number of Pages: 288

Recommended for: 12+ (mostly junior high and up)

Summary: (Official) What would cause an eighteen-year-old senior class president and homecoming queen from Nashville, Tennessee, to disobey and disappoint her parents by forgoing college, break her little brother’s heart, lose all but a handful of her friends (because they think she has gone off the deep end), and break up with the love of her life, all so she could move to Uganda, where she knew only one person and didn’t even speak the language? A passion to follow Jesus.

Katie Davis left over Christmas break of her senior year for a short mission trip to Uganda and her life was turned completely inside out. She found herself so moved by the people of Uganda and the needs she saw that she knew her calling was to return and care for them. Katie, a charismatic and articulate young woman, is in the process of adopting thirteen children in Uganda and has established a ministry, Amazima, that feeds and sends hundreds more to school while teaching them the Word of Jesus Christ.

Content Review

Sexual content: A brief mention of women involved in prostitution to pay for food. 

Profanity: None. 

Violence: There is no violence in the typical since. However, this book is set in a Third World country and some of the stories will make your heart break.

Drug content: Drinking, and cigarettes are mentioned. It is said many people brew alcohol as a means of survival.

My opinion: God's miracles shine very brightly in this book. I really did enjoy this book. Katie truly is an inspirational to a lot of people, including me. Each chapter includes a "One Day" journal entry at the end, which was interesting. Raising 14 girls is enough to drive anyone nuts. What I did not like was how, unless she was comparing herself to Jesus (When I'm weak, He is strong) she pretty much portrayed herself as perfect. I mean, dealing with 14 young girls, who COULDN'T be stressed? Well, Katie never mentions once she is stressed. She seems to be perfect; trusting God all the time 100%, never getting angry, etc. etc. I understand God works miracles, but I don't know anyone (or heard of anyone) who hasn't gone through something life-changing (Louis Zamperini, Corrie ten Boom, etc.) and hasn't felt stressed to the point of breaking down and wanting to quit. I mean God purposely uses people who really aren't much to human eyes. Moses, Jonah, Noah, and David are a few biblical examples. Well anyway I haven't really read any modern memoirs so I don't know if portraying yourself in that manner is common.

One thing I DID like (and I wish more Christians did) was the way Katie ministers. She is not the type of person to force you become a Christian. She SHOWS what the love of Christ is. She doesn't judge, she is not pushy, she trusts the Lord and she LOVES. She realizes she can't end poverty or hunger, and she doesn't try. She LOVES. Whenever possible, she and her team feeds and clothes and cares for those she can. Most of these children who she cares for have never felt loved and she understands it would be impossible to explain Christ's love without loving because the children wouldn't understand. (and neither would I)

You can follow Katie's blog at: http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/

In the language of Luganda, "Amazima" means "truth". Here is Katie's nonprofit: http://amazima.org/

I would recommend this book to any Christian out there!

A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens (1843)

A Christmas Carol is one of the most famous Christmas stories. Everyone has at least seen one movie remake, and I have been to a play of A Christmas Carol. It took me about 2 1/3 hours to finish this book, and I loved every one of them! I truly enjoyed it, and believe it should be required reading in schools, because most kids nowadays think Christmas is all about give-me give-me give-me Santa Rudolf Santa. It is 100% clean, with the exception of a few uses of a donkey's other name.
You can get this for free on iBooks.

Anyways, God bless us, every one!

Run, Boy, Run - Uri Orlev (2003)

Title: Run, Boy, Run

Author: Uri Orlev

Genre: Historical fiction

Published: 2003

Number of Pages: 192

Recommended for: mature 10+

Summary: (Official) Run, Boy, Run is the extraordinary account of one boy’s survival of the Holocaust. Srulik is only eight years old when he finds himself all alone in the Warsaw ghetto. He escapes into the countryside where he spends the ensuing years hiding in the forest, dependent on the sympathies and generosity of the poor farmers in the surrounding area. Despite the seemingly insurmountable odds, several chases, captures, attempted executions, and even the loss of his arm, Srulik miraculously survives.

Content Review

Profanity: a** is used once. B*****d twice. 

Sexual Content: The word circumcision is used twice. Numerous people ask Srulik/Jurek to undress to either see if he's circumcised or bathe him. Srulik is repeatedly told not to swim. (I suppose boys swam naked back then. I would never dream of it.)Page 59: After a girl's dress flies up, she asks a boy to pull down his pants. The boy, circumcised, does so without thinking. She then replies "Yours is different from the other boys." Then, a cow gives birth. When he says he's never seen an animal give birth, she tells him "You and I were born the same way." than asks him if he knew how babies get into a woman's stomach. The only thing written is "She told him."When he calls the girl crazy, she replies, "Didn't you ever see a dog mount a b*tch? Or a Billy goat do it with a goat?"Page 81: During a peeing contest, a boy, angry at Jurek, reveals Jurek's secret. [he is circumcised] The word "penis" is mentioned.In chapter 14, a girl and boy have sex twice. Although the word is never mentioned, it is noted their clothes are hanging up. Younger kids might not understand. ("What are they doing under the blankets?") and "Marisza had said, "You'll understand when you're older."
Violence: This is the story of a Jew doing WWII. Jurek is repeatedly beaten, he loses an arm, nothing to shocking.
Drugs/Alcohol: It's WWII, everyone nearly smokes. (Kids included) alcohol and vodka are mentioned.

My opinion: This is one of the most amazing stories I have ever read. It is fiction, although based on a true story. I would highly recommend to mature 10 year olds and up. Except for the sexual content, this would make a very good story for a Holocaust curriculum. However, this could be used as a read-aloud with certain parts edited. Jurek is kind of like David from I Am David by Anne Holm and in the way he adjusts with losing his arm, is as resilient as Bethany Hamilton.

Jurek is a clever young Jewish boy thrust into a very adult and violent world. Although there are no graphic details of violence, this book is sad at times and will break your heart. The entire time, I wanted to jump into the book and shout, "Jurek! I love you!" This kid is thrown around from family to family, and after growing accustomed to it, the war ends. His perspective and the end are very unique.

There are a few minor grammatical errors, I think are from the translation from Hebrew to English. So, younger readers may have a wee bit of trouble.

The Chosen - Chaim Potok (1967)

Title: The Chosen
Author: Chaim Potok
Genre: Historical fiction
Published: 1967
Number of Pages: 304
Recommended for: 13+
Summary: The best plot summary I've found would be from Sonlight homeschooling curriculum.

"In 1940s Brooklyn, an accident throws Reuven Malther and Danny Saunders together. Despite their differences (Reuven is a secular Jew with an intellectual, Zionist father; Danny is the brilliant son and rightful heir to a Hasidic rebbe), the young men form a deep friendship.

Together they negotiate adolescence, family conflicts, crises of faith, loss, love, and the journey to adulthood. The intellectual and spiritual clashes between fathers, between each son and his own father, and between the two young men, provide a unique backdrop for this exploration of fathers, sons, faith, loyalty, and, ultimately, the power of love. A deep and thought-provoking work."

My opinion: It has been a while since I have read a novel as good as this one. Despite being fiction, this has made my top six-star worthy list.

This is a story about the friendship of a young Hasidic Jew and a secular Jew. Told in first-person, this takes place during WWII and post-WWII (the creation of Israel)
At first I was wondering why this book didn't have an "official" summary/plot, like most books do. Well, a plot summary would not do the book justice. I mean, the book is about a friendship, but (definitely) not your typical, cheesy story.

The first part of the book profiles how Danny and Reuven's friendship began. The second part profiles their lives in high school and their friendship. The third part profiles their college lives, which is also a major time in history; the creation of modern-day Israel.

This book was truly an amazing book on friendship. From the very first page you knew it was amazing. I LOVE Jewish culture (More the "Reuven" type, not necessarily the "Danny" type. But I am interested in both). The first thing that comes to mind when I think of a genre, "Jewish Appreciation" fits the bill.

I would not recommend this to anyone under 13. Not because of content issues, the book is clean with minimal violence, no sexual content, and some minor profanity. Anyone under 13 would have a very difficult time comprehending it. When I was younger, I hated when people said it was too hard, and I, being stubborn, accepted the challenge. (Who am I to say a kindergarten can't read "The Boxcar Children" if they comprehend it?)
However this book deals with some things teens and up would be able to comprehend. A second-grader with a high school reading level probably won't know what psychology (Danny is interested in psychoanalysis) is, the Holocaust, or even the complexity Hasidism and silence. (There is nothing inappropriate about the book, thou)
Teens/adults: if you don't know what "Shabbat" or "Talmud" means, you're going to have a hard time with this book. I, knowing enough about Jews to get me through most books, struggled. I mean the book is about two religious Jews, one whose life revolves around religion. There's references to Shabbat, Passover, the Torah, Talmud, earlocks, and different prayers. But, don't let this stop you from enjoying this fabulous novel.

Devil At My Heels - Louis Zamperini (2003)

"The Bible speaks of the Word of God as a seed. Sometimes it's planted by the wayside, and nothing grows there. Sometimes it's sown among the thorns and represents the person who makes the decision an then goes back to his old life of bars and chasing women or whatever. A third seed is sown among the rocks. There's sand and dirt between the rocks, and when it rains you'll see a stalk of green coming up. But on the first day with sunshine it wilts because there is no room for roots.
The fourth seed is planted on fertile soil, and finally it takes hold and has a chance to grow and live. That's what happened to me." ~Louis Zamperini

Title: Devil At My Heels: A World War II Hero's Saga of Torment, Survival, and Forgiveness

Author: Louis Zamperini

Genre: Historical memoir

Published: 2003

Number of Pages: 292

Recommended for: 13+

Summary: (official) A juvenile delinquent, a world class NCAA miler, a 1936 Olympian, a WWII bombardier: Louis Zamperini had a fuller than most, when it changed in an instant. On May 27, 1943, his B-24 crashed into the Pacific Ocean. Louis and two other survivors found a raft amid the flaming wreckage and waited for rescue. Instead, they drifted two thousand miles for forty-seven days. Their only food: two shark livers and three raw albatross. Their only water: sporadic rainfall. Their only companions: hope and faith-and the ever-present sharks. On the forty-seventh day, mere skeletons close to death, Zamperini and pilot Russell Phillips spotted land-and were captured by the Japanese. Thus began more than two years of torture and humiliation as a prisoner of war.

Louie hugging his mom for the first time in 2 years

Zamperini was threatened with beheading, subject to medical experiments, routinely beaten, hidden in a secret interrogation facility, starved and forced into slave labour, and was the constant victim of a brutal prison guard nicknamed the Bird-a man so vicious that the other guards feared him and called him a psychopath. Meanwhile, the Army Air Corps declared Zamperini dead and President Roosevelt sends official condolences to his family, who never gave up hope that he was alive.
Somehow, Zamperini survived and he returned home a hero. The celebration was short-lived. He plunged into drinking and brawling and the depths of rage and despair. Nightly, the Bird's face leered at him in his dreams. It would take years, but with the love of his wife and the power of faith, he was able to stop the nightmares and the drinking.
A stirring memoir from one of the greatest of the "Greatest Generation," DEVIL AT MY HEELS is a living document about the brutality of war, the tenacity of the human spirit, and the power of forgiveness.

Content Review

Sexual content: Louie recalls shooting a bull's scrotum with a BB gun.

A girl tries to French kiss Louie, and Louie's coach says not to have sex, because of "the emotional involvement that's supposed to come hand in hand with sex" and affects training.

After The Quack beats Louie's friend Bill Harris, Louie describes The Quack looking like he had intercourse with a woman. If you came back drunk in the army air corps, Louis explains how the MPs would "haul you to the infirmary and forcefully inject a 15% Argyrol solution straight up your penis." Because the air corps didn't want anyone catching VD. Louie says, "I heard more than one recruit protest, 'No, I didn't have any sex with any woman.' But who trusts a drunk?"

It is mentioned WWI soldiers put cigars up their anus to get out of their service.

Louie running.

The first interrogation question Louie receives is, "How many girls so you have on your islands to satisfy your military personnel?"
Louie replies (how their men get "satisfied") "They use their willpower and wait until they get home."
The questioner replied, "Japan provides girls on every island to keep our men happy."
Page 140: A guard masturbates and "had intercourse with a duck...all I'll say is the duck died" also on that page, a guard orders Louie to thrust himself into a twenty-something Japanese girl who worked cleaning pots and pans.
An actress has post-war Louie give her a massage, and "she took off most of her clothes".

Profanity: H**l, b*****d, and d**n are used less than 10 times each. S**t, A*s, B***h, and crap are used once or twice. The cruelest guard (before The Bird) was nicknamed S**thead.

Violence: While sleeping in a boxcar, Louie recalls how a sleeping man falls out of the car and is cut in two by the train wheels. The guards use a B-24 pilot's corpse for a mock bayonet drill. The Bird beats Louie's ear with a belt buckle. The Quack nearly beats Bill Harris to death. Violence is what you'd expect in any other war book and the movie will probably be rated R.

Drug content: Before becoming a Christian, Louie is a party animal. He turns to alcohol after the war as a way to wipe The Bird from his memory, only to have his problem become worse.

My opinion: After reading Unbroken, I had had had to read this. I liked both, however Unbroken focused more on Louie's life in captivity whereas this focuses equally on his running career, being a Japanese POW and post-war life. (I mean, Louie's story was interesting before WWII) 
Anyways, the book opens up with a portion of the Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoner of War Article 2. And the quote, "A smooth sea never made a good sailor." (by anonymous) which describes Louie's situation well. I am in LOVE with Louie's story and have never gotten bored with it. 

Louie Zamperini (left) and Pete Zamperini (right)

Not many juvenile delinquents make it to the Olympics. And even fewer juvenile delinquents who become Olympians meet Hitler or become bombardiers. And, even fewer still become Japanese POWs or set a record for surviving in an inflated raft.

The end is the best part of the book. For some who get offended at the simple mention of Jesus Christ, their least favorite part is the end. Well, I'll make it clear. Louis makes it clear he hates when Christians shove the Bible down other people's throats. He does go more in-depth than Unbroken, but it is NOT pushy or ANYTHING like that. He does, however, never surrender or back down in his faith, which I admire. His book also focuses on his pre-war life more than Unbroken.
I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK.

P.S. Louie was featured on the show 48 Hours (Race to Freedom) and Shark Week (Adrift: 47 Days With Sharks) as well as the Today show and numerous CBS shows. A movie will be made in 2013, supposedly starring Nicholas Cage as Louie. I like Cage, but he is not my vision of Louie....

Which one should I read - Devil At My Heels or Unbroken?

Devil At My Heels had some things Unbroken didn't, and Unbroken has some things Devil At My Heels didn't. If you enjoy reading, read both! If you don't want to, read Unbroken and if you're a Christian, read the last 80 pages of Devil at My Heels.

If you are a Christian and don't have time to read or don't like to, read Devil At My Heels. If you read either, bring a box of tissues.

The Swiss Courier - Tricia Goyer (2009)

Title: The Swiss Courier: A Novel

Author: Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey

Genre: Historical Christian fiction

Published: 2009

Number of Pages: 324

Recommended for: 13+

Summary: (Official) It is August 1944 and the Gestapo is mercilessly rounding up suspected enemies of the Third Reich. When Joseph Engel, a German physicist working on the atomic bomb, finds that he is actually a Jew, adopted by Christian parents, he must flee for his life to neutral Switzerland. 
Gabi Mueller is a young Swiss-American woman working for the newly formed American Office of Strategic Services (the forerunner to the CIA) close to Nazi Germany. When she is asked to risk her life to safely "courier" Engel out of Germany, the fate of the world rests in her hands. If she can lead him to safety, she can keep the Germans from developing nuclear capabilities. But in a time of traitors and uncertainty, whom can she trust along the way? 

Content Review

Sexual content: It is implied a man and woman have sex, nothing explicit. It is said some Jews have been bribing Germans with sex not to be turned over to the Gestapo. A circumcised man was advised never to show his privates to anyone after the Fürher came to power.

Profanity: None. 

Violence: The book opens with a shooting, and there is other multiple shootings/attacks. A couple purposely drowns themselves to avoid being sent to a concentration camp. A prisoner is brutally beaten, and has had one of his fingernails pulled out. A story of the fourteenth century Black Death is told, how 600 Jewish men, women, and children were burned alive in a barn.

Drug content: Drinking, and cigarettes are mentioned.

My opinion: So, I love Tricia Goyer's From Dust and Ashes and Night Song. Dawn of a Thousand Nights and Chasing Mona Lisa (Swiss Courier's sequel) were very good as well.
I didn't like this for mainly two reasons.
1. I couldn't read half of it, because it was in untranslated German. I know basic German, (yes, no, one, two, three, Mrs., Mr., Miss., Jew, Germany, etc) but there were sentences or small phrases/words that I had no clue what they meant, and the non-translations occurred often enough for me to add that here.
2. I also didn't like how it bounced from one character to another, without rhyme or reason. I mean, NOTHING like From Dust and Ashes, which mainly has 3 POVs, and each which fit together. Here, there's like too many to list; Gabi, Kassler, Baumann, Ernst Müeller, Engel, Dulles, Willy Müeller, being a few of the characters in which the story features their view.
The last chapter (and epilogue) were heart-pounding and something out of an action movie, I LOVED IT!

I would recommend this book.

Letters From Belsen 1945 - Muriel Knox Doherty (2001)

Title: Letters from Belsen 1945: An Australian Nurse's Experiences With the Survivors of War
Author: Muriel Knox Doherty

Genre: Historical memoir
Published: 2001
Number of Pages: 256
Recommended for: 13+
Summary: This is a story of a nurse's point of view on Bergen-Belsen's Displaced Persons (DP) camp. She tells the story of Belsen from April 1945 - November 1945.

Content Review

Sexual content: None, except a reference to circumcision.
Profanity: None. It may have one or two uses of "da*n"
Violence: It's Belsen, 1945. Nothing overly explicit/in-depth. If it were a movie it would possibly be PG-13. The piles of corpses are mentioned, and some Doherty helps with the aftermath and the survivors, not the actual liberation-liberation (April 15)
Drug content: Drinking, and cigarettes are mentioned.

My opinion: Sometimes I would recommend certain books (i.e. The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom) to anyone, this is one I would only recommend to those interested in anything medical related or WWII, and I'm strongly interested in both. It is pretty detailed, but not too boring. One reason I decided to read this book was because I am interested in the medical aspect of Bergen-Belsen; the liberation was known as one of the biggest reliefs in medical history. Pages 80-120 are kind of boring, but other than that, it is a very good, clean book.

I would recommend this book.