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Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

Archives for May 21, 2014

World War II fiction at its finest: Review of Daisies are Forever by Liz Tolsma {plus a giveaway}

May 21, 2014

If history books were written like Liz Tolsma’s stories, I’d have changed my major in college.

Okay, that’s probably not true because I was born to be a writer, but I want you to know just how amazing Tolsma’s tales of World War II are. (Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book from the author and an e-copy from Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my review.)

daisiesDaisies are Forever is the second of Tolsma’s novels that tell the lesser known stories of World War II. The first, Snow on the Tulips, was set in The Netherlands. This one focuses on an American woman living in East Prussia who is forced to flee to Berlin and a British soldier escaped from enemy captivity who pretends to be her husband.

History, especially war history, is not something I’m generally eager to read about, but Tolsma takes readers to the depths of the characters’ emotions. I felt the weight of the burdens Gisela carried as she fought for survival in a near-hopeless environment, and I gained a new appreciation for the immense suffering people all over the world felt during the long years of war.

These are not necessarily feel-good stories, but they do offer hope in the darkest of circumstances. And a unique aspect of Tolsma’s work is that her stories are based on ones that happened in her family. Through stories and pictures she’s heard throughout her life, she is able to take us along on the kind of journey most of us will never have to face.

This is World War II fiction at its finest.

To celebrate the release of her new novel, the author is hosting a giveaway. Details follow.

Liz Tolsma‘s latest WWII historical fiction novel, Daisies are Forever, is getting rave reviews. 

“. . . compelling and fast-paced tale about the atrocities and tremendous losses. . . .” —Library Journal

“Excellent storytelling, accurate historical reporting and gritty, persevering characters make this WWII-era novel a must-read.” —CBA Retailers + Resources


daisies-400-click

Liz celebrating the release with a Kindle HDX giveaway!

One winner will receive:

  • A Kindle Fire HDX
  • Daisies are Forever by Liz Tolsma

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 31st. Winner will be announced June 2nd on Liz’s website.

Don’t miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by Liz’s website on June 2nd to see if you won.

 

Filed Under: Fiction, The Weekly Read Tagged With: daisies are forever, extraordinary women, inspirational fiction, litfuse publicity group, liz tolsma, women's fiction, world war 2 fiction

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Hi. I’m Lisa, and I’m glad you’re here. If we were meeting in real life, I’d offer you something to eat or drink while we sat on the porch letting the conversation wander as it does. That’s a little bit what this space is like. We talk about books and family and travel and food and running, whatever I might encounter in world. I’m looking for the beauty in the midst of it all, even the tough stuff. (You’ll find a lot of that here, too.) Thanks for stopping by. Stay as long as you like.

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