Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

litfuse publicity group

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

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.

 

When the mission seems impossible: Review of The Queen's Handmaid by Tracy L. Higley

Whenever I pick up a Tracy Higley book, I feel smarter after I’ve read it, and it was no different with her latest, The Queen’s Handmaid. As a non-student of ancient history, I had never considered that Cleopatra lived only decades before Jesus was born. Shows what I know. (Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book through Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my review.) queen's handmaid

So, with that new knowledge, I was eager to read this story of Lydia, who is handmaid to Cleopatra in Alexandria at the time of Herod’s visit to the queen of Egypt. During his visit, Lydia is given a seemingly impossible mission by her aging mentor who is murdered not long after he reveals a secret to her. Lydia then embarks on a journey that eventually takes her to Jerusalem as lady’s maid to Herod’s wife, with the mission burdening her at every turn. What she carries with her is the hope of the Jewish people in a Messianic King, a hope Lydia, herself, will struggle with.

In typical Higley fashion, this is a suspenseful and entertaining read. But it’s also hard to follow at times, which is not necessarily the fault of the author but the scope of the story and timeframe. The book covers a lot of years, though the story is not bogged down by irrelevant events. And because the historical characters play a part in the plot, I often found myself confused by which Herod was which and who was connected and related to whom. Again, that’s information for a history book, not necessarily a novel, and I appreciate the way Higley is able to write a story using the historical context without it feeling like a textbook. I wish I knew the history of this time period better so I didn’t have to keep flipping back to the family tree at the beginning of the book.

But let me be clear: those are not reasons to not read this book. By the end, all of the connections and relationships made sense and I was excited about the possibility of another book to come that follows up the events in this one.

Higley is one of those rare authors who makes history lifelike to me, and I can see the events as they happen. Her stories enrich my understanding of Bible stories and events. For those reasons, her books are a must-read for me.

If you want to know more about the author, read the back cover synopsis or see what other people have to say, click here.

And if you want a chance to win a prize as part of the book’s release, keep reading!

Tracy L. Higley is celebrating the release of The Queen’s Handmaid with a fun giveaway.



Retailers + Resources gave it this glowing review: “Rich in historic detail, Higley’s vivid writing brings to life the plots and intrigues that swirled through the ancient world as alliances were built and broken on the calculated schemes of power-mad monarchs.” 

queen'shandmaid-400-click-1
  • A Kindle Fire HDX
  • The Queen’s Handmaid by Tracy L. Higley

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 19th. Winner will be announced April 21st on Tracy’s blog.

Don’t miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by Tracy’s blog on April 21st to see if you won.