Kroosreads and Reviews

  I really enjoy reading books by this author.  She has a way of writing that takes her readers right along with her in the story. This story was no different as we travel to World War II and the atrocities that are committed at the hands of the Germans.  This story centers around a difficult subject--the "outcasts" of society according to Hitler.  These young children are housed at this hospital for "treatments".  Young nurse Hannah is sent by her half-brother who is a high level person in the army.   She is sent to safeguard her nephew who has some different abilities.   Even though, it is such a difficult subject, the author steers away from going in depth to the torture and awfulness that takes place and instead focuses on the people who go out of their ways to make a difference in the lives of these kids. Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.  The opinions are my own.  

  This story will for surely tug on your heartstrings as you journey with Peggy as she tries to help her friend Jimmy as he returns from WWII a different man.  She looks in his rucksack and begins to contact the people he interacted with during the war. In this dual timeline, you meet Gisela who is a young lady from Germany who is also a Jew.  Her story takes place 7 years earlier than Jimmy's but will draw you in and leave you wondering how Jimmy and Gisela are going to interact. I want to be like Peggy, advocating for my friends and family even when it hurts!  This at times is a hard story to read but there is so much good in it. Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.  The opinions are my own.  

  This was a fascinating story!  Dr. Allison Fisher is a scientist in Chicago working with nuclear reactors.  Nathan Silverman was born in Germany and escaped to America.  He comes a soldier in the American army.  Nathan and Dr. Fisher are sent to Germany to determine how far along they are in the race to build a nuclear weapon. The story kept me turning the pages for the adventure and the risk that the characters were willing to take.  It makes the reader think about the cost of war on both sides. Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.  The opinions are my own.  

 The O'Brien family are living in Wisconsin in the midst of World War II.  Their brothers are off fighting and they do not have enough workers to run the farm.  They hire German PW's to help work the farm. So many emotions come in to play on how to treat these workers.  This is a compelling book on how to treat your enemy!  My favorite character was Dale. Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.  The opinions are my own!

5 stars If you enjoy World War II historical fiction, this is the book for you.  I have read many WWII novels but this was a different spin on it with the story revolving around a little girl named Claire who had Down Syndrome.   I think I may need to re-read the ending because I was trying to read the book as fast as I could because I wanted so desperately to know how the story would end!  The character of Sister Maria-Theresa was one that I loved.  She had such strength and faith amidst the adversity that they were facing.  Maria-Theresa always sought the Lord during the crisis and had such wisdom for those around her.   I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. The book is set to be published on October 1, 2021 and can be found here:   A Picture of Hope (barbourbooks.com)

 5 stars This was such an amazingly powerful story about three Jewish sisters in the time of Hitler's reign of terror.  The bond and the strength that the sisters have to endure such horrendous abuse is amazing to me.  I appreciate how the author gives a taste of the abuse that was experienced by the Jewish people but doesn't overwhelm the reader with it.  This is a must read for everyone to understand a time in our history that was so awful but yet people survived and persevered despite the tragedies that they experienced.  I particularly enjoyed everything in the author's note as well--also a must read! Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.  The opinions are my own.  

 5 Stars!! I am a huge fan of Kate Hewitt and was so excited to read this book! The story is set in Austria at the time of World War II. The Eder sisters each find a way to navigate their way through the trauma and awfulness of this time period. The realities of this time period are so hard to understand but the author tells the story in such a way that I can learn about this period and find strength from it. I really enjoyed the character of the mom and her strength and resolve as the world was falling apart. I also learned more about Corrie Tenboom and her families role in the war. Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own. I will share to my blog ( www.kroosreadsandreviews.Blogspot.com ) and to bookbub. This book is published by Bookouture and will be released on June 8, 2021.  You can find it on amazon here:   The Edelweiss Sisters: An epic, heartbreaking and gripping World War 2 novel - Kindle edition by Hewitt, Kate. Lit...

 4 stars Jocelyn is a young lady living in the coastal town of Saint-Malo France.  She is the local librarian and is about to marry her love, Antoine.   Everything changes rapidly on their honeymoon to Paris.  Jocelyn is plagued with illness and not long after their return, Antoine is called up to fight. Jocelyn does everything in her power to save the books in her library.  She resists the occupation by hiding her books and trying to save the people of Saint-Malo. This was a compelling story told of World War II in a unique way.  Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.  The opinions are my own.

 5 Stars 100th REVIEW ON NETGALLEY!! Jerusza is an elderly woman who lived in the woods. She kidnaps 2 year old Inge, from Berlin. and trains her on how to survive in the woods over the next 20 years. She teaches Inge, who she calls Yona to keep herself separated from people. This is where the story becomes fascinating for me. The Jews begin to enter the woods evading from the Germans. Of course, they do not know how to survive in the woods. Will Yona disobey Jeruszas orders to keep separate from people? The characters of Yona and Zus were particularly endearing to me. This is another aspect of World War II that I never knew. The strength of the Jews to escape from the Germans and not only survive but thrive in the woods is a lesson for all of us today. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own. The book will be released on July 6, 2021 by Gallery Books and can be found here on Amazon  Amazon.com: The Forest of Vanishing Stars: A Novel (9781982...