The Gathering Storm - Review

My Review:

It's 1936 and Germany is beginning its push to capture the lands in Europe just after the Jewish Holocaust at the height of the World War I. We meet the American born family of Loralei Bittick who has fled her families home in Brussels at the insistence of her father and the continued bombing in her small town by the German warplanes. She packs up what little belongings she can fit inside a suitcase along with her pregnant sister Jessica, her father, Robert, and her little sister Gina and Susan and flee the only home they have known for years in hopes of escaping the coming Blitzkrieg.

Her husband Varrick, a Jew and her brother in law William are on the front lines trying to hold back the advancing German troops and when the town is left devastated, both Jessica and Loralei know that they have now found themselves widowed. They find themselves barely staying one step ahead of the German troops now taking over Europe and wondering just where can they run before Jessica has to have her baby which is due at any time. Meanwhile the Germans are eliminating anyone of Jewish race as fast as they can find them. Only Loralei and Jessica have the necessary documentation to show their nationality but her father Robert is Austrian born which to the Germans is up for elimination as well. There only hope is the prayers they offer to God and the hope He can deliver them safely to where they need to go.

In the book, The Gathering Storm, by Bodie and Brock Thoene, you find yourself living the very real terror that thousands in Europe must have faced each day just trying to stay alive, from finding shelter and food, to surviving on war ration books while the ever advancing German troops are literally at their doorsteps. I absolutely loved this book and would easily rate it a 5 out of 5 stars. The emotions that are displayed through the eyes of each character in the book is real and truly heartfelt. You find yourself cheering for their survival on each and every page and hoping that God will rescue them before the German troops invade. I haven't read a more true to life fiction book based on this time in history that really puts you at the heart of what is going on and would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good historical war/romance fiction novel! The ending will keep you on the edge of your seat and catches you completely off guard! I LOVED IT!!

For more information on this book, the authors and where to pick up a copy for yourself, please read below for more information:

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

The Gathering Storm Summerside Press (August 1, 2010)

by Bodie and Brock Thoene





ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Bodie and Brock Thoene (pronounced Tay-nee) have written over 50 works of historical fiction. Over twenty million of these best-selling novels are in print. Eight ECPA Gold Medallion Awards affirms what millions of readers have already discovered—the Thoenes are not only master stylists but experts at capturing readers’ minds and hearts.



Bodie began her writing career as a teen journalist for her local newspaper. Eventually her byline appeared in prestigious periodicals such as U.S. News and World Report, The American West, and The Saturday Evening Post. She also worked for John Wayne’s Batjac Productions (she’s best known as author of The Fall Guy) and ABC Circle Films as a writer and researcher. John Wayne described her as “a writer with talent that captures the people and the times!” She has degrees in journalism and communications.



Brock has often been described by Bodie as “an essential half of this writing team.” With degrees in both history and education, Brock has, in his role as researcher and story-line consultant, added the vital dimension of historical accuracy. Due to such careful research, The Zion Covenant and The Zion Chronicles series are recognized by the American Library Association, as well as Zionist libraries around the world, as classic historical novels and are used to teach history in college classrooms.



Bodie and Brock have four grown children—Rachel, Jake, Luke, and Ellie—and seven grandchildren. Their sons, Jake and Luke, are carrying on the Thoene family talent as the next generation of writers, and Luke produces the Thoene audiobooks.



Bodie and Brock divide their time between London and Nevada.





ABOUT THE BOOK

As Nazi forces tighten the noose, Loralei Kepler, daughter of a German resistance leader, must flee her beloved Germany. But is any place safe from Adolf Hitler's evil grasp? Loralei's harrowing flight leads her into the arms of needy child refugees, who have sacrificed everything in exchange for their lives, and toward a mysterious figure, who closely guards an age-old secret.



Explore the romance, the passion, and the danger of the most anticipated series of the last twenty years.



Born from the highly acclaimed and best-loved novels of three generations of readers -- The Zion Covenant series and The Zion Chronicles series -- Zion Diaries ventures into the lives of the inspiring and intriguing characters who loved intensely, stood up for what was right, and fought boldly during Hitler's rise to power and the dark days of World War II.



If you would like to read the first chapter of The Gathering Storm, go HERE