World War 2 Archives - Historical Bookworm

August 26, 2023August 26, 2023

A Bookchat about Yesterday’s Tides with Roseanna M. White

About the author

Today we are talking with Roseanna M. White about her spring release Yesterday’s Tides. Rosanna is a bestselling, Christy Award–winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself.

To start us off, I ran across an interesting bookish conundrum on Facebook the other day that I thought would be fun to ask.

Would you rather never be able to finish reading a series, or never be able to reread a favorite novel?
Readers debate all the time about the benefits of not finishing a book that doesn’t capture your interest. Have you ever read a book (or author) you disliked at first but grew to enjoy?
Which of your books cost you the most emotionally to write, and why?
Is there anything especially interesting that you haven’t covered in other interviews that you could share with us or perhaps there is something God has laid on your heart that you would like to share with your readers?

About the book: Yesterday’s Tides

In 1942, Evie Farrow is used to life on Ocracoke Island, where every day is the same—until the German U-boats haunting their waters begin to wreak havoc. And when special agent Sterling Bertrand is washed ashore at Evie’s inn, her life is turned upside down. While Sterling’s injuries keep him inn-bound for weeks, making him even more anxious about the man he’s tracking, he becomes increasingly intrigued by Evie, who seems to be hiding secrets of her own.

Decades earlier, in 1914, Englishman Remington Culbreth arrives at the Ocracoke Inn for the summer, but he doesn’t count on falling in love with Louisa Adair, the innkeeper’s daughter. When war breaks out in Europe, and their relationship is put in jeopardy, will their love survive?

As Evie and Sterling work to track down an elusive German agent, they unravel mysteries that go back a generation. The ripples from the Great War are still rocking their lives, and it seems yesterday’s tides may sweep them all into danger again today.

Both World Wars in the same novel, plus two romances and intertwined intrigue. This is quite a premise!

What inspired you to write a novel with timelines in both world wars?
Yesterday’s Tides addresses themes such as giving up and reclaiming your dreams. Can you tell us a little more about how this idea comes into play in the lives of your two female protagonists, Louisa and Evie?
Who is your favorite secondary character in this story and why? (Share one from each timeline if you like!) 😀
What are you working on next?

Connect with Roseanna: Newsletter, Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Instagram.

August 19, 2023August 19, 2023

A Book about A Brighter Dawn by Leslie Gould

Leslie Gould joins us for a chat about Amish and Mennonite History, WW2, beloved readers, and her novel A Brighter Dawn. Don’t forget to enter to win a copy of this great book!

About Leslie

My strongest memories from childhood include stories of hope and grace—and how those stories connected me to family and friends. I also soaked up stories of redemption in the small-town churches we attended.

I’ve written a large collection of dual-time, Amish, and contemporary novels, set in a variety of places—from the Pacific Northwest to Amish Country to France to Vietnam.

My husband, Peter, and I have been married forty years and have four adult children and one grandchild. We live in Portland, Oregon and enjoy traveling, urban hikes, and hanging out with family and friends!

About the Book

Ivy Zimmerman is successfully navigating her life as a young Mennonite woman, one generation removed from her parents’ Old Order Amish upbringing. But when her parents are killed in a tragic accident, Ivy’s way of life is upended. As she deals with her grief, her younger sisters’ needs, the relationship with her boyfriend, and her Dawdi and Mammi’s strict rules, Ivy finds solace in both an upcoming trip to Germany for an international Mennonite youth gathering and in her great-great-aunt’s story about Clare Simons, another young woman who visited Germany in the late 1930s.

As Ivy grows suspicious that her parents’ deaths weren’t, in fact, an accident, she gains courage from what she learns of Clare’s time in pre-World War II Germany. With the encouragement and inspiration of the women who have gone before her, Ivy seeks justice for her parents, her sisters, and herself.

Connect with Leslie

Newsletter, Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Instagram.

May 1, 2023May 1, 2023

A Bookchat about The Sound of Light with Sarah Sundin & a Review of The Thief of Blackfriars Lane by Michelle Griep.

Sarah Sundin joins us for a chat about her two rescue dogs, her favorite time period, and her latest release The Sound of Light. Don’t forget to enter to win a copy of this great book!

For today’s Pinch of the Past, we’re looking at three hero dogs of World War Two, the largest of which was a 150 lb. Newfoundland and the smallest a 4 lb. Yorkshire Terrier.

Today’s Bookworm Review is bought to you by Angela Bell. “The Thief of Blackfriars Lane by Michelle Griep, is a rollicking adventure from beginning to end! With edge-of-your-seat action and Dickensian flair, Griep has created a fun story that will transport readers to the Victorian Era.” (Full review here.)

Connect with Sarah Sundin: Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, BookBub, and Instagram.

May 15, 2022June 23, 2022

Long Way Home by Lynn Austin

This review was originally shared in Episode 29: Guest Ann H. Gabhart & a Review of Long Way Home

About the Book

In this gripping portrait of war and its aftermath from bestselling author Lynn Austin, a young woman searches for the truth her childhood friend won’t discuss after returning from World War II, revealing a story of courage, friendship, and faith.

Peggy Serrano couldn’t wait for her best friend to come home from the war. But the Jimmy Barnett who returns is much different from the Jimmy who left, changed so drastically by his experience as a medic in Europe that he can barely function. When he attempts the unthinkable, his parents check him into the VA hospital. Peggy determines to help the Barnetts unravel what might have happened to send their son over the edge. She starts by contacting Jimmy’s war buddies, trying to identify the mysterious woman in the photo they find in Jimmy’s belongings.

Seven years earlier, sensing the rising tide against her people, Gisela Wolff and her family flee Germany aboard the passenger ship St. Louis, bound for Havana, Cuba. Gisela meets Sam Shapiro on board and the two fall quickly in love. But the ship is denied safe harbor and sent back to Europe. Thus begins Gisela’s perilous journey of exile and survival, made possible only by the kindness and courage of a series of strangers she meets along the way, including one man who will change the course of her life.

Review

Long Way Home follows two storylines: a Jewish girl fighting for survival through WWII and an American girl trying to help her friend recover from the horrors of war. It’s easy to look back and admire the courage and resilience of the Greatest Generation, but they were human just like us and endured so much pain. I appreciated this book’s honest approach to recovering from horrors no human was ever meant to see.

Honestly, I felt like this story was a little bit heavy, but appropriately so for the subject matter. I appreciated how the characters struggled to hold onto hope, but kept trying anyway. You want these people to live and thrive. The description offers an attention to detail that takes you right into the story, and once you start reading, you’ll want to keep turning pages.

This story touches on a lot of traumatizing situations, but nothing is too in-your-face. The faith thread is strong and overt, but not preachy. Romance is sweet and tender, and this is really more women’s fiction than romance anyway.

If you enjoy stories of overcoming, of perseverance, and of people whose daily lives and walk with God invite you to reevaluate your own, pick up a copy of Long Way Home by Lynn Austin.

The Author

Lynn Austin has sold more than one and a half million copies of her books worldwide. A former teacher who now writes and speaks full-time, she has won eight Christy Awards for her historical fiction and was one of the first inductees into the Christy Award Hall of Fame. One of her novels, Hidden Places, was made into a Hallmark Channel Original Movie. She and her husband have three grown children and make their home in western Michigan.

Disclaimer: The publisher offered a complimentary copy of this book. The review was given freely, without payment. All views expressed are only the honest opinion of a member of the Historical Bookworm Review Team.