This Story is Gold--A Review of "The Gold in These Hills" by Joanne Bischof

I have yet to be anything but impassioned by a Bischof read, and that’s a fact. I wasn’t sure what to expect in The Gold in These Hills, because it was a split-time novel, the first I’ve read like that from Ms. Bischof. 

But as usual, the story pulled me right in, in equal parts, historical and present day. I was surprised at the way the present-day story turned out, yet pleasantly so, and I loved that the two parts didn’t mirror each other in the romance department. They stood alone, and yet were intricate to one another. This was the first I learned about the practice of salting gold mines. I’d heard the term before, but never knew what it meant. A really, really excellent read! Five+ stars! Thanks to NetGalley for a download of the book.

One Step Ahead of Danger--a Review of "A Picture of Hope" by Liz Tolsma

One step ahead of danger! That’s were Liz Tolsma keeps readers moving in her novel A Picture of Hope. 

This was my first Tolsma novel, and it did not disappoint. With Nazis around every corner, hunting down children deemed unworthy, as well as other innocents, this story had many breathless moments interspersed with gentle, introspective ones. Some of the historical events mentioned were hard to read for their total evil, yet importantly included. At times, during this story of resistance, I wanted to shake the impetuous heroine, yet it was her very nature that allowed her the bravery to act when necessary, and to come to the rescue of many other characters, children and elderly alike. I liked the hero, Jean-Paul, for his intelligence and fearlessness, and I thought the relationship with his father especially enriching to the tale. If you enjoy WWII fiction, be sure and add A Picture of Hope to your reading list.