Courage and Grace {Book Review}

Courage and Grace is today's review read. I received this book in exchange for my honest review, which I've given below.

Source

  Description: If their secret is discovered

They will not survive…

While the Holocaust rages, two very young brothers, Joseph and Yitzhak, adopt false Christian identities and hide in the Aryan side of Polish cities and countryside.

Their lives, as well as the lives of their parents, swing wildly between the terror of being apprehended by the cruel regime and collaborators of the Reich, to their desperate need to continue living "freely" outside the ghetto walls.

They undergo an agonizing five and a half years, mostly in constant fear that their false identities will be exposed and their lives ended.

~~

Since my younger days I've had an interest in both the holocaust and the Jewish people. I believe that the Jews are God's chosen people (though he also has a spiritual people - Christians) and the extreme wickedness and evil done toward them during the holocaust was an act of Satan himself using evil men to try to destroy God's people. Of course, this terror campaign did not succeed, because as The Bible shows over and again, God always saves a remnant.

The family portrayed in this story is a part of that remnant. I still haven't gotten all the way through the book--it's quite lengthy, over a hundred pages--but I find myself astonished at the amazing survival story in the pages. Most holocaust stories I've read involve those who haven't survived or tales of hiding within walls--such as those hidden by Corrie Ten Boom and others. 

This story is different. Yes, there is hiding... a lot of it. But the main difference I see is that this family was intelligent and courageous in such a way that they often hid in plain sight, assuming false identities to survive the war. 

This is not a light book. It took me several tries to begin it, but once I did, I found it surprisingly engrossing. See, this is not written as a novel or biography, but it is an explicit autobiography in places. Yoseph Komen (the smallest boy in the photograph on the cover) tells his story--as much as he can remember. The smallest details stand out to him, surprising in their descriptive accuracy. He remembers the layout of homes he stayed in, etc. Yet, some larger details--such as who accompanied him during an important train ride--remain a contested mystery. 

The scope of this story awes me, honestly. I am impressed by this remarkable family--a deaf father who used his disability and his blonder looks to masquerade, a mother who fearlessly taught her child, children who were somehow able to keep the secret of who they really were.

Yes there are many names. This story is not just the story of Yoseph Komen's immediate family, but many other relatives and acquaintances who lived or died during the war. Glimpses of other lives are available, such as the many brave families who hid them, or aided them. There's a lot to keep up with. The timeline might be confusing. But this is a raw, real story. It's full of memory and detail. I'm glad that I had the opportunity to see into the lives of this remarkable family, to remember why we say "never again" to attempted genocide and cruelty.

You can find the book here: Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072J3MW1J

Review: Composer of the Calm Horizon

Hello all! It's been a minute. Today I have a new review for you. Composer of the Calm Horizon by Al Romano. I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review, which I've given below.

 Description: Have you ever felt like the stork got the wrong address? So she left you where you're not supposed to be: in a cage that you can never escape? That's exactly how 15-year-old Neph Baker feels, hated by literally everyone in his town for an arson whose perpetrator remains at large, yet for some reason everyone blames Neph. But he himself can't recall where he was when it happened. Nonetheless, the rumors were strong enough to grant him the ill-favored epithet that induces terror in all who hear it: The fire kid. But things aren't all bad, because even with everyone against him, he still has the company of the ever-loyal Grasshead, an otherworldly creature known as a hiphomoy and the only means of comfort Neph has. But with no money, no friends, no support and nowhere to go, Neph is forced to bide his time until the moment when he will leave his wretched cage of suffering and loneliness… for that is his one and only desire.Everything changes when he discovers the Natin, a group of humanoids who invite Neph to their home, for they believe he is the composer of the calm horizon, the long-lost hero of legends, who will defeat the Airatsmeka, the Natin's eternal enemies. Neph enters the novaverse, a utopian parallel world dominated by the Natin. Yet the utopia may be destroyed by the Airatsmeka if Neph doesn’t live up to his supposed destiny as the composer. Because they have no alternative, the Natin are open-minded to the idea that Neph is the composer, since they waited seven centuries for an opportunity like this, and time is running out.But there's an even bigger problem: no one is certain Neph is actually the composer. But the Natin are willing to test him if it means the defeat of the Airatsmeka. Realizing this might be his only shot at a better life, Neph is willing to go through any and all trials to prove himself. Should he fail, he will return to a life of condemnation and to the world from which he came, for the Natin have no tolerance for failures… and Neph can’t to go back into the cage.
~
Okay, let's get into the review. First of all, I'm a huge fantasy reader, so I thought this book might suit my interest.

The Cover

The cover is probably one of my favorite elements to this novel. Fantasy creatures can be hard to picture, so the fact that the aforementioned Grasshead is included helps for imagery purposes. It also gives a clear picture of what it is: a fantasy book. Expectations met there.

The Characters

Ah, the characters. My feelings are so mixed here. I really did not enjoy Neph as a character and considering he is the focus, that was a bit of a problem for me. It's not bad to have a main character with problems, but I personally found him to be quite abrasive and frustrating at times. He had a bit of a romance involved and he was SO mean to the girl he liked at times. It felt a bit much.

My favorite character was probably a Natin named So'Krang, but overall I kind of found the characters to be a bit one dimensional. They had a lot of potential but never quite reached it. If the author continued to develop this further, I would encourage him to find more dimension in his characters, especially the more prominent ones. 

The Plot/Story

Okay, the plot was pretty interesting once I understand what was going on. But it also seemed like only a small portion of the story was covered in the book, since the author seemed to describe every minute detail. This was okay some of the times, but often it created longer than necessary scenes and chapters and put the book at a slow start. Additionally, some of the plot elements were not really integral to the story... there was a character included near the beginning that was discussed and only briefly mentioned later in the book. I didn't understand the significance of this character since she seemed like a large player early and then just vanished with no explanation of what she was about. I like the fact that this book plays with the "chosen one" trope since the main character doesn't actually know if he is, in fact, the supposed "chosen one". So that was a nice little twist to see. The writing could have been much tighter in places. I felt at times that I was reading a first draft, which isn't something you want. One of the large things that bothered me was the amount of cussing. I guess it's just something you don't expect from a fantasy novel, especially one with a main character of fifteen. Suffice it to say, I was really surprised with that fifteen's year old's mouth was extremely dirty. The publisher/author should probably make it known that though the character is a teen, this is not a true young adult novel, as it could be assumed to be. 

Overall, this book had a complex world. I wish we could have seen more of that world and have it more detailed and written with far less passive voice. With a bit of an overhaul, this book could be a rich, detailed addition to the fantasy genre.

If interested, you can find more here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Q84R9GB

To the girl I used to be...

To the girl I used to be,

You are so full of life and joyful. Don't lose that. You're going to take some hard knocks. You'll be too young, but no age is old enough for them. The point is you can't let them keep you down. You've got to get back up and keep going.

You're a 'glass half full' kinda person. Maybe people think you're naive. Maybe you are. But that's okay. Be naive. Find the good in your situations and find the good in others. Don't search for the negative or wonder what others are doing, but focus on yourself and how you can grow.

People change. You might have to let go... but always forgive because you don't have room to let bitterness grow.

You're going to change, too. Life changes you, but let those changes grow into something good.

Most importantly, keep the faith. Trust the Maker of All Things who knows you thoroughly. He is the source of your hope. He has a purpose for your life. Remember, there will be disappointments, suffering, pain you never thought you would bear, but you will bear it because HE will bear it for you, just like HE did on the cross so many years ago.

It's a process. Learn to let go. Learn to love more. Know that you have to be willing to change. You know you aren't perfect and sometimes you're going to really dislike yourself, but keep moving, keep working, and remember: Know matter what happens, you have the joy of Christ.

I miss you, sometimes, and I really really wish I could be you again. Could feel free to laugh loudly and be crazy once in a while and stay up to late hours talking and singing loudly. Maybe I can, but more importantly, maybe you will become someone who is compassionate, bold, creative, and truly unique.

You aren't defined by others. The only expectations that matter on the ones the Lord has for you, so keep after Him. Chase him with all that is within you, chase Him harder, and find Him.

Yours,

Bethany