The Winter Rose

GIVEAWAY

DOBSON, MELANIE

THE WINTER ROSE

In this gripping WWII time-slip novel from the author whose books have been called 'propulsive' and a 'must-read' (Publisher's Weekly), Grace Tonquin is an American Quaker who works tirelessly in Vichy, France to rescue Jewish children from the Nazis. After crossing the treacherous Pyrenees, Grace returns home to Oregon with a brother and sister whose parents were lost during the war. Though Grace  and her husband love Elias and Marguerite as their own, echoes of Grace's past and trauma from the Holocaust tear the Tonquin family apart.

More than fifty years after they disappear, Addie Hoult arrives at Tonquin Lake hoping to find the Tonquin family. For Addie, the mystery is a matter of life or death for her beloved mentor Charlie, who is battling a genetic disease. Though Charlie refuses to discuss his ties to the elusive Tonquins, finding them is the only way to save his life and mend the woods from his broken past.

My Review:

I do so love an artfully crafted dual timeline story and Melanie Dobson has a special knack for creating the impossible to put down kind. I particularly love how well this genre suits WWII stories. There's something so hopeful that comes from the partial redemption of such evil -- even if it is decades later.

The historical timeline starts in 1943 and carries a few years past the end of the war while the present day timeline is set in 2003. I was drawn to both stories and the heroines who struggled to live out their faith when faced with impossible odds.

Grace's story is harrowing, as you would expect, and it takes so many startling twists and turns and downright detours that I am left kinda speechless. And I love the way Dobson meshed present day Addie's story into the mix. Her search for Grace or her descendants has an edge of desperation to it and kept me riveted. Not only was I anxious to find out what happened to Grace, but the mystery of Addie's back story kept me on tenterhooks too. And the author takes her time, carefully placing the big reveals at just the right places for maximum impact. I could not stop reading this book!

My heart hurt by the end and I may have ugly cried a time or two during the course of the read. But there's so much promise and hope by the end that my sadness mellowed out into a contented deep rooted feeling of satisfaction.

Exceptional storytelling infused with faith and the promise of redeeming love.

Goal Update: #5 Diversifying my reading -- Set in France

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy -- winner's choice.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Winter Rose, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT AND DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday January 29 2022. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck

The Curator's Daughter

GIVEAWAY

DOBSON, MELANIE

THE CURATOR'S DAUGHTER

A young girl, kidnapped on the eve of World War II, changes the lives of a German archaeologist forced into the Nazi Party and -- decades later -- a researcher trying to overcome her own trauma.

1940 -- Hanna Tillich cherishes her work as an archaeologist for the Third Reich, searching for the Holy Grail and other artifacts to bolster evidence of a master Aryan race. But when she is reassigned to work as a museum curator in Nuremburg, then forced to marry an SS officer and adopt a young girl, Hannah begins to see behind the Nazi facade. A prayer labyrinth becomes a storehouse for Hanna's secrets, but as she comes to love Lilly as her own daughter, she fears that what she's hiding -- and what she begins to uncover -- could put them both in mortal danger.

Eighty years later, Ember Ellis is a Holocaust researcher intent on confronting hatred toward the Jewish people and other minorities. She reconnects with a former teacher on Martha's Vineyard after she learns that Mrs. Kiehl's mother once worked with the Nazi Ahnenerbe. And yet, Mrs. Kiehl describes her mother as "a friend to the Jewish people." Wondering how both could be true, Ember helps Mrs. Kiehl regain her fractured childhood memories of World War II while at the same time confronting the heartache of her own secret past -- and the person who wants to silence Ember forever.

My Review:

A fascinating look at the effect German Nazi control had on it's own citizens as well as a chilling reminder that history could very well repeat itself. Stunning storytelling bring past and present to life in equal portions of unputdownable glory. 

This one is a marathon read, meaning you won't want to quit until the finish line. But be forewarned, once the reader's high wears off, you'll be in the post-read doldrums as you replay portions of the story over in your mind. At least that's what happened to me.

Dobson knows how to piece together dual timelines in a comprehensive and riveting way. I was equally invested in both Hanna and Ember's stories and I absolutely love the way the author draws out the suspense of intricate details and backstory. 

There are so many talking points in The Curator's Daughter that are best left to book club discussions for fear of posting spoilers in a review. Let me just say that this is one memorable, thought-provoking read and leave it at that. :-)

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy -- winner's choice

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Curator's Daughter, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winners announced on Saturday April 3  2021. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Memories of Glass

GIVEAWAY

DOBSON, MELANIE
MEMORIES OF GLASS 

Reminiscent of Diane Ackerman's The Zookeeper's Wife, this stunning novel draws from true accounts to shine a light on a period of Holland's darkest history and bravest heroes.

1942. As war rips through the heart of Holland, childhood friends Josie van Rees and Eliese Linden partner with a few daring citizens to rescue Eliese's son and hundreds of other Jewish children who await deportation in a converted theater in Amsterdam. But amid their resistance work, Josie and Eliese's dangerous secrets could could derail their friendship and their entire mission. When the enemy finds these women, only one will escape.

Seventy-five years later, Ava Drake begins to suspect that her great-grandfather William Kingston was not the world war II hero he claimed to be. Her work as director of the prestigious Kingston Family Foundation leads her to Landon West's Ugandan coffee plantation, and Ava and Landon soon discover a connection between their families. As Landon's great-grandmother the broken pieces of their story, Ava must confront the greatest loss in her own life -- and powerful members of the Kingston family who will do anything to keep the truth buried.

Illuminating the story and strength of these women, award-winning author Melanie Dobson transports readers through time and place, from World War II Holland to contemporary Uganda, in this rich and inspiring story.

My Review:

My brain is muddled and my heart is fractured. What an emotional read! I was gulping down great heaving sobs by the end. Pretty much teary for the last quarter of the book. Luckily I listened to the audible version so there was no water damage to an innocent paperback. :-)

This is one of those reviews that should be wordless because there simply aren't any that can adequately describe the power of this story. The magic is in the details -- so many details! -- and the way the author blends the two timelines is amazing and incredible and utterly clever! I could see some of the pieces coming together early on and my imagination went rampant with possible scenarios. Love it when a story excites me so much that I have to take pauses so I can do some creative thinking of my own!

Nancy Peterson's narration was exquisite and added so much to my 'reading' pleasure. She brought the characters to life and into my heart and I don't know how she managed to get through some of the scenes without crying! I really was a weepy mess by the conclusion of this read, Ashuddering mix of sad and happy tears, left basking in a stupor of awe and hope and the certainty that every life is precious.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Memories of Glass, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday October 5 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Catching the Wind

GIVEAWAY
RANDOM RETRO READ!

DOBSON, MELANIE
CATCHING THE WIND

What happened to Brigitte Berthold?

That question has haunted Daniel Knight since he was thirteen, when he and ten-year-old Brigitte escaped the Gestapo agents who arrested both their parents. They survived a harrowing journey from Germany to England, only to be separated upon their arrival. Daniel vowed to find Brigitte after the war, a promise he has fought to fulfill for more than seventy years.

Now a wealthy old man, Daniel's final hope in finding Brigitte rests with Quenby Vaughn, an American journalist working in London. He believes Quenby's tenacity to find missing people and her personal investment in a related WWII espionage story will help her succeed where previous investigators have failed. Though Quenby is wrestling her own demons -- and wary at the idea of teaming up with Daniel's lawyer, Lucas Hough -- the lure of Briggette's story is too much to resist. Together, Quenby and Lucas delve deep into the past, following a trail of deception, sacrifice, and healing that could change all of their futures.

My Review:

Published in 2017
My thanks to my public library for providing me with the audio version of this book

I have just been sucker-punched by a novel. I'm still gasping and gaping and grappling with a mass of  tangled emotions. Powerful. Memorable. Heart-wrenching. Hopeful. Triumphant. Everything that is good in a story multiplied by a hundred! Or a thousand!

So, I read Hidden Among the Stars last week and a few people mentioned how wonderful Catching the Wind was so I checked my library and -- oh bookish glee -- they had the audio version available. I downloaded it immediately and started listening and couldn't stop. The narration is amazing~ Nancy Peterson did a superlative job with the accents and the voices and the pacing. It was breathtaking. I was completely riveted.

And then there's the story. The way the author builds the past and present, meshing them together and then pulling them apart again. And there were so many 'aha' moments for me. My reader world was rocked over and over again. Something mentioned earlier on in the book would suddenly take on epic proportions later on and I'd literally be reeling over the impact! Took my breath away every single time.

A stunning novel about survival and hope and the power of love.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Catching the Wind, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday March 2 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Hidden Among the Stars

GIVEAWAY

DOBSON, MELANIE
HIDDEN AMONG THE STARS

A gripping time-slip mystery about hidden treasure, a castle, and ordinary people who resisted evil in their own extraordinary way.

The year is 1938, and as Hitler's troop sweep into Vienna, Austrian Max Dornbach promises to help his Jewish friends hide their most valuable possessions from the Nazis, smuggling them to his family's summer estate near the picturesque village of Hallstatt. He enlists the help of Annika Knopf, his childhood friend and the caretaker's daughter, who is eager to help the man she's loved her entire life. But when Max also brings Luiza Weiss, a young Jewish woman, to hide at the castle, it complicates Annika's feelings and puts their entire plan -- even their very lives -- in jeopardy. Especially when the Nazis come to scour the estate and find both Luiza and the treasure gone.

Eighty years later, Callie Randall is mostly content with her quiet life, running a bookstore with her sister and reaching out into the world through her blog. Then she finds a cryptic list in an old edition of Bambi that connects her to Annika's story...and possibly to the long-buried story of a dear friend. As she digs into the past, Callie must risk venturing outside the safe world she's built for a chance answers, adventure and maybe even new love.

My Review:

Emotions engaged, tear-ducts drained -- five tissue box alert! What an incredibly moving story! I was as riveted by the contemporary story as I was by the historical one. And the way Dobson shifts between the two -- heart-in-throat moments that leave a reader reeling and, bam, we're in another time and place with barely a moment to catch our breath before we're holding it again. Truly stunning!

Callie (present day heroine) is full of bookish delight. Known as the Story Girl for her rousing story times, she is a font of literary knowledge and I adore the way she approaches things through book-coloured glasses. I studied library sciences and specialized in children's lit and I did not know the most amazing things about some of the classics. How did I not know? I'm gobsmacked and still shaking my head in despair over my ignorance. So, of course, I loved all the bookish bits in Callie's story -- and the role a particular children's classic plays in bridging generations. I could definitely relate to all things Callie, from living life through her fiction to needing to be surrounded by books.

The historical timeline gutted me. I'm always left pondering how the masses were so quick to follow Hitler. Blind to the evil right before their eyes. Or at least willing to look the other way. And I'm in awe of the power in simple acts of kindness. In the quiet resolve to do the right thing. At a time when the world was possessed by madness, people like Annika, Max and Hermann made a difference and changed the course of history. That comes through so clearly in Hidden Among the Stars and was my complete undoing. I heaved great gulping sobs towards the end. This is the kind of novel you'll carry in your heart for as long as you live. .

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Hidden Among the Stars, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday February 23 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Chateau of Secrets

GIVEAWAY

DOBSON,MELANIE
CHATEAU OF SECRETS

A courageous young noblewoman risks her life to hide French resistance fighters; seventy years later, her granddaughter visits the family’s abandoned chateau and uncovers shocking secrets from the past.

Gisèle Duchant guards a secret that could cost her life. Tunnels snake through the hill under her family’s medieval chateau in Normandy. Now, with Hitler’s army bearing down, her brother and several friends are hiding in the tunnels, resisting the German occupation of France.

But when German soldiers take over the family’s château, Gisèle is forced to host them as well—while harboring the resistance fighters right below their feet. Taking in a Jewish friend’s baby, she convinces the Nazis that it is her child, ultimately risking everything for the future of the child. When the German officers begin to suspect her deception, an unlikely hero rescues both her and the child.

A present day story weaves through the past one as Chloe Sauver, Gisèle’s granddaughter, arrives in Normandy. After calling off her engagement with a political candidate, Chloe pays a visit to the chateau to escape publicity and work with a documentary filmmaker, Riley, who has uncovered a fascinating story about Jews serving in Hitler’s army. Riley wants to research Chloe’s family history and the lives that were saved in the tunnels under their house in Normandy. Chloe is floored—her family isn’t Jewish, for one thing, and she doesn’t know anything about tunnels or the history of the house. But as she begins to explore the dark and winding passageways beneath the chateau, nothing can prepare her for the shock of what she and Riley discover…

With emotion and intrigue, Melanie Dobson brings World War II France to life in this beautiful novel about war, family, sacrifice, and the secrets of the past.

My Review:

What a tumultuous read! I had dreams about this book! Chateau of Secrets captivated me that much! Exceptional writing and an intricate plot consumed me. The story goes back and forth between Gisele's life in German occupied France and her granddaughter's experiences in present day. The way the author weaves their stories back and forth, slowly meshing the pieces together as we head to a crescendo of a climax -- well, breathtaking doesn't begin to describe the kind of read this is. Honestly, I'm gobsmacked.

A masterful tale that includes a different spin on the World War II theme. An emotion filled, complicated story that, while painful at times, is ultimately uplifting. Dobson has done a tremendous job of capturing the courageous spirit of some incredible people. She turns despair into hope and breathes new life into a timeless tale of sacrifice. A book that truly honors the heroes of our past.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Chateau of Secrets please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday November 30 2014. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Love Finds You in Liberty Indiana

Dobson, Melanie

Love Finds You in Liberty Indiana

In a divided town during a dangerous era, who can be trusted? Liberty, Indiana is home to a stop on the underground railroad operated by Quaker abolitionists anna Brent and her father. Harboring runaway slaves is a dangerous mission: anyone caught aiding them is subject to imprisonment. When Anna's secret work is threatened, can she turn to the handsome yet outspoken Daniel Stanton, Liberty's newspaper editor, to ensure the safety of the runaway slaves so dear to her? Will she and Daniel risk everything for their beliefs -- including their personal liberty?

VERY WELL RESEARCHED. I CAME AWAY WITH ALOT MORE KNOWLEDGE OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD THEN I HAD BEFORE I READ THIS BOOK. EXTREMELY WELL WRITTEN, GRIPPING STORYLINE. ANNA AND DANIEL ARE MEMORABLE CHARACTERS, BUT I FELT THEIR ROMANCE TOOK A BACKSEAT TO THE REST OF THE STORY. WOULDN'T REALLY CATEGORIZE IT AS A ROMANCE SINCE THAT PART REALLY HAPPENED IN THE LAST QUARTER OR SO OF THE BOOK.