The Medallion

GIVEAWAY

GOHLKE, CATHY
THE MEDALLION

An illuminating tale of courage, sacrifice, and survival.
Two couples' lives are ravaged by Hitler's mad war but forever linked through the fate of one little girl.

Warsaw, 1939
The German blitzkrieg has shattered the city. As Sophie Kumieg awaits news of her husband, deployed with the Polish Air Force, she is determined to keep her unborn baby safe. She didn't count on being drawn into the dangerous and all-consuming plight of her neighbors.

Rosa and Itzhak Dunovich never imagined welcoming their longed-for child in the Jewish ghetto, or letting anything tear their family apart. But Rosa soon faces a terrifying reality: to save their daughter's life, she must send her into hiding. Her only hope of finding her after the war -- if any of them survive -- is the half medallion she places around her daughter's neck.

Inspired by true events of Poland's darkest days and brightest heroes, The Medallion paints a stunning portrait of war and its aftermath, daring us to believe that when all seems lost, God can make a way forward.

My Review:

"The Red Sea...how Adonai will make a way where there is no way." (p 8)

I read that line early on in this novel and haven't been able to shake the imagery since. It's at the heart of this story -- how God prepares a way even if it's not the way we'd choose.

The Medallion is a tough read. Have tissues and comfort chocolate on hand and be prepared for an emotional roller coaster ride ending in an ugly cry. Cathy Gohlke writes with such passion and reverence...and hope! As hard as this read is, it inspires me to live my faith more fully to treat my neighbours with more compassion and to speak up and take action whenever I am witness to injustice.

This is one of those impossible to review kind of novels. Mainly, because I don't want to give anything away. But there are so many talking points in this book that it would make a fabulous book club selection.

Impeccable historical research laid the foundation for a compelling tale about everyday people doing extraordinary things. It is both a celebration of life and a cautionary tale.

Indescribably good. If you only read one book this year (is that even possible?) you should make The Medallion that book.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of  The Medallion 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 December 14 2019. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Until We Find Home

GIVEAWAY

GOHLKE, CATHY
UNTIL WE FIND HOME

For American Claire Stewart, joining the French resistance sounded as romantic as the storylines she hopes will one day grace the novels she wants to write.  But when she finds herself stranded on English shores with five French Jewish children she smuggled across the channel before Nazis stormed Paris, reality seems more akin to fear.

With nowhere to go, Claire throw herself on the mercy of an estranged aunt, begging Lady Miranda Langford to take the children into her magnificent estate. Heavily weighted with grief of her own, Miranda reluctantly agrees if Claire will stay to help. Though desperate to return to France and the man she loves, Claire has few options. But her tumultuous upbringing -- spent in the refuge of novels with fictional friends -- has ill prepared her for the daily dramas of raising children or for the way David Campbell, a fellow American boarder, challenges her notions of love. Nor could she foresee how the threat of war will invade their quiet haven, threatening all who have come to call Bluebell Wood home, the people who have become her family.

My Review:

A sumptuous feast of words. This complex story challenges and convicts through a host of characters who have become dear friends. All are on unique journeys but have been brought together by the grace of God.

Heartache and hope set against the stirring backdrop of an England at war. There's a Home Fires vibe about Until We Find Home so if you're familiar with that BBC drama, you'll have a feel for the kind of compelling plots and engaging characters this book offers. I could totally see this as the next TV drama sensation! And there's enough adventure and angst, drama and comedy to fill a whole season! Riveting stuff.

Told from multiple points of view, the reader is given a real glimpse into the lives and hearts of different characters. I laughed and cried and fumed and tossed the book across the room at one point (figuratively, of course. We do not throw books no matter how onerous a character might be.) Individual story threads merge into a richly woven tapestry that brightens some of the darkest days in world history.

This is also a novel worthy of more than a few bibliophile swoons as some of my favourite authors and books make their way onto the pages of Claire's story. It was like getting to meet old friends while becoming acquainted with a new friend - finding books within a book like that.  I'm still grinning and, frankly, a little jealous of Claire.

This is the kind of story you want to linger over even though you've reached the last page. I'm not ready to let the magic go. Though, I suppose it isn't really magic I'm feeling but the Spirit convicting me to live my faith with abandon. To appreciate every blessed minute I've been given and make them all count.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:'

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Until We Find Home, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. 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. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday May 6 2018, Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

Secrets She Kept

GIVEAWAY

GOHLKE, CATHY
SECRETS SHE KEPT

The secret a mother was forbidden to share . . . the consequences a daughter could not redeem—but will risk everything in her attempt.

All her life, Hannah Sterling longed for a close relationship with her estranged mother. Following Lieselotte’s death, Hannah unlocks secrets of her mother’s mysterious past, including the discovery of a grandfather living in Germany.

Thirty years earlier, Lieselotte’s father, ascending the ranks of the Nazi party, demands a marriage for his daughter to help advance his career. But Lieselotte is in love—and her beloved Lukas secretly works against the Reich. How far will her father go to achieve his goal?

Both Hannah’s and Lieselotte’s stories unfold as Hannah travels to Germany to meet her grandfather, who hides wartime secrets of his own. Longing for connection, yet shaken by all she uncovers, Hannah must decide if she can atone for her family’s tragic past, and how their legacy will shape her future.  

My Review:

Magnificent. Shocking. Mesmerizing. I'm stunned, grappling for words to describe the breadth and depth of this story. The emotional impact it has made on me. The spiritual awakening that has stirred my soul. I blink back tears and swallow against the lump in my throat as my heart burns with equal measures of untold sorrow and joy-filled hope.

Hannah and Lieselotte's stories are told in a canny two part harmony until the moment the past and present collide in a crescendo of a climax.  Impeccably paced, the author slips back and forth in time, leaving me hanging on every word. And I think I felt every emotion imaginable during my reading journey. I feel rather shell-shocked at the conclusion. The kind of worn-out peace that comes after a good long crying-jag.

This is not a book to read lightly. It is the kind that makes a powerful impact. Leaves a lasting impression. Compels you to examine the state of your heart and your faith. Simply stunning.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of  Secrets She Kept 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 1 2015. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Saving Amelie

GIVEAWAY

GOHLKE, CATHY
SAVING AMELIE

Increasingly wary of her father’s genetic research, Rachel Kramer has determined that this trip with him to Germany—in the summer of 1939—will be her last. But a cryptic letter from her estranged friend, begging Rachel for help, changes everything. Married to SS officer Gerhardt Schlick, Kristine sees the dark tides turning and fears her husband views their daughter, Amelie, deaf since birth, as a blight on his Aryan bloodline.

Once courted by Schlick, Rachel knows he’s as dangerous as the swastikas that hang like ebony spiders from every government building in Berlin. She fears her father’s files may hold answers about Hitler’s plans for others, like Amelie, whom the regime deems “unworthy of life.” She risks searching his classified documents only to uncover shocking secrets about her own history and a family she’s never known.

Now hunted by the SS, Rachel turns to Jason Young—a driven, disarming American journalist and unlikely ally—who connects her to the resistance and to controversial theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Forced into hiding, Rachel’s every ideal is challenged as she and Jason walk a knife’s edge, risking their lives—and asking others to do the same—for those they barely know but come to love.

My Review:

Mesmerizing. Captivating. Contemplative. Agonizing. I'm having difficulty corralling my scrambled brain. Gohlke's words have penetrated my heart, mind and soul. This is the kind of read that changes you. Challenges you. Charges you to strive to be a better person in a fallen world.

I've long been fascinated by holocaust and resistance stories and this one is an incredible tribute to the courage of the every day people who dared to stand against the Nazi's reign of terror. Gripping from the very first page, I pretty much dropped everything and read my way to the end. Read with an accelerated heart rate, a lump in my throat and terror tracking down my spine. I am still reeling over the stupidity of the masses who blindly followed a madman. But I'm filled with hope as well, because Hitler was ultimately defeated by thousands of individuals who did the right thing under unconscionable circumstances.

Saving Amelie is a compelling novel with a stand-up-and-cheer kind of ending worthy of the biggest blockbuster hit. I wept buckets at the end. An exceptional read.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Saving Amelie 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 July 27 2014. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

My thanks to Tyndale Publishing and Net Galley for providing me with a review copy of this book.

Band of Sisters

GIVEAWAY

GOHLKE, CATHY
BAND OF SISTERS

Maureen O'Reilly and her younger sister flee Ireland in hope of claiming the life promised to their father over twenty years before. After surviving the rigors of Ellis Island, Maureen learns that their benefactor, Colonel Wakefield, has died. His family, refusing to own his Civil War debt, casts her out. Alone, impoverished, and in danger of deportation, Maureen connives to obtain employment in a prominent department store. But she soon discovers that the elegant facade hides a secret that threatens every vulnerable woman in the city.Despite her family's disapproval, Olivia Wakefield determines to honor her father's debt but can't find Maureen. Unexpected help comes from a local businessman, whom Olivia begins to see as more than an ally, even as she fears the secrets he's hiding. As women begin disappearing from the store, Olivia rallies influential ladies in her circle to help Maureen take a stand against injustice and fight for the lives of their growing band of sisters. But can either woman open her heart to divine leading or the love it might bring?

My Review:

I didn't set out to read this book in one sitting but that's what happened. And it's 400 pages! Gohlke captivated me from the start with the O'Reilly sisters plight. There's real grit and heartache within these pages -- no fairytale with a knight in shining armor riding in to save the day in the nick of time. Maureen's situation is grim from the time we meet her. Escaping Ireland for America is the first step towards freedom, but unfortunately she can't run from her memories.

Gohlke has created an epic and inspiring work that mirrors the lives of women from two very different worlds. But whether they are from society or the working poor, none of them is truly free from the conventions of the time...and of the men who would use them. 

It is easy to see why Maureen has trust issues, frustrating as it is to watch her wade through a mire of deceit and danger stoically on her own. And while Olivia's wealth brings her more freedom, it also keeps her under the thumb of her arrogant brother-in-law.  Both women battle to find their way as they are caught up in horrific events that will shape their lives for years to come.  

You will find a strong inspirational thread within these pages as well. One of the best I have read in Christian Fiction. Gohlke doesn't preach, but she does pose an interesting question that each reader will feel compelled to ponder over and over again by the end of this read. Band of Sisters is a book that has the power to transform if a reader's heart is open to the challenge. Wonderful, riveting, amazing -- a not to be missed book for every TBR pile.

Giveaway Opportunity:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Band of Sisters, 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 October 7 2012. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Promise Me This

GIVEAWAY!

CATHY GOHLKE
PROMISE ME THIS

Annie Allen never imagined the day she watched her brother, Owen, sail on Titanic would be the last time she'd see him. Nor could she guess how the tragedy would forever knit her life to Michael Dunnagan, who survived through Owen's sacrifice.

As Annie struggles to navigate a challenging life in England, Michael labors in New Jersey to create the gardening business Owen once dreamed of and to heal Annie's grief through letters. In time, as Annie begins to lay aside her anger that Michael lived when her brother did not, a tentative friendship takes root and blossoms into something neither expected.

Bound by a promise yet battling circumstances beyond their control, Michael and Annie dream of the day she can join him in America. Just when Michael saves enough money for her passage, WWI erupts in Europe. Then Annie's letters mysteriously stop, forcing Michael to risk everything to find the woman he's grown to love before she's lost forever.

My Review:

Is gut-wrenching splendour an oxymoron? Because that's how I'd begin to describe Promise Me This. I wouldn't end there though. I might throw in descriptors like 'agonizingly wonderful' or 'despairingly stunning' or ... LOL - clearly this book has sent me into a tailspin but I'll try to regroup.

It is definitely worthy of the title 'epic saga' as the story takes place over several years, crosses continents and is fraught with angst. Michael and Annie are just teens when we meet them first but some cleverly crafted plotting takes us all on a journey we soon won't forget. Gohlke tackles an intriguing period of history that includes the sinking of the Titanic and World War I and has done such a good job of it that I'm still feeling emotionally bruised.

You will find characters to instantly bond with and a plot rife with harrowing and unpredictable twists and turns that will keep you on your toes to the very last sentence. Seriously, I despaired so deeply at one point that I had to take a peek at the last page and I hardly every do that!

And oh, Gohlke's characters -- from the hero and heroine right through to the secondary characters -- all so real, so vibrant and oh so compelling. Artfully crafted, each plays a pivotal role in the story and you'll meet one of the vilest villains in literary history! There's so much more I want to say but won't for fear of unintentionally leaking spoilers. This is definitely a novel worthy of a book club discussion -- one that would go on long into the night because there is so much substance to the story.

Promise Me This is the kind of book that will profoundly effect its readers. On a scale of one to 10, I'd rate it 100.

Giveaway Opportunity:

If you would like to have a chance at winning a copy of this book, please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. Please remember to put the title in the subject line so it is easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday February 26 2012. Offer open internationally. Good luck!