Powerful Retelling of the Story of Esther
In 1944, blond and blue-eyed Jewess Hadassah Benjamin feels abandoned by God when she is saved from a firing squad only to be handed over to a new enemy. Pressed into service by SS-Kommandant Colonel Aric von Schmidt at the transit camp of Theresienstadt in Czechoslovakia, she is able to hide behind the false identity of Stella Muller. However, in order to survive and maintain her cover as Aric’s secretary, she is forced to stand by as her own people are sent to Auschwitz.
Suspecting her employer is a man of hidden depths and sympathies, Stella cautiously appeals to him on behalf of those in the camp. Aric’s compassion gives her hope, and she finds herself battling a growing attraction for this man she knows she should despise as an enemy.
Stella pours herself into her efforts to keep even some of the camp’s prisoners safe, but she risks the revelation of her true identity with every attempt. When her bravery brings her to the point of the ultimate sacrifice, she has only her faith to lean upon. Perhaps God has placed her there for such a time as this, but how can she save her people when she is unable to save herself?
“I absolutely loved this book. “For Such a Time “kept me up at night, flipping the pages and holding my breath wanting to know what would happen next. Based on the Biblical book of Esther, the story takes the reader to a concentration camp inside World War II Czechoslovakia, where a young Jewish woman has captured the attention of the Kommandant and has the opportunity to save her people, much as Esther did in the Biblical account. The story is gripping, compelling, and I dare anyone to close the cover before the last suspenseful page.”–#1 “New York Times” Bestselling Author, Debbie Macomber
“When I finished Kate Breslin’s novel for the first time, I had an urge to flip back to page one and start reading all over again. It’s that good. “For Such a Time” is an intimate portrait painted on a grand scale, bringing to life the drama and pain of suffering with the triumph and joy of freedom. This book deserves a wide audience, and newcomer Breslin has a bright future.”–#1 “New York Times” bestselling author, Susan Wiggs
“An engrossing and inspiring story from a talented new writer.”–Bestselling Author, Sheila Roberts
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Sexual Content - 1/5
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Violence - 2/5
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Language - 0/5
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Drugs and Alcohol - 2/5
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Summary
\"For King, For Country, For Freedom\", the lovely suffragette Grace Mabry reminds herself. Masquerading as the mythical Pandora, she politely infiltrates a posh society ball, intent on distributing white feathers of cowardice to able-bodied men who have ignored the call to arms on behalf of her beloved Great Britain. When by chance her eyes meet those of the renowned London playboy, and albeit viscount Jack Benningham, Grace discreetly places a white feather into the palm of his hand; opening a plethoric sequence of life changing events from which neither of them may ever recover. Jack Benningham cannot see. Blinded and disfigured by an explosion after covertly following a trail of spies, he has fled to his grandfather\'s country manor as a virtual recluse. Haunted by memories of the lovely woman with the auburn curls and emerald eyes, he continually berates himself for never having discovered her identity. Not that it matters, he is beholden to another; an arranged betrothal of sorts, driven by the need to repay a family debt. When Grace literally and very awkwardly stumbles onto Jack\'s rural estate, she is working as a member of the Women\'s Forage Corps. Terrified that this brusque, bitter version of Jack Benningham will discover they were silently introduced, Grace never directly indicates when she met her new landlord. Suspecting that Patrick Mabry\'s daughter is involved in espionage against the British government, Jack decides to keep Miss Mabry in his employ as a chauffeur, in order to discreetly interrogate her. Grace, in effect, becomes Jack\'s new eyes, as they travel the countryside sharing infinitely more than details of her background and animated descriptions of lush, poetic scenery; until one fateful day, grave news shatters everything. \"Not by Sight\" proves that indeed, some of life\'s most beautiful blessings are never seen by the human eye, rather they are beheld deep within the recesses of the human heart. What a relief to know that God truly intended for us to \"walk by faith and not by sight\". Kate Breslin is to be congratulated on a novel that is masterful, meaningful and mesmerizing from beginning to end. I was given an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Violence If you know anything about the Holocaust, then you know there's violence. The author does a good job of getting the point across without going into gory detail.
Language I don't know how she managed it, but she did an incredible job of keeping the crude stuff out. And you still get the point that the Nazis were crude.
Sexual Again, very well presented without graphic detail.