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 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 shares the broken pieces of her 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 novel.
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Violence - 1/5
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Drugs and Alcohol - 0/5
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Summary
"If only I could ask questions about my family and get straight answers. If only people would share their stories instead of locking them away. "
If only. It's the story of Ava Drake's life. So much of her family history is shrouded in secrecy, facts hidden in the shadows and the truth anything but clear. Along the fault lines are stories dating back to World War II, when there fortunes to be made upon the sacrifice of the innocent. As Ava digs deeper into her grandfather's past, her present occupation as the director of the famed Kingston Family Foundation leads her straight to Uganda, where she meets the kind of man who insists that the truth can set her free.
"Windows are a curious thing. . . . the stained ones transform the light but not the transparent glass."
Rich in history, this lovely story paints a mural of love, loss, and bravery using colors bold enough to cover the ugliness that begs to raise its hideous voice among the shattered "memories of glass". It's a complex story, especially in the beginning, when layer after layer of family connections and deceit threaten to snuff out the souls who rose to an occasion that they never would have chosen for themselves. And yet they did; they certainly did.
I received a copy of this book from the author. The opinions stated above are entirely my own.