It is 1945, and a group of American soldiers liberate a Nazi concentration camp. Helene is the abandoned wife of an SS guard who has fled to avoid arrest. Overcome by guilt, she begins to help meet the needs of survivors. Throughout the process, she finds her own liberation–from spiritual bondage, sin, and guilt. Readers will be intrigued and touched by this fascinating story of love, … faithfulness, and courage amidst one of the darkest chapters of mankind’s history.
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In lieu of Remembrance Day, I wanted to read a story with a WWII theme. Since I love Tricia Goyer’s other books so much, I decided to give hers a try.
It was exactly what I knew the author would deliver. A solid story that pulled at my heart in so many ways. Helene is a strong woman that should be admired. I’m so glad she gets her happily ever after. Peter is such a gentleman. Michaela and Lelia show the bonds of friendship. Plus as always, God is ever present to lead the way.
The Nazi parts were tough to read, as they should be. It should also teach people how not to be.
I don’t normally read war stories, but I would read more from this author. She just knows how to blend the reader’s emotions and keep them rapt. I guess now I’m off to save Night Song to my list!
A poignant and powerful story of life in the aftermath of World War II. Highly recommended!
With a tender voice, Tricia Goyer has crafted a compelling story of love and liberation. Fans of historical fiction will be delighted with this wonderful novel from a new and rising author.
A great story of a young woman in ww11. Her struggles with the horrors that he husband was doing in German death camps. Some was hard to read. Her struggles were real and her strength to over come were inspiring.
Very thought provoking as I never considered the viewpoints from the GI’s who liberated Jewish survivors or German women whose husbands were guards of the Jews. GI’s were shocked by the state the Jews were found in with bodies stacked on top of each other & others barely alive.
The main character provided food & cared for 2 of the former prisoners & was criticized by the other Germans. She had married very young & then discovered her husband was a Nazi & an abuser. She provided info on who the guards were & their locations. Some Germans like her were not permitted to help till the end of the war. Everything flipped on who was in charge & what was acceptable overnight. The instability was addressed as her area was given to the Russians who were out for revenge after severe mistreatment by Germany so many fled to save their lives. Trials of the guards & their outcomes were covered as well as recovering Jewish possessions stolen by the Nazis.
It’s never easy to read about the Holocaust, yet I find myself drawn to learn more. We must never forget…and Tricia Goyer has drawn painful and minute details of the events from several perspectives to help us understand. The Jews, and the Christians, and others who hid them, suffered unthinkable atrocities. Allied soldiers who cared for the DP (Displaced Persons) they came to liberate. The Germans turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to the horrors around them. The officers shed their humanity and became brutal monsters. And the wife of an officer who had no recourse under her own crazed husband…until she found a way. I can always count on Tricia Goyer to skilly weave fact, faith, and believable characters into a story that keeps me waiting for a sequel.
I am generally not fan of WW2 stories as I find it such a heartbreaking time. This story really brought tears to my eyes.
This is a captivating and moving tale of love, loss and hope.
I personally thought the book was very well written and it sure kept my interest! The reminder of how people were treated so horribly and murdered, or died a slow death, should never be kept hidden. History repeats itself. And yes, we also need to have a close relationship with God in order to survive such atrocities. I recommend this book – and author.
I absolutely loved this book. A definite page turner and eye opener. What sad stories come from this awful time. The author did a marvelous job. I would highly recommend this book. Keep your tissue box handy.
From Dust and Ashes is a remarkable portrayal of God’s transforming power in the aftermath of war. Tricia Goyer invites us on a journey into the lives of three unlikely friends who find hope in the midst of destruction and love from the dust and ashes. Highly recommended.
I cried throughout this story.
I loved this book! Highly recommend this book!
Tricia Goyer brought a horrific subject to light in a way that both enlightened your knowledge of the historical record – and invited you to increase your faith. The title surely fit the story. Dust and ashes in and around the town where the camp was located, were the constant reminder of the atrocities being perpetrated against the Jews and any who might dare to help them. I was so impressed with the way Goyer handled the unimaginable cruelty to the camp residents, but also how that cruelty affected some Germans as well (like the Nazi SS officer’s wives).
She portrayed survivors of the camp at the time of liberation by the Americans as people of deep faith, holding on to life by the thinnest of threads. She wove the story in a way that allowed me to fully experience at least a portion of the emotion that the survivors had to have felt. I believed them. I believed the faith expressed by the Nazi SS officer’s wife, where God called her to stand by him, despite how heinously he’d treated her and the camp residents.
And yes, I loved how in the end she found a love rooted in forgiveness and faith, a love not just for her Heavenly Father, but for the American GI who’d stood by her from the beginning of the liberation of the camp. I recommend this book!
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Freedom of the human spirit and heroism beyond the call of duty—From Dust and Ashes is a story as relevant today as in the time it so beautifully captures.
Just finished it! I enjoy novels about WWII and this book presented a slightly different perspective. The heroine was married to an SS sergent as the war wound down and the concentration camps were freed. Worth the read!
It was a book I was so interested in that I had trouble putting it down. It made the aftermath of WW2 come alive. The tragic changes for so many people after the war was portrayed so well.
This comes from another perspective of someone who lived during WWII. Gives an insight for those Germans who bought into Hitler’s teachings and for those who just did their best to survive.