An urgent telegram summons Amity Mitchell to Prague, where she joins her brother to help save Jewish children from Nazi forces during World War II. A Daring Escape is a gripping tale of hope, self-sacrifice, and the power of love to overcome hate.
A Daring Escape
By triciagoyer
History. What other facet has driven so many authors to write?
Trish Goyer writes about kindertransport, the train evacuation of Jewish children from Prague before Hitler’s troops arrive, in A Daring Escape, the second in The London Chronicles series.
When her brother contacts her from Prague with a rather mysterious message requesting she visit from her current position as a nanny in London, Amity Mitchell finds she has no choice but to heed his invitation. Andrew, in the employ of a London bureau that seeks to evacuate and place as many children possible before Hitler arrives, finds the looming threat becoming more serious and he needs Amity’s assistance, assistance he knows that once she sees the need, she will risk everything to succeed.
Satisfied that Amity has begun to grasp the gravity of the situation in just a few short days, Andrew must return to London to work at obtaining more homes willing to take in the children. As Amity loses herself in the enormous amount of paperwork required to save the children, Clark Cartwright, her employer remains in London with his daughter, Celia. A widower, Clark finds himself in love with Amity but has not declared himself due to their age difference. Unable to help himself, he travels to Prague to see for himself that Amity is ok as she has stated in her letters.
Clark finds the city of Prague and its people’s vastly changed in comparison to his last visit to the beautiful city. It seems the entire city is struggling under a huge, dark cloud of impending doom. Pleasantly surprised by his appearance, Amity begins to share with Clark the work she has become immersed in, taking him to villages outside the city proper, to see the great need of those who have escaped Hitler’s advancing forces; most are women and children as the majority of the men, husbands and fathers, were brutally murdered.
Having expressed their growing love for each other, Clark has purchased two tickets to London; Hitler is close, very close and Clark wants to get Amity safely out of Prague. But Amity finds when it’s time to leave, she just can’t. She must remain behind to save as many children as she can before no one can get out. Clark reluctantly leaves Amity behind as he returns to his daughter in London.
I was thoroughly engrossed with this novel, the research that went into writing this must have been quite extensive. Travel back, to a time in history when your friends, even family members betrayed one another in abject fear of the encroaching Nazi forces.
I found all of my senses fully engaged in this story right from the very first lines. Tricia Goyer weaves a story that will keep you turning pages and staying up late just to see what will happen next. I didn’t want to look away or put the book down for even a moment.
Amity is a heroine that faces her fears by putting her trust in God and walking in faith. She admits that she is afraid, and she presses on knowing that God will be with her. Even when it would have been safer and easier to return to England, she followed God’s leading on her heart. I admired that about her.
I was also deeply touched by the strength of character the Jewish mother’s had. To lead their children to safety. To put them on a train and send them away, while staying behind themselves. I can’t even begin to imagine how heart-rending it would be to put my young child on a train and send them away without me.
This story is filled with strong women, who trust in God even when it’s hard and they don’t understand. It is written so well that I felt like I was there in the story and wanting to help get as many children to safety as possible. It also gave me a new insight on the people who find themselves as displaced refugees today.
This second book in The London Chronicles is easily a stand-alone story. However, with that said, the first book is just as fantastic as this one is and you won’t want to miss the opportunity to read either of them. I give this story 4.5 stars and would encourage you to grab a copy.
(I borrowed a copy of this book from my local library for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.)
A Daring Escape by Tricia Goyer is the second book in The London Chronicles series. Amity Mitchell is a tutor to Celia Cartwright in London in 1938. Amity enjoys her position in the Cartwright household. Clark Cartwright, a widower and author, is grateful to Amity for helping him and Celia overcome their grief (from the death of his wife, Gwen) and move forward with their lives. It is almost time for her Christmas break, when Amity receives a telegram from her brother, Andrew. Andrew works for the British Home Office overseeing immigration to the United Kingdom. He is in Prague and needs Amity’s assistance with Jewish children. The Nazi’s will be moving into the area and soon it will be impossible to get these innocent children out of the country. Amity agrees to go for her two-week leave, though, she will miss spending Christmas with Clark and Celia. She is soon absorbed in helping the children and extends her stay. Clark and Celia miss Amity and Clark soon heads to Prague to tell Amity how he feels about her (and convince her to return home). They work to get the children out on Kindertransports, but then the Nazi’s invade. Amity is on their radar and her American passport will not be able to protect her. She refuses to leave with Clark wanting to save as many children as possible. Amity also wants to ensure that Pavla Simonova and her children out on the next train (which could very well be the last one). Konrad Hanak, a Nazi soldier, is after Pavla for information. He will not let anyone stand in his way. Will Amity make it out Czechoslovakia before it is too late?
A Daring Escape is a well-written historical, Christian novel. While A Daring Escape is the second book in the series, it can be read alone. The pacing is good and smooth transitions between chapters. I like how the author incorporated the historical elements into the story. It is obvious that the author did extensive research for this novel. She included the historical data without making it seem like a history text or lecture. It blends smoothly into her fictional story. The characters are nicely developed, likeable and realistic. Amity is a strong female character who wishes to help others. She is brace, determined and tenacious. Clark was a resilient, thoughtful, and caring man. Andrew is a minor presence in the book (I hope he gets a book of his own). There are basically four storylines (Amity, Clark, Pavla and her family, and Konrad Hanak) that come together for one compelling novel. I appreciated that the author did not just make this a historical romance. I liked the mystery/suspense that came with Pavla Simonova and the treasure storyline. It added an extra element that enriched the story. Imagine how heartbreaking it was for parents to send their children away knowing that the chances of ever seeing them again was unlikely. Just another thing taken away from the Jewish people (along with their jobs, homes, valuables, identities, religion, dignity and their lives). The Christian elements included faith, power of prayer, trusting in God, and scripture. Ms. Goyer takes her readers back in time to a horrific period in history. You will be able to visualize the characters in the scenes in your mind. I am eager to read more novels by Tricia Goyer. The first book in The London Chronicles series is A Secret Courage.