Review: Island at War

I'm always interested in movies and books set in the WWII era, so I was excited to watch the 2005 British miniseries Island At War, which tells the story of residents of the fictional island of St. Gregory in the Channel Islands. Located between Britain and France, the Channel Islands were vital to the Nazis' plan to eventually invade England. Focusing on the middle-class Mahys (shopkeeper Cassie, husband Urban and daughters Angelique and June), the upper-class Dorrs (Senator James Dorr, wife Felicity and son Phil), and the working-class Jonases (policeman/fisherman Wilf, wife Kathleen and children Colin and Mary), Island at War traces their lives from the start of the Nazi invasion through most of the war.

The series packs a dramatic punch from the start-- within the first few minutes a main character is dead and there is definitely violence within all the episodes-- but the bloodshed is not gratuitous and works to accurately convey the day-to-day humiliation and fear the people suffered. One of my favorite aspects of Island at War was how it made me think about the options presented to the occupied people and how I might react in a similar situation. Do you comply with the Nazis out of fear and to make your life safer or do you resist them and face death or imprisonment? What do you do when some of the occupiers become more to you than just a nameless, evil force? All of the actors were great, but those playing Baron Heinrich Von Rheingarten, Oberleutnant Walker and the other Nazis were truly skilled at showing how the Germans occupying St. Gregory could be alternately merciful or evil in their reactions to wrongdoing but were always unpredictable.

While the acting was great and the characters well-formed, I ended up being disappointed with the series. Several storylines were left unfinished and I admit I would have loved to see the St. Gregory residents through the end of the war, not just through 1943. 3 or 4 main characters' fates are left in limbo and it felt like they were hoping for a sequel but it didn't happen (Island at War was filmed in 2003, and from what I read online there's been no talk of a second installment).

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars. Dramatic, heartfelt and with a little romance thrown in, I really enjoyed Island at War for the most part, but lots of loose ends and some strange storylines left me feeling underwhelmed. For a slightly lighter tale of the Channel Islands during war time, check out The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.

source: Netflix

Review: Tricia Goyer's From Dust and Ashes: A Story of Liberation/Who Doesn't Like Free Books?

Amidst the dark horror of 1945 Austria, a cowardly SS officer abandons his wife Helene as U.S. forces advance on Nazi death camps. Alone and guilt-ridden, Helene begins helping the holocaust survivors---and experiences her own liberation from spiritual bondage. But when she meets Peter, an American soldier who helped free the town's concentration camp, will old shame overcome the promise of new hope and forgiveness?
(summary from triciagoyer.com)

I really enjoyed From Dust and Ashes, Book 1 in Goyer's WWII Liberators Series, and the best part is I got the book for free! The Kindle store on Amazon.com runs promotions for free ebooks, and while a lot of them are cheesy romance novels with titles like Slow Hands (?!) and Dancing in the Moonlight, they often feature inspirational fiction. I've gotten books by Tracie Peterson, Tamera Alexander and Judith Miller, not to mention all the classic literature written before 1923 that Amazon has for no cost.

From Dust and Ashes is an incredibly moving story of people struggling to piece their lives together after the Germans surrender to the Allies. Sgt. Peter Scott, a GI and one of the first liberators of the Gusen camp, is struggling with his faith after viewing the atrocities of wartime while Helene Volkner, married to an SS officer who worked at the concentration camp, is dealing with the guilt of having stood by silently while thousands were killed. Michaela Perl, a Christian imprisoned at Gusen for helping a Jewish family hide from the Nazis, barely survives the ordeal and is left without a home or any family left. Goyer doesn't shy away from describing the brutality and evil that men can enact on each other, and that made the story and the characters' inner struggles regarding the presence of a God much more realistic and gripping. The only part I found less satisfying was the ending, which seemed a bit rushed and lacking the motivation behind a character's action. However, the subject matter was fascinating and moving so I definitely plan to read the next book in the series, Night Song: A Story of Sacrifice.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars. If you are a fan of fiction set during WWII and like to read about characters forming a relationship with Christ through hardship and doubt, I'd definitely recommend this. However, I felt disappointed that some of the plot aspects seemed thrown together-- I'd have loved to know more of the characters' reasons for doing certain things.

Source: personal copy (free on amazon.com)

Review: A Distant Melody by Sarah Sundin

All I have to say about Sarah Sundin's A Distant Melody is I.could.not.put.it.down. You know a book is great when you have to set deadlines for yourself to stop reading. I told myself I'd go to bed at 10:30...then 11... then 11:30. Finally at midnight, with a 6:30 a.m. wake up call looming, I reluctantly set it on the nightstand. It is that good! To me the greatest strength of Sundin's writing lies in her development of the two main characters, Walt and Allie. One of my pet peeves (and the reason why I've never really caught on to conventional romance novels) is characters that are one-dimensional. Escapism is great, but a perfect ivory-skinned heroine and ruggedly handsome hero with a six-pack just don't have the same impact that a well-drawn character does. Walt and Allie hurt, bleed, love, lie and forgive just like we all do, and though neither think they are conventionally attractive they find and bring out the beauty in each other.

I also though Sundin's description was excellent. In a scene where Walt's plane and the other B-17s taxi to the runway for their first mission, you can literally hear the rumble of whirling propellers and feel the nervous excitement of the pilots. Her depiction of faith and the struggles Christians often go through was right on target, and she didn't trivialize the faith aspect or become overly preachy. Walt and Allie grow in their faith as they encourage each other, and as a single Christian woman I definitely found myself hoping for a man as sweet and strong as Walt!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars. This is the first book in a while that has made me turn off the TV, put away the computer and read for hours. With likable and relatable characters, a sweet and poignant love story, and even some action, I cannot recommend this highly enough! I am eagerly waiting to finish my current book so I can get to the 2nd book in the series, A Memory Between Us, which tells the story of Walter's older brother Jack. I loved the secondary characters (George, Betty, Helen, Dorothy, Art) and hope to see more of them, so I was really excited to read on Sarah Sundin's website that the 3rd book will focus on the relationship between the oldest Novak brother Ray and Helen Carlisle.

source: personal copy