The first thing that comes to my mind is "WOW WHAT A BOOK"! The writing of this novel was a labor of love and it shows! When we read about events in history, we the read the facts and highlights of that time. We don't take into consideration the people that lived through the occurrence and even if we do it is only skimming the surface. The author did an incredible job of taking us deep into the experiences of those living during WW2 in the Ukraine. Their suffering from the war was great without being added to the fact they were suspended between fighting regimes of Hitler and Stalin. What makes it even more intriguing is that the book is inspired by the combined true accounts people that survived this dreadful time. Ms. Stuart took 15 years of research and interviews with survivors!
I liked how her four characters showed the diversity of experiences from the varied viewpoints of people in different walks of life. This is so beautifully written that all their stories weave together. It is not disjointed or confusing.
The author opens your eyes that war is very complicated. Every person involved is an individual with their own emotions and struggles. The problems they were dealing with before the war are still there and made even more complicated by the fighting.
Ivan has a family he desperately wants to protect. While trying to help a neighbor, he becomes a part of the Jewish prisoners march to death. He barely escapes but the horror he witnesses thousands being killed emotionally devastates him. He returns to his family a shell of a man.
Masha, his daughter, is only 14 years old when the war begins. The devastation of her city and starvation were overwhelming for her close knit family. Then one day the thing her parents had feared, happened. She was captured and taken to a concentration camp.
Luda's life was a nightmare before the war with her abusive, alcoholic father. She is only 16 and manages to escape to the home of dear friends who welcome her. When it looks like her life is taking a turn for the better, she is brutally raped my Nazi soldiers and ends up pregnant.
Frederick is the enemy, a young boy that has been raised to be part of Hitler's killing machine, a Nazi soldier. He is totally committed not only to the cause, but also to try and win the acceptance of harsh and unloving father.
I liked that I was able to see the character's not only through the war but how they lived afterward. I have never read a book like this! If I could I would give it 6 stars!!
I received this book free from Kregel Publications in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have stated are my own.
I liked how her four characters showed the diversity of experiences from the varied viewpoints of people in different walks of life. This is so beautifully written that all their stories weave together. It is not disjointed or confusing.
The author opens your eyes that war is very complicated. Every person involved is an individual with their own emotions and struggles. The problems they were dealing with before the war are still there and made even more complicated by the fighting.
Ivan has a family he desperately wants to protect. While trying to help a neighbor, he becomes a part of the Jewish prisoners march to death. He barely escapes but the horror he witnesses thousands being killed emotionally devastates him. He returns to his family a shell of a man.
Masha, his daughter, is only 14 years old when the war begins. The devastation of her city and starvation were overwhelming for her close knit family. Then one day the thing her parents had feared, happened. She was captured and taken to a concentration camp.
Luda's life was a nightmare before the war with her abusive, alcoholic father. She is only 16 and manages to escape to the home of dear friends who welcome her. When it looks like her life is taking a turn for the better, she is brutally raped my Nazi soldiers and ends up pregnant.
Frederick is the enemy, a young boy that has been raised to be part of Hitler's killing machine, a Nazi soldier. He is totally committed not only to the cause, but also to try and win the acceptance of harsh and unloving father.
I liked that I was able to see the character's not only through the war but how they lived afterward. I have never read a book like this! If I could I would give it 6 stars!!
I received this book free from Kregel Publications in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have stated are my own.
When it comes to Like a River from Its Course, there's no way any words of mine can do it justice, so I'll let Kelli Stuart and her characters do some of the talking. But if I had to express my thoughts in only one sentence, it would be this: If ever a book cried out to be read, it's this one.
What's most amazing is that through extensive research, debut author Kelli Stuart has drawn from personal stories of survival to write this moving work of fiction, based on historical events that weren't that familiar to me the Nazi occupation of Ukraine. The story is told from the first-person perspective of four main characters and rather than me trying to describe them, I encourage you to read about them in the book's overview above if you haven't already. Here are some expressions of their thoughts . . .
Frederick: "Ending one life to preserve another is not killing. It is saving."
Ivan: "Sometimes horrors are too great to be put into words."
Luda: "When you grow up without love, accepting it becomes almost burdensome."
Masha: "I'm scarred and emotionally beaten. The girl who left was swept away in the flood of war, but I think that girl is still somewhere inside. If only I could get back to find her."
Like a River from Its Course is riveting, dark, raw, yet hopeful and redeeming. It reflects the essence of humanity, from total depravity to selfless, tender kindness. It's not a light read, nor is it an easy one but it is compelling, relevant for today, and hard to put down. Truly unforgettable.
I'm amazed at the literary quality of Kelli's writing, for it sparkles in its beauty. She has a gift for pulling you right into the story, compelling you to experience the people, setting, and all the horrors of war in a way that is palpable. I marked several quotes that really spoke to me; here are just a few . . .
"If love gives flight to the soul, hate kills it completely." (Ivan)
"You would be surprised, my friend, at the power in believing in something outside of yourself. When you acknowledge that the pain of this world is unbearable, you're able to finally surrender to the One who alone is worthy of carrying the weight." (Father Konstantin)
"To believe is to trust, and when you trust, your life has meaning and purpose outside of the mere endurance of hardship." (Father Konstantin)
And finally, one that is true yesterday, today, and tomorrow . . .
"God cannot be suppressed under the evil of man." (Father Konstantin)
For me, Like a River from Its Course is a story not to be missed.Highly recommended.
Thank you to Litfuse Publicity and Kregel for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
What's most amazing is that through extensive research, debut author Kelli Stuart has drawn from personal stories of survival to write this moving work of fiction, based on historical events that weren't that familiar to me the Nazi occupation of Ukraine. The story is told from the first-person perspective of four main characters and rather than me trying to describe them, I encourage you to read about them in the book's overview above if you haven't already. Here are some expressions of their thoughts . . .
Frederick: "Ending one life to preserve another is not killing. It is saving."
Ivan: "Sometimes horrors are too great to be put into words."
Luda: "When you grow up without love, accepting it becomes almost burdensome."
Masha: "I'm scarred and emotionally beaten. The girl who left was swept away in the flood of war, but I think that girl is still somewhere inside. If only I could get back to find her."
Like a River from Its Course is riveting, dark, raw, yet hopeful and redeeming. It reflects the essence of humanity, from total depravity to selfless, tender kindness. It's not a light read, nor is it an easy one but it is compelling, relevant for today, and hard to put down. Truly unforgettable.
I'm amazed at the literary quality of Kelli's writing, for it sparkles in its beauty. She has a gift for pulling you right into the story, compelling you to experience the people, setting, and all the horrors of war in a way that is palpable. I marked several quotes that really spoke to me; here are just a few . . .
"If love gives flight to the soul, hate kills it completely." (Ivan)
"You would be surprised, my friend, at the power in believing in something outside of yourself. When you acknowledge that the pain of this world is unbearable, you're able to finally surrender to the One who alone is worthy of carrying the weight." (Father Konstantin)
"To believe is to trust, and when you trust, your life has meaning and purpose outside of the mere endurance of hardship." (Father Konstantin)
And finally, one that is true yesterday, today, and tomorrow . . .
"God cannot be suppressed under the evil of man." (Father Konstantin)
For me, Like a River from Its Course is a story not to be missed.Highly recommended.
Thank you to Litfuse Publicity and Kregel for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
