Bound together across time, two women will discover a powerful connection in Kristy Cambron‘s new book, A Sparrow in Terezin. Connecting across a century through one little girl, a Holocaust survivor with a foot in each world, two women will discover a kinship that springs even in the darkest of times. In this tale of hope and survival, Sera and Kája must cling to the faith that sustains and fight to protect all they hold dear—even if it means placing their own futures on the line.
Kristy is celebrating by giving away a basket filled with goodies inspired by her new book!
One grand prize winner will receive:
A set of poppy notecards
A poppy pin
A copy of I Never Saw Another Butterfly
A copy of the Mrs. Miniver DVD
Literary tea bags
Tumbler
A copy of A Sparrow in Terezin
Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 28th. Winner will be announced April 29th on Kristy’s blog.
Two women are bound together in time through another’s powerful story of hope and survival during the midst of war in Kristy Cambron’s A Sparrow in Terezin.
About A Sparrow in Terezin
Present day: With the grand opening of her new art gallery and the upcoming wedding to the man of her dreams, Sera feels as though she has stepped into a charmed life. Until her husband is mixed up in a brutal court battle that threatens to destroy the future they have planned. William faces time in prison for a crime he did not commit and Sera must battle the accusations in order to maintain any hope for the future.
1942: Kaja narrowly escapes Prague in 1939 when she was forced to leave her family behind. Kaja’s father is Jewish and her blended family threatened to see her harmed and instead of seeing this happen her parents send her away. Now she is a reporter in England who discovers the awful and ugly truth that is happening throughout Europe. Kaja can not rest knowing this truth and returns to her birth place in order to find her family to help smuggle them out of the country to safety.
Connecting across time through one little girl, a Holocaust survivor with a foot in each world, these two women will discover a kinship that springs even in the darkest of times.
My Thoughts
I love Kristy Cambron’s writing – she draws you in and leaves you wanting more. Her newest book is no exception – it met and exceeded all of my expectations from her first book, The Butterfly and the Violin.
She cleverly and uniquely connects two young women living in different time periods. The connection is only discovered over time and this connection only exists through the kindness and sacrifice in another.
Kristy showcases faith, hope and strength in A Sparrow in Terezin. She had me crying at times and praying for those who were stuck in the camp set up by the Germans. You feel as though you are there with them and yet at the same time can not even begin to imagine the suffering that occurred during this time period. Even in this dark place, we find moments of peace, love and forgiveness.
You will not want to miss out on this book! You can find more reviews on the Litfuse blog tour page here. You can purchase a copy of the book here.
Rating: 5/5
About the Author
Kristy fancies life as a vintage story-teller. Her debut historical novel, The Butterfly and the Violin, was named to Library Journal Reviews Best Books of 2014. Kristy holds a degree in Art History and has nearly fifteen years experience in instructional design and communication. She lives in Indiana with her husband and three sons.
During the American Civil War, thousands of women organized to join the war efforts. In Daughter of the Regiment, Maggie Malone is one of those women that leaves the comfort and safety of her home to support those she loves.
About Daughter of the Regiment
Maggie Malone feels the effects of the war firsthand – first when her brothers go off to join the efforts and again when a group of bandits attack her farm. Feeling desperate and alone, Maggie heads off to find her brothers in the Federal Army Camp. There she quickly captures the admiration of Sergeant John “Colt” Coulter who immediately notices her skill and dedication. When circumstances beyond anyone’s control forces Maggie to stay with the brigade, Maggie quickly learns that there is a lot a woman can do to help the brave men she quickly deems “her boys”.
As the hostess of an acclaimed Missouri plantation, Miss Libbie Blair has learned to play her part and remain uninvolved in political affairs of her brother, Walker. When his aspirations lead him to organize the “Wildwood Guards”, Libbie must gracefully manage the house with the officers outside. With the war drawing closer to their home, Libbie must figure out how to protect those that rely on her.
When a battle brings the war to Wildwood Grove, Libbie’s home is transformed into a battle hospital. The two women whose brothers have fought on opposite sides of the battle come face to face.
My Thoughts
This novel was fantastic from start to finish. Historical fiction is always my favourite to read and Daughter of the Regiment delivered perfectly with two strong female leads and a role in history that I was never even aware of.
Maggie is the type of girl I admire – strong, fun and fearless. She doesn’t care what others think of her and sticks by her convictions. When she joins the regiment as a Daughter of the Regiment (a term that was coined by one of her French ‘boys’) she finds a role that suits her perfectly. She can care for those she holds dear and she even finds herself in the middle of battle! She faces all that comes her way with strength and determination.
Libbie on the other hand at first seems your typical aristocrat interested in only herself. As the novel progresses, we are able to see more into her character and witness the transformation she goes through. She actually becomes a character that I admire just as much as Maggie. While she was born into privilege because of the time in history she was stuck in a situation that she could not control nor leave. While both women are so different at first, we find that they are very much alike and would do anything to protect those that they love.
This novel would be great for young women as it features two strong female characters that despite the historical time difference many young women will relate to. Both female characters are strong, confident young women who follow their convictions. I was surprised that this was the first time I had ever heard of this role that women played during the war as ‘Daughters of the Regiment’. History can sometimes tend to minimize the role women played and it was great that this book illustrated the important role these two young women played. Without them who knows where the regiment might have been as they became to rely on the young women and their skills.
Stephanie Grace Whitson is the author of over twenty-seven novels. A frequent ECPA best seller, Stephanie is also a two-time Christy Award finalist. When she isn’t writing, speaking or keeping up with her five grown children and grandchildren, she loves to take rides aboard her motorcycle, Kitty. She received her Master of Arts degree in 2012. Stephanie and her husband reside in Nebraska.
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Leona has a tough choice to make: should she follow her heart or stay on the course planned for her? In The Promise of Palm Grove we watch Leona grow in strength, courage and determination.
About the Promise of Palm Grove
A young Amish woman finds herself torn between the man who she is pledged to marry and the man that her heart desires.
Leona decides to take a trip to Florida to help relax in the small town of Pinecraft. Her friends think that she is happy to be away from the stress of wedding planning. Little do they know she is just happy to be away from her fiance.
Her fiance, Edmund, is a good and honest man who will make a good husband but just not for Leona. The more time she spends with him and his overbearing ways makes Leona realize he is not the man for her. Everyone else is so sure that he is the man for her but why can’t she make herself believe this? A chance encounter with a fun-loving Amish man brings Leona face to face with two different futures.
My Thoughts
A lovely story of honour, duty and following your heart. Leona is a young woman who feels like she must do her duty to her community and the promises she makes. She feels influenced by those around her and tries to conform her heart to their wishes but it is impossible to do so. She is a fun, caring and light-hearted individual who needs to spread her wings.
Meeting the fun-loving, Zachary, opens up a whole new person in Leona. She is allowed to be herself and truly shines around Zachary which love is meant to do. Both of them know it is love at first sight but they are both terrified of what this means.
I love how Leona grows in strength and courage throughout the book. Marriage is an important step in one’s life and should never be taken lightly even when duty and family pressure you do so. A fantastic and heart warming book that you will cherish!
You can find more reviews on the Litfuse blog tour page here. You can purchase a copy of the book here.
Rating: 4.5/5
About the Author
Shelley Shepard Gray is a two-time New York best-selling author and a two-time USA best seller. She lives in Southern Ohio where she writes, bakes and can often be found on the trails walking her dogs.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Visiting The Sins is a darkly funny story about mothers and daughters, ambition, redemption and the acts we commit in the name of family.
About Visiting the Sins
Visiting the Sins is set deep in the Bible Country of Texas and follows three generations of women in the Wheeler family. A family of women with lofty social aspirations but whom always seem dissatisfied. Pokey is the quirky matriarch, Rebanelle the former beauty queen and Curtis Jean the gospel singer. Their aspirations are matched only by their poor taste in men and their capacity for holding grudges. A legacy of feuding and scandals threatens to bring down all they have sacrificed to build.
My Thoughts
An interesting story told from the viewpoints of the three women and those closest to them. They are a family that loves each other deeply but also are not afraid to speak their mind nor hold a grudge. With the story being told from each of the women’s own thoughts and feelings you are given a different angle of each situation. While Pokey feels Rebanelle is cold and calculating, Rebanelle feels hurt and that she must bear the greatest burden of the family. The three women constantly perceive each situation differently and of course each one is always the most correct individual. This did get confusing at first until I became quite clear with the names of all the characters but it really gave a great picture of the situations each one endured.
While dark at times, Visiting the Sins is a true portrayal of depression, family love and perseverance against the toughest odds. The Wheeler family pulled themselves out of poverty to become high standing members of their community and did it in a way that only the Wheeler family could achieve. The comedy relief from Pokey balances the novel out perfectly.
Melanie is a native Texas and a graduate from Stephen F. Austin State University. An eighth generation Texan and a former banker and cattle rancher, she currently lives in San Francisco working on her second novel.
