The Last Green Valley by Mark Sullivan

 

Book Title: The Last Green Valley
Author: Mark Sullivan
My Rating: 5/5 stars
Content Rating: PG-13, possibly R for war-time violence, Holocaust content, some language
Tidbit: The Martel family, seeking safety from the Russian Red Army, follows the Nazis from Ukraine amidst the final days of World War 2 and beyond.
Quote: "Can happiness be that easy? Finding little joys in the worst moments?" and "... in broken hearts and ruins, something always glows."

This is a book about miracles. 

It is based on the true story of the Martel family, German-Ukrainians who fled Ukraine as refugees at the end of World War 2 as the Soviet Red Army advanced. Having lived under Stalin's Communist rule prior to World War 2, Emil and Adeline Martel were determined never to do so again. So when the Nazis promised them protection if they followed with the Nazi retreat, they went, even though they did not believe in the Nazi cause. But when Berlin fell, they found themselves a people without a country living in less than ideal circumstances. The family would endure heartache, loss, and separation as they sought a better life in the West, hoping for a life of freedom in the last green valley of Adeline's dreams. 

This is a book about miracles. 

It is a book about great faith. 

And also a book about a crisis of faith. 

It is a book about despair. 

It is also a book about the indomitable spirit of hope. 

It put me on an emotional roller-coaster and tore at my mama heart. But then it also warmed my heart and drew my mind back to a book I reviewed a few weeks back titled Divine Signatures. I found myself wondering which parts actually happened and which were the fictionalized part, because miraculous is the only way to describe many of the things that happened (fortunately the author's note at the end answers some of this). And while the events may seem impossible, I believe they were possible; because I believe in a God of miracles. 

"Love life like it is a miracle every day, every moment, and dream in a way that helps others... "

 

Born Survivors by Wendy Holden

 

Book Title: Born Survivors: Three Young Mothers and Their Extraordinary Courage, Defiance, and Hope
Author: Wendy Holden
My Rating: 3.75/5 Stars
Content Rating: R for war violence and concentration camp atrocities
Tidbit: The stories of three Jewish women who carried and delivered their miracle babies while in concentration camps ruled by the Nazis.
Quote: "'The more people who know about what happened, the less likely it is to happen again, I hope,' [Anka] said. 'This is a story which should teach people that it mustn't happen again.'"

So many of the events during World War 2, and specifically the Holocaust, were horrifying and unbelievable. The worst atrocities imaginable... and then some. 

Yet even in the midst of all that unspeakable horror, there were miracles. This is the story of such a miracle. Three of them, in fact. This is the story of three Jewish women who experienced some of the worst things humans can do to each other.  But is also the story of the babies they each carried and then delivered in the worst of circumstances and the vilest conditions. It is the story of three miracle babies who were born survivors. 

I'm not sure the reason, but this book took me about 2 months to finish. Was it the heaviness of the content? Or was I just not giving it its due time, and was instead prioritizing other books over it? I'm not sure. I do feel the book was very detail heavy. The history of each mother was given before her time in the concentration camp. This one also ranks up there with one of the most raw World War 2 books I've ever read, as far as description of what life was like, particularly once these women had been taken into the concentration camp existence. It is not easy stuff. 

But so unbelievably amazing that these three women: Priska, Rachel, and Anka, fought to survive for the life they carried within them. While their bodies wasted away, another tiny body was growing within each of theirs. That alone seems impossible. Yet it happened. A true miracle. Three miracles. Proof that life - and love - can overcome hate and death. I believe, ultimately, that is the truth.

Lightning Down by Tom Clavin

 

Book Title: Lightning Down: A World War II Story of Survival
Author: Tom Clavin
Audiobook Performer: George Newbern
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
Content Rating: PG-13, possibly R for concentration camp related descriptions
Tidbit: When Joe Moser's P-38 Lightning goes down behind enemy lines, he finds himself a prisoner of war and resident of Buchenwald Concentration Camp.

Joe Moser was the pilot of a P-38 Lightning, one of the best American fighting aircraft of World War 2. While flying a mission over occupied France, his plane went down. He survived by was captured by the Nazis and, though it was completely against the Geneva Convention's terms, was taken to the Buchenwald Concentration Camp, rather than Prisoner of War camp as he expected. This is his story of surviving some of the most harrowing treatment of human beings during this war. 

I listened to this on audio, and for the majority of it, I was pretty committed to a 3.5 star rating. Not sure if it was just listening to it on audio that made it more "ok" to me than other WW2 books, or what. I struggled a lot on focusing with this one, but I also had trouble following when I was focused. I feel like the author brought in far too much "extra," which, while informative, I felt it detracted from Joe's story and so I felt less connected to him. For example, there was A LOT of mechanical/technical talk about the different jets being constructed for the war and by which companies at the beginning of the book. While somewhat interesting, I just didn't feel it added to Joe's story. The author also gave a lot of history about other captives in Buchenwald, such as how they got to be there. Again, interesting (and often very sad), but it took the focus away from Joe Moser's story for me. 

There was a lot I learned from this book, though. And what ultimately pushed my rating up was the end of the book. Tears came to my eyes several times hearing the descriptions of certain things. As a mother, I ached to think of what it must be like to rejoice that your son is in a POW camp because the alternative is that he is dead or missing. It broke my heart to hear that many Americans, because the concentration camps weren't widely known about, didn't believe the stories of those Allied airmen who endured Buchenwald. How upsetting that would be to one who endured such horrors. 

Despite the hard parts of the book, the end was wonderful.  I definitely think it's worth a read (or a listen!) if you are inclined toward WW2 reading.

The Nightingale -- Kristin Hannah

 Originally Read and Reviewed in 2016.

Title: The Nightingale
Author: Kristin Hannah
My Star Rating: 5/5 Stars
Tidbit: Historical Fiction set in WW2 France. A story of strong women and their resistance to German occupation, though each resisted in her own way.

2022 Commentary:  Even after almost 6 years, this book remains one of my all-time favorites.  I've never forgotten it, and I have recommended it so many times.  Such a powerful book.

My original review:
In a world at war, nothing is guaranteed. When Vianne Mauriac's husband Antoine is called up to fight for France, he leaves his wife and daughter to care for their beautiful country estate Le Jardin. At first, all is well. Vianne has a good job as a teacher and her best friend lives next door. She has a beautiful and fruitful garden and she and Sophie want for little except the presence of their husband and father.

But soon France falls to the Germans, and Germany occupies the beautiful country. Isabelle, Vianne's impulsive and often-reckless sister, arrives from a war-torn Paris and moves into Le Jardin, and soon a German captain billets at the home, a fact Vianne has no choice but to accept. A house full of love becomes a house full of tension as Vianne tries to keep Isabelle from saying anything in front of the Captain that will bring punishment for her family.

Meanwhile, Isabelle yearns to join the war and fight for French freedom. With that desire burning in her heart, she lies to Vianne and returns to Paris, joining the French Resistance and ultimately risking her life again and again to help some of the Allies escape France. Her hope is that her efforts will help the Allies win the war against Germany and liberate German-occupied France where the food and supplies for the French are as rare as they are plentiful for the Germans who occupy.

In a war that seems endless, each woman finds herself choosing between impossible choices; hoping against hope that one day, life will be "normal" once again. Both women fight the war in their own way, choosing to believe and hope for a future.

***Initially, I thought I'd give this a 4.5. But upon reflection, it occurred to me that this novel actually made me cry. That never happens. And so I decided it must be a 5. It impacted me. A lot. There were things I wish weren't in the book; but I'm a realist, and I realize that what was depicted in this novel is very likely how things actually happened. Even if I wish we, as humans, didn't have the capability to do such horrors to each other. But what a beautiful message of love and the endurance of the human spirit. Hannah has a beautiful way of wording things in many parts -- and I knew that right from the opening chapter in which I read: "...I know that grief, like regret, settles into our DNA and remains forever a part of us." The Nightingale is a book that will stay with me for a long, long time.

The Hiding Place -- Corrie Ten Boom

Corrie ten Boom grew up in a house full of love with her three siblings, her parents, and several aunts. Bible-reading was a central part of daily life for the ten Boom family; as was love and kindness. Yelling in anger was not a part of their household. Service to others less fortunate, though they themselves were not wealthy and several members of the family even suffered from serious health issues, was a way of life for the family. And so it was that many Jews found refuge through the help of this family during World War II when Germany occupied Holland.

Corrie ten Boom, her father Casper, and her sister Betsie -- all three of them still living in Corrie's childhood home -- soon found themselves central to an underground effort to help Jews to safety. Over the course of many months, they helped to save many lives and witnessed miracles they were sure came from the Lord. But eventually, they were found out and all were arrested. What followed were horrors most can only imagine. Yet with faith and hope Corrie continued onward, learning the lessons she felt God would have her learn and helping the people she felt He would have her help. Through it all, she learned about love and forgiveness, and then she taught what she'd learned: that when God commands us to forgive, He also sends with the commandment the forgiveness, which comes through Him.

**I'll admit it did take me a while to get into this book. A couple of chapters. But once I got into it, I loved reading it and wanted to read more. Amazing true story about turning our hearts over to the Savior and how He can heal us. It was amazing to me how Corrie spoke so highly of her sister and acknowledged her own downfalls when I can't help but admire Corrie for her strength and faith. I have a lot to learn about how to be better as a person!

The Boys in the Boat -- Daniel James Brown

It was a long shot, but Al Ulbrickson, the head rowing coach at the University of Washington, was aiming at the 1936 Olympics.  After years of defeat, he was determined to see his boys win the gold.  And with that goal in mind, it was Ulbrickson's job to find the perfect crew.

For many of the boys who ultimately rowed in Ulbrickson's famous boat, the Olympics were a dream they never dared dream.  These were boys from poor upbringings; boys from small logging towns around Puget Sound.  Times were rough for most Americans during the 1930s, but particularly for young men such as these -- young men whose only choice was to work at hard labor to be able to pay for school. 

But once they started tasting victory, they, too, dreamed as did Ulbrickson.  And so they rowed their hearts out.  Hours upon hours and days upon days in weather so cold icicles clung to their oars, these boys rowed.  Over time, their crew came to rely completely on each other.  They were the boys in the boat.  And together, they could obtain their wildest dreams -- and Ulbrickson's.

***This book was amazing.  It is not one I would have picked up on my own.  But as it was a selection for the Book Club I joined this year, I read it.  And I am so glad I did!  I could not put it down.  Reading about the harsh circumstances of the United States in the 1930s as well as some of the individual stories of the boys in the boat, along with the interweaving of the preparations of Nazi Germany, my eyes were opened and my heart touched.  I learned a great deal.  And the most amazing thing is the endurance of the human spirit -- the determination to continue on.  A wonderful read I would recommend to anyone.

Unbroken: a World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption -- Laura Hillenbrand

Louis Zamperini was a rabble-rouser in his youth, known in the neighborhood for beating kids up, stealing, and defying authority. Though he was nothing like his older brother Pete, Louis practically idolized him. And so, over time, and with the help of Pete, Louis eventually worked to channel his rambunctious energy into something more productive and less destructive: running. Louis had a talent for speed, and by the time he was 19, he was competing in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Though Louis did not go home with a gold medal, he knew the future was bright for him; so he set his eyes on winning in the 1940 Olympics.

But Louis would never run in those Games. The Games would be cancelled as a result of World War II; and Louis would instead find himself a bombardier in the Army Air Corps, flying over the Pacific in the war against Japan.

As part of the crew aboard the plane known as "Super Man", Louis was responsible for many successful missions. And like the others in the crew, he sometimes miraculously escaped serious harm and death in spite of the many precarious situations they flew into. Such was the case on "Super Man's" last mission -- the mission in which the crew's pilot Allen Phillips managed to nurse the plane home riddled with almost 600 bullet holes and multiple mechanical failures.

While "Super Man" would never fly again, and some of the plane's crew would be replaced due to injuries, the crew would not be so lucky. One day in May 1943, the crew was called up on a rescue mission and given "The Green Hornet" to fly, a plane in which none held much faith. And so it was, aboard "The Green Hornet" that Louis' luck seemed to run out. The plane went down over the Pacific, killing all but 3 of the crew. Louis, pilot Allen Phillips, and a crewman named Mac survived. With few survival supplies, the 3 men floated on rafts in shark-infested waters, hoping -- and eventually praying -- for rescue.

But rescue did not come. Instead, after nearly 50 days drifting at sea, surviving on raw albatross and tern, infrequent rain water, and the very rare fish, the rafts reached land. Only when the survivors realized they had landed on a Japanese-occupied island and began experiencing the horrors faced by Prisoners of War in Japan did they realize they would long for the days in the raft.

Over the course of the next two years, Louis and Allen Phillips would endure torturous beatings, starvation, interrogation, and humiliation. They faced guards full of cruelty who ignored the rules of the Geneva Convention regarding POWs, and learned just how much they could endure before they would break. It seemed the war would never end -- and if it did, that it would not be soon enough.

Still, Louis and many other POWs held onto the hope of America winning the war. Though beaten and practically broken, these men pushed through the horrors of being Prisoners to the Japanese. And one day, the war ended. Louis and his fellow POWs were able to return home. But their lives were forever changed. Their dreams were haunted, and sometimes, most cruelly, their waking hours were as well as they flashed-back to the horrors of the past. For Louis, who had tried everything he could think of to escape his nightmares, the only thing that released him from the grasp of terror was finding Christianity and realizing the worth of his soul. His dignity was restored, and he was able to face the future with hope and optimism once again.


***I knew, just by reading the prologue, that this would be an intense book. I found myself talking often of it to my husband. At once appalling and enthralling, this book is an amazing read. I feel Hillenbrand handled a lot of sensitive topics with tact. I was horrified, still, by all that the POWs were forced to endure. Sometimes shocked by the cruelties human beings are capable of inflicting. But the book held hope throughout. A great read, indeed. I am glad to have added it to my "read" library.

Night -- Elie Wiesel

It is 1944 before the lives of the Jews living in Sighet, Transylvania feel the effect of Hitler's plan.  Until then, they'd lived their lives as though nothing was different; as though nothing ever would be.  They believed the war would end before they were impacted.

But they were wrong.

What begins as a sort of lock-down in their own community eventually becomes the horror of evacuation, separation, starvation, desperation, and for some, cremation.  Fifteen year-old Eliezer and his family are among them.  He loses touch with his mother and three sisters shortly after they arrive at Auschwitz, a concentration camp where he Elie witnesses horrors beyond imagination.  His one goal is to not lose his father.  So together they are herded from one camp to another.  They are beaten, abused, forced to watch others murdered, starved, worked to the brink of death and delusion.  Some lose their faith, others hold to it for dear life.  And in the end, none is spared the atrocities of knowing horrors no human should ever need to face.


** Though incredibly hard to read, considering the subject matter, this is a good book.  I felt horrified by some of what is shared.  Though I have long known of some of the torture and abuse which occurred at the concentration camps, there were some things in this book that shocked me; for I had never even considered the possibility of some of the atrocities that actually happened.  Call me naive, I guess.  I just cannot understand what kind of a mind could think to perform some of the hideous acts described.  It was eye-opening on so many levels.  And though there are images I will probably never be able to forget (conjured by my own mind as I read), I am glad I had the opportunity to see things from the perspective Mr. Wiesel.