‘A Love of Her Own’ by Maggie Brendan – Book Review

One of the genres that I have come to really enjoy is historical fiction. The latest book of that ilk that I have read is ‘A Love of Her Own’ by Maggie Brendan. Set in the 1896 in Montana, this novel tells the story of cowgirl April McBride.

Here is the synopsis of this book:

She has everything her heart desires … except the one thing money can’t buy.

Still cautious after a broken engagement, April McBride fully intends to guard her heart when she travels to Lewistown, Montana, to attend her brother’s wedding. One look around the small mining town convinces April that doing so won’t be difficult – just a bunch of dusty shops, bad service, and ill-bred cowboys. But a run-in with horse trainer Wes Owen opens up vast possibilities for frustration, embarrassment, friendship…and love?

Can April and Wes see past their differences to envision a future together? Or are they destined to live the rest of their lives alone?

Book three in the HEART OF THE WEST series, A Love of Her Own is an adventurous, spark-filled ride through love in turn-of-the-century Montana. 

Here is the biography of this author:

Maggie Brendan is a member of American Christian Writers and American Fiction Writers Association. She is the author of No Place for a Lady (Book 1 in the ‘Heart of the West’ series) and The Jewel of His Heart (Book 2 in the ‘Heart of the West’ series). A TV film version is currently in development of No Place for a Lady. Maggie is married and lives in Marietta, Georgia. She has two grown children and four grandchildren. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, singing, painting, scrapbooking, and being with her family. You can find Maggie on her blog. She is also a resident blogger on www.bustlesandspurs.com.

April McBride went through a lot to get to her brother’s wedding in Lewistown, Montana. She took a train to Bozeman, and then had to take a stagecoach for the next 100 miles. All along the way, her petulant, selfish side showed itself, and it engendered a lot of bad feelings toward her. Her behavior made it very clear that she was a rich girl who had never been deprived of anything – except for perhaps kindness and humility! If I had been on the stagecoach, I think I would have slapped her! Then one of the stagecoach wheels broke, and she used her powers of persuasion to borrow out of the horses to continue on to Lewistown to make it to the wedding on time. She changed into jeans and a shirt, and tucked her hair under her cowboy hat.

On her way into town, she made the acquaintance of a horse trainer, Wes Owen, whose training techniques were not to her liking:

“If you are trying to break that horse, those tactics won’t work!” Wes heard a squeaky-pitched voice laden with anger say.

“Boy, I’ve been doing this most of my life, and I don’t believe I asked for your advice!” he yelled back. Snot-nosed kid sure has a lot of nerve. Must not be from around these parts, or he’d know better. (p. 42)

Thus began the relationship between April and one of her brother Josh’s best friends, Wes Owen!         

Here is one more example of her treatment of others, as she tried to check into the Stockton Hotel right just moments before her brother’s wedding, where she thought she had a reservation:

          “I’m sorry, but I see nothing on the books for your reservation.”

          “What? There must be some mistake.”

          “Afraid not, ma’am.”       

…”I see. Well…go ahead and make a reservation for me to stay about two weeks.”

“I’m afraid we have no vacant rooms tonight, but if you’ll check back tomorrow, we’ll probably have a room for you.”

“But I need one now!” April raised her voice and tapped the toe of her boot impatiently. “What’ll I do? I need to change clothes for my brother’s wedding reception that’s going on right now!” She felt like crying. Every problem seemed to be joined by another one. (pp. 46-47)

She had been through a lot; perhaps I should extend her some grace! But she was rude time and time again.

Her poor attitude and behavior followed her as she checked into Miss Margaret’s boarding house. Margaret realized she needed to add April to her prayer list:

One more name was added to her list, right under her two daughters. April McBride. This one is going to need some special prayers or my name is not Margaret! Spoiled little rich girl. So unlike her brother Josh. One would never have known that he was from a wealthy family in Colorado. He was so gracious and kind. So perfect for Juliana.

Well, one thing I know for sure, she won’t get her way around here. All the more reason to pray for April as long as she was in Montana. (p. 67)

Despite her condescending attitude toward others, she was so much different that she attracted attention – and admiration:

Margaret laid her journal aside and picked up her Bible. She started reading from Proverbs and then saw April bounce down the front porch and walk down the street in her yellow party gown with a determined look about her. Margaret couldn’t help but chuckle. (p. 67)         

By God’s grace, April decided to stay at Miss Margaret’s house instead of the Stockton Hotel (her preference, as there was hotel staff available to serve her) while Josh and Juliana were away for their honeymoon. Miss Margaret and her daughters Natalie and Louise were a wonderful influence in terms of a surrogate Godly family.

Josh had come into a relationship with Jesus himself. This new life changed the way he wanted to spend his time. However, there were temptations:

The more he thought about it, the more agitated he became. He needed a drink. He hadn’t been to the saloon since that night he’d been reading Scripture and wrestling with the Lord and he’d finally accepted His Word about who He was. If it hadn’t been for Josh, he never would’ve even picked up the Good Book. But just for tonight, maybe he’d drop over to the saloon and have a quick drink before hitting the trail. One more drink couldn’t hurt, could it? (pp. 136-137)

The more time that April spent in Margaret’s presence, the more she realized she needed to spend more time with the Lord and in His Word:

She kept thinking about what Miss Margaret said. What really matters to me? April wasn’t sure she even knew or had a purpose. She turned to Romans and started reading. After a while she landed on chapter 12, and when she got to verse 3, something about it spoke to her.

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according a God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

April thought about that for a minute. Did that mean the only way she could really begin to understand herself was by learning who God is and what He could do in her life? She had to admit to herself she was not in the habit of putting anyone above herself on a regular basis. A lesson she realized now that she’d learned from her father. Though she loved him, April didn’t want to mirror his aloof attitude toward others. Could she change that habit?

          No, but I can, a gentle voice reminded her.

April’s heart thumped as she bowed her head. Where do I start, Lord? I’ve not taken time for You in a long while. Will You forgive me?  She paused, thinking, I’m a bit out of practice…and I guess that’s why I haven’t been very sensitive to others and say things without thinking how it might make them feel. You know I love my father, but there are things I see in Him that I don’t want to become. Help me to see others through Your eyes, Lord, and not mine. Change my heart and help me be a better person. Amen.

April lifted her head as tears wet her cheeks. She felt peace flood her heart and mind and knew she’d have no trouble sleeping tonight. (pp. 149-150)

That is a radical transformation – and a great prayer!

I had not read Books 1 or 2 of this series, but this book stands alone (other than curiosity over what happened to April besides the event that is mentioned in this book). I am glad that April finally realized the errors of her ways, and came back to the Lord. Her transformation into a loving person was made all the more powerful in comparison to her earlier behavior! And I was happy to see her happy ending!

I really loved this book. Maggie writes with a gentle style and with a lot of historical detail. Her characters are well developed, and she makes you grow to love them! I am sure that the other two books in the series are well worth reading as well.

You can order this book here.

Available June 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. This book was provided by Revell for review purposes.

‘Not a Sparrow Falls’ by Linda Nichols – Book Review

Many of the books I have read of late deal with the subject of forgiveness – particularly of self (is God trying to get through this thick head?!). The latest book I have read with this important topic as a main theme is ‘Not a Sparrow Falls’ by Linda Nichols.

Here is the synopsis of this novel:

         Two Desperate People – One with All the Answers …One with None

Mary Bridget Washburn is tired of running, tired of being haunted by the empty shell her life has become. How in the world did the little girl she once was become a woman on the wrong side of the law?

Determined to make a new start, she escapes to the quaint city of Alexandria, Virginia, where she takes on her mother’s identity and finds sanctuary in the shadow of a decades-old church. But the little girl’s plea proves to be her undoing, and the reverend…well, someone’s got to open his eyes before disaster comes calling.

Can Mary Bridget and her tainted past stay hidden long enough for her to bring hope to a family falling apart?

Here is the biography of the author:

Linda Nichols is a graduate of the University of Washington, is an award-winning and bestselling novelist with a unique gift for touching readers’ hearts with her stories. Not A Sparrow Falls, her bestselling debut novel for the Christian fiction market, was a 2003 Christy Awards finalist in the Contemporary category. She and her family make their home in Tacoma, Washington.

The main character in this novel is Mary Bridget Washburn, age 25, who, at the beginning of the story, was in her own personal prison as the girlfriend of Jonah, her childhood friend who had turned into a crystal meth addict/supplier; she was his accomplice in his ‘business.’ She’d grown up in a Christian home, so was well aware that this lifestyle was not what God had in mind for her. At her earliest opportunity, she fled the scene, and took on the identity of her deceased mother, Bridget Collins.

In Alexandria, Virginia, she was hired at a grocery store as a cashier. She made the acquaintance of three sisters –Lorna, Winifred, and Fiona. Lorna invited her to the home of their brother, Alasdair MacPherson, a Presbyterian pastor who was pasturing the church that had been led by his father before him.

Alasdair was a widower; his wife had died two years prior, leaving him with days-old twins, Cameron and Bonnie, and an eleven year old daughter, Samantha. He was more interested in his work then in his family, and was still grieving the loss of Anna.

Circumstances conspired, and Mary/Bridget – now known as Bridie – was hired as the nanny for the children. Seeing the pain and neglect that had been visited upon the children, Bridie, as a form of penance and in love, transformed this family.

God tells Bridie that He has an assignment for her:  

She scraped and scrubbed and there, in the gray dishwater, without wanting to, she saw the vision again – Alasdair, his face open and smiling, Samantha laughing, the twins loved and cared for. She turned the hot water on full blast as if to wash it away. This is what I’m going to do, she thought she’d heard. And you may help. (p. 132)  

Throughout this book, both Bridie and Alasdair were relentlessly pursued by God. Bridie’s maternal grandmother, Hattie, never stopped praying for her, and never gave up hope that the Lord would bring Bridie home.

As Bridie is making this new life for herself, she is tormented by the choices she had made in her past, and is still imprisoned – never knowing if she will be pursued for her crimes. She is forever looking over her shoulder. Despite that, she remembers the truths of Scripture that she had memorized as a little girl.

I loved this insight shared with Alasdair by his former seminary professor, Professor Cuthbert. Professor Cuthbert perfectly describes what can happen to people who study in seminary and/or get into full-time ministry:

…”But I’ll be the first to acknowledge that my faith has been somewhat top-heavy. North of the neck, shall we say?” (p. 187)

He went on to explain what happened when he had won a fight over his pulpit:

“The building was mine. The congregation was mine. Newby left. Took some members with him, but we were basically unscathed. The only problem was, the hand of the Lord seemed to have stopped moving among us. He’d set us aside. And I knew why. I’d forgotten what I was about, why I was left here on earth. I’d gotten my calling confused with my job.” He gazed at Alasdair’s face, but Alasdair knew he was seeing the past. “I kept on preaching, but it was no good. After a year or so I took the job at the seminary. The church carried on with someone else. You see,” he finished, a bittersweet smile on his lips, “I’d forgotten who was the real captain of the ship. The church wasn’t mine, but His.” (p. 189)

They continued their discussion with this sage piece of advice from Professor Cuthbert:

“You know, Alasdair, the older I get, the more I realize only one thing matters.”
“What is that?”

“To know Him. To walk with Him. Just as Adam did in the garden in the cool of the day. There’s nothing else.” (p. 190)

I really loved 'Not a Sparrow Falls'! The message in this book is that God is a God of second (and third and fourth, etc…) chances, and that His main objective is for us to know Him. And no matter what we think of ourselves, He is always in love with us and never stops pursuing us. That is a message that needs to be repeated over and over again, and Mrs. Nichols does it with such love and grace! I loved how this story showed many times over – in the examples of Bridie and in her grandma Hattie – that God uses us for His purposes, and we have the privilege to be a part of His Kingdom work!

I loved the ending of the story, and hope that Mrs. Nichols might someday continue the story of the MacPherson family.

You can order this book here.

This book was provided by Bethany House Publishing for review purposes.

‘Scars and Stilettos’ by Harmony Dust – Book Review and Giveaway

One of the saddest ways that a woman can earn an income is to work as an exotic dancer, in my opinion. ‘Scars and Stilettos’ by Harmony Dust is her story about going from being in the spotlight in a strip club to being in the spotlight of God’s love as she was delivered from that lifestyle.

Here is the synopsis of this book and biography of the author:

Nineteen-year-old Harmony Dust is trapped. Thousands of dollars in debt, struggling to get by, dominated by her boyfriend: things can’t get worse… until someone tells her how much money she can make as an exotic dancer. For the next three years, Harmony lives a double life as Monique, a dancer in a fully-nude strip club.

Scars and Stilettos is Harmony’s stark, honest, and ultimately hopeful story of how God found her in that dark, noisy place and led her back out. She has since married, completed an MA in Social Welfare, and now leads Treasures, an organization helping women in the sex trade discover their true worth.

And here is a video of Harmony telling her story:

Harmony was sexually abused from a very early age. She quickly developed a coping mechanism:

That stiffening feeling was familiar to me. Throughout my life, I’d been sexually abused by several people, both men and women. I was exposed to pornography at the age of three by a male relative. ‘Stay still. Go to sleep,’ I remember him saying. The pink fleshy images on the television screen were burned into my mind.

Staying still and pretending I was asleep was the very defensive tactic I used the first time it happened. (pp. 27-28)

She grew up having a twisted view of sex, yet she knew that was more to life than that:

Casual sex. Is that what grown-ups have? No ties. No attachments. Sex for the sake of sex. I wanted to be a grown-up about it; to ask like one of those mature, independent women with a corporate job. The one who gets out of bed first after a one-night stand, slips on her pumps and skirt suit and leaves the man lying alone in their hotel room, wanting her more for leaving him. I wanted to be that woman, but I couldn’t. There was nothing casual or meaningless about it for me… (p. 39)

After a blow-out fight with her mother, she moved out at age 17. She finds a job, enrolls in college and is entangled in a dysfunctional relationship with a guy named Derrick, who has not worked a day in his life and expects Harmony to support him. Harmony obliges, because her low self-esteem gives her no other option in order to keep him with her; she doesn’t think she’ll be able to survive otherwise.

After she turned 18, she inquires about a ‘hostessing’ job in which the classified advertisement says she could earn $150-300 a night. She applied, was hired, but left shortly thereafter when she sees what is really going on there.

At age 19, a college classmate who seemingly had ulterior motives encouraged her to work at a fully-nude strip club. She reluctantly agreed, and thus began three years of being trapped in a job which paid her very well, but little by little, took away her dignity and humanity.

She quickly learned that she already knew what was required to succeed in this new environment:

To keep up with the continual stream of competition, it wasn’t enough just to have a great stage performance and the cutest outfits. To make money, I had to hustle. Growing up, I had learned how to sell my mother’s crystals to sun-scorched tourists on Venice Beach, which my mom looked on with pride. The trick was to make the person think that they needed the crystal more than you needed their money. The principles were pretty much the same in the strip club. (p. 119)  

She also explained the toll that line of work took on her as a person:

I tried to look down on the men. I tried to remind myself that outside of the club, most of these guys wouldn’t even get a second glance from me, if they tried to talk to me on the street. But sometimes that made it even worse. If I let my sense of self get in the way of it all, I was bound to have a crappy night. I would inevitably end up like Grace, pouting in the dressing room and gorging on junk food.

Really, there were two choices: let the rejection reflect on who I was as a woman, or wear a mask. The mask allowed me to pretend that I was someone else; that someone else was getting rejected. Each night, I died, just a little, to who I really was. It was just a little bit safer to be someone else. (p. 152)

Fortunately, her grandmother had given her a Bible at one point, which sat in her closet. Her sole use for it was to hide her earnings from Derrick. One day, she did take a look inside:

As I pulled it closer for examination, her writing and her heart became clear. In pencil was one simple word, written next to a gently underlined passage: ‘Harmony.’

Beside my name was the Scripture ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit for they shall inherit the Kingdom…’

…Imaging her searching for a pencil in the cabinet of her nightstand and carefully writing my name in her Holy Book softened my heart towards her, and what I always thought were her religious rantings about going to church and reading the Bible.

‘Harmny.’ The syllables of my name ran together in her East Texas accent. ‘You really need to go to church. And you should read your Bible every day, too!’

Why? Why should I go to church or read my Bible? Just so she could sleep at night knowing her big, angry God wouldn’t send me to hell if I played by some man-made rules? I wanted to argue with her, but it was pointless. But standing there in my closet, holding her prized Bible in my hands, I realized that there was something caring and personal at the heart of her ‘ranting’ that I had never seen before.

She wanted her grandbaby to be blessed. (pp. 137-138)

Harmony was well aware that there was something missing in her life:

I had a hole, too, and an insatiable thirst to have it filled. I longed for someone to see past the scars and stilettos; beyond the façade of glamour; the find the woman locked deep inside me. I sensed her presence when I sat at the foot of the ocean and fathomed its vastness; when I peeked inside the windows of quaint houses filled with happy families and dreamed I belonged in one of them. I could feel her inside me, willing me to survive long enough to find a force powerful enough to unleash her, to set her free. (p. 168)

I found that paragraph to be so well-written, and so heartfelt!

Harmony met a lady named Tanya in a dance class who invited her to church. After several months of invitations, Harmony finally accepted an invitation to a special featuring singers and comedians. She and her grandmother attended. Harmony saw love and acceptance directed toward her, and made this observation:

I clasped my hands in front of my heart and swayed to the music. Then I noticed an attractive woman with tumbling tresses of red hair a row ahead. She wore a sensible, beige two-piece suit, and looked like the kind of woman who had a steady boyfriend and held a good job. Her hands were drawn to her chin, which rested gently on them. She didn’t look sad, but she was crying, as if she had just been captivated by something wonderful. Longing to go to that place, I closed my eyes just to see if it was possible. In that room, as I allowed myself to experience this thing called worship, somehow I understood I had finally come home. (p. 175)

She came to love church – and the Lord – and ultimately walked away from her job. She also severed ties with Derrick, and was baptized. And she realized she would be ok:

The fullness of this realization bubbled up in me so fiercely that I had to keep myself from jumping out of the car and telling the homeless man on the corner that he would be ok too. Second chances are for real; people really do change; and there is a Love that sees to it all.

I am not who I was. I am not even who I was yesterday. Tomorrow I will be new again, and again, until I am completely the woman I was meant to be. Still, in this moment, in this breath that I am taking, I am enough. Right now – as is- I am worth loving and fighting for. This God of mine has shown me that. He is enough.

My heart danced in my chest. He is enough. The world around me shifted, and there was hope in every person I saw, connecting me to them in a way I had never noticed. The woman using her rear-view mirror to put on lipstick; the man in the center divider selling incense; the child with its forehead pressed up against the back-seat window; the young woman in hot pink stretch pants, walking rapidly, searching frantically for her next fix. He is enough.

          And if He is all I ever have…

He is enough. And I am enough in Him. (pp. 230-231)

In the Epilogue, she writes:

This has been an account of my exodus: my journey out of captivity. It is by no means the entire story, as it hasn’t ended yet. Today, I am freer and more fulfilled than I was yesterday. Tomorrow, I believe I will be freer still. The journey is ongoing. I am not perfect, but I am complete. I am married to a wonderful man; I have a beautiful daughter, amazing friends, an education, and I get to spend my days reaching and loving women in the sex industry and sharing hope with them. I am complete not because of the circumstances in my life, but because of Who I am living for. I have learned that faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things unseen (Hebrews 11:1). There have been plenty of times when I have had to summon this faith, a faith that lives outside of facts and reason. (p. 237)

And she concludes with this:

This brings me to God, who loved me while I was still in the middle of my deepest mess. My relationship with Him did not begin once I ‘got my act together.’ He not only loves us in spite of our junk, but He sees past all of it in the person He has created us to be. God loved me just as much standing half-naked in the middle of a strip club as He does today. I didn’t somehow gain His approval by doing or saying the right things. I didn’t need to win His heart. He won mine. (pp. 238-239)  

It is truly a miracle what Jesus has done in Harmony’s life. Based on the trials that she has gone through – as well as poor choices she’s made – she could be an angry and bitter young woman these days. Instead, He has rescued her, and she is ministering to the very people who are living the life in which she was ensnared and entrapped. I was so encouraged by her testimony! I can understand why anyone would want to get out of that lifestyle and never look back; it is amazing that she continues to return to that environment to minister to other women who are still ensnared. She has an amazing heart for the Lord and for people! I am so glad she is living a happy and healthy life now. To God be the glory! I thank Harmony for sharing her story. I am sure it will be a blessing to many!

You can order this book here.

This book was published by Monarch Books, a division of Kregel Publications, in association with the LitFuse Publicity Group for review and giveaway purposes. I am proud to be on the blog tour with these other bloggers.

______________________________________________

I have a copy of this book that I would love to send along to one of you! 

There are several ways to gain entry:

1) Leave a comment here on the blog, telling me what you think about this book and its message.  Please make sure to leave your email address in this format – sample[at]gmail[dot]com.

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So there are five chances to enter!  Please limit one entry per option.

This giveaway is for U.S. residents only.  The deadline for entry is Tuesday, July 6, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. EST.  A winner will be chosen via the Random Number Generator on Wednesday, July 7, 2010 and will be contacted via email.  The best to all of you! 

‘Time Scene Investigators: The Influenza Bomb’ by Paul McCusker and Walt Larimore, MD – Book Review

One of my favorite book genres is suspense, and I am finding that I like medical suspense. The latest novel in that genre that I have read is ‘Time Scene Investigators: The Influenza Bomb’ by Paul McCusker and Walt Larimore, MD.

Here is the synopsis of this book:

Masses of people are dying from a mysterious flu. While the TSI team searches for a cure, a notorious eco-terrorist group, Return to Earth, uses an influenza bomb to poison the water. It’s a race against time – with the outcome impacting the entire world.

By the time the team discovers the terrorists are using the water supply to infect people, the sickness is spreading worldwide and no one has a cure. When Return to Earth makes off with a mysterious device called the influenza bomb with the intent to destroy all of mankind, Dr. Hutchinson must stop the contamination from being spread before it’s too late.

And here are the authors’ biographies:

Walter L. Larimore, MD, is a noted family physician, award-winning writer, and medical journalist who has hosted the cable television show Ask the Family Doctor on Fox’s Health Network. He lives in Monument, Colorado.

Paul McCusker is a Peabody Award-winning writer and director who has written novels, plays, audio dramas, and musicals for adults and children. He lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

These gentlemen previously teamed up for ‘Time Scene Investigators: The Gabon Virus,’ which dealt with an Ebola virus outbreak in Gabon, Africa.

‘TSI: The Influenza Bomb’ alternates between the time periods of World War I, World War II, and the present day, and between lots of characters and many locations. The book opens on Monday, March 4, 1918 in Fort Riley, Kansas, where an influenza outbreak has struck. This flu, which became known as the Spanish Flu, went on to kill millions worldwide. In Novosibirsk, Siberia, cases of influenza with surprisingly similar symptoms to those that happened in 1918 are multiplying at an alarming rate. Dr. Susan Hutchinson, a U.S.A.-based employee of the World Health Organization teams up with Anton Pushkin, one of the WHO’s Moscow employees, to get to the bottom of the new outbreak. In Akademgorodok, Siberia, Susan and Anton witness the victims and are briefed on the situation by the medical staff of the Central Clinical Hospital:

She tried to keep her attention forward, but couldn’t avert her gaze from the patients who lined the walls. Some cried out and others curled up, writhing. Blood spotted the sheets, the walls, and the floor.

“What did the doctor say?” Susan asked.

Anton shook his head and said from the corner of his mouth, “He’s never seen anything like it. It’s hitting everything so fast. Symptoms of pneumonia, discoloration of the face ---“

“Discoloration?”                                 

“Brown spots over the cheekbones, even a blue pallor on some. Blood spurting from every orifice. Torture and agony. He said they’re calling it La Grippe.”

Susan stopped, twisting Anton to face her. “La Grippe was the name of the Spanish flu of 1918.” (p. 24)

Other important characters in ‘TSI: The Influenza Bomb’ are Dr. Mark Carlson and Nora Richards, PhD, who were prominently featured in the first ‘TSI’ book. They prove to be a good team, and they also have romantic interest in each other. And Nora is strong in her faith in God. She hopes for the same for Mark; he is unsure:

          “…I never had the faith to be a priest.”

She eyed him. “You did. Once. And I think you’ll your faith again.” She turned to look up at the church steeple. “Or maybe it will find you.”

He shrugged and looked at the church. Whatever faith he once professed has died several years ago. And not for the first time, he had to acknowledge just how much he depended on Nora’s faith to shore up his own. Hers was a steady flame to his tiny spark. She seemed to grasp exactly what it was she believed and had integrated it fully into who she was. No separation existed among her spiritual, professional, emotional, or physical lives – they all meshed into a perfect, noncompartmentalized whole. (p. 38)

An interesting family in this story is the Knox family. In the 1918 portions, Lieutenant Colonel Philip Edward Knox, commander of the Health and Sanitation Section of the Emergency Fleet Corporation figures prominently. He had a theory that the Germans, who were fighting against the United States in World War I, were behind the outbreak of the Spanish flu on the Fort Riley KS army base. As is often the case with people who have conspiracy theories, he was looked upon as mentally unstable by many, and many people wanted to discredit his theory. Here is an Knox sharing his theory with journalist Anthony Ziegler:

“Of course you’re speechless,” Knox said. “Not only are the Germans killing us, but also they’re killing us at a rate that will only increase exponentially in the coming weeks and months. The virus seems to infect only military personnel now, but the leap to the civilian population is imminent. I predict we will see death on a scale unknown in the history of humankind. What’s worse, the government knows. In Washington, DC, two German spies, posing as doctors, were caught in a hospital giving influenza germs to sailors. The spies were shot at sunrise. You see? They know what’s at stake, they know all about the conspiracy, but they won’t warn the public.”

Mr. Ziegler decided he was not brave enough to write that story.

An Interpol officer, Martin Duerr, joins Susan’s team. He had been tracking an environmental terrorist group called Return to Earth:

“That’s Return to Earth’s game. They believe that humankind has recklessly forfeited the right to dominance of the earth. If, through terrorism, they can eliminate the human race and return the earth to Mother Nature, then all the better. Whether murdering men or women on a small scale, or entire populations on a large scale, it’s all the same to them. They are the ultimate suicide bombers.” (p. 57)

Cornelius Knox, Philip Knox’s grandson, joins the present day side of the story. He partners up with Dr. Hans Weigel, a geneticist, to write about the Nazi germ-warfare theory. They both were affiliated with Dr. Stefan Maier, the founder of Return to Earth. Duerr, Sara and Mark discuss the implications:

Duerr said, “Think about it. Knox and Wiegel meet and become partners in a theory that the Germans were developing – or had developed – the kind of germ warfare that unleashed the 1918 Spanish flu. Most people considered it a crackpot theory. But what if Maier believed it? What if there was some sort of bomb that could instantly spread La Grippe? How do you think it would serve Return to Earth’s purposes?”

“Perfectly.” A chill ran down Mark’s spine. “Is that what’s going on in Siberia? Maier has set it off somehow?”

“It’s too much of a coincidence otherwise,” Nora said. “The three have some sort of a relationship. Weigel goes to a conference in Novosibirsk and the outbreak follows.” (p. 90)

An interesting element of the story was when Philip Knox had a clandestine meeting with Lillian Higgs, a member of the British Intelligence Services, in 1944 to discuss the Nazis and the influenza bombs:

“Authenticating a cure would require something they don’t have – the right test subjects.”

          “Wouldn’t they use laboratory animals?”

          “Animals are only effective up to a point,” he said.

          “Then….how?”

          “You would have to experiment on humans.”

          “Humans.” She said the word softly.

“It may be the thing that has saved us. Who would volunteer for such dangerous tests? And without humans to test both the disease and cure on, they can’t use full-scale arms warfare.”

Lillian suddenly went pale, her eyes wide. “The enemy of the German state,” she gasped. “The concentration camps.”

“I’ve heard a little about them, but understood they’re merely work camps…”

Lillian shook her head. “We now have it from credible sources that the Nazis have been systematically rounding up       criminals, antisocial, the handicapped – physical as well as mental – homosexuals, communists, socialists, Jews, and gypsies---“

“And putting them to work in factories and keeping them in ghettos,” Knox interjected. “Hitler promised he’d do that years ago.”

“He’s done more than that,” she said. “We’ve heard horrible accounts that  they’ve been tortured and experimented upon, in the most cruel and inhumane ways.”

Knox stared at her, the ramifications exploding through his mind like shrapnel. Human subjects – as many as the Nazis would need. He reeled at the thought of what was being done to those people, and the success the Nazis have with their manufactured sickness and its cure. (pp. 123-124)

A subject that comes up often in this book is forgiveness. Here are faithful Nora and skeptical Mark in another one of their theological exchanges:

          “You think people should forgive anything?”

“Why not? Think about the Lord’s Prayer. We ask God to forgive us as we forgive others.  And remember that Jesus told a parable in which an unmerciful servant, whose master had forgiven him a huge debt, turned around and beat people who owed him much less.”

“But here we are in Hitler Central. You think people should forgive Hitler? The Jews should forgive him?”

“I didn’t say forgiving is easy. But I do believe that when we don’t forgive, it hurts us more than it hurts the one we can’t or won’t forgive.”

“Interesting. How so?”

“Refusing to forgive leads to bitterness, resentment, even hatred. Those things eat us up inside. They destroy us.” She paused, then added, “You know that better than most.”

Mark nodded. After the death of his daughter, he spent the ensuing years blaming himself for what happened. Only recently had he come to believe he could let go of all the self-loathing he’d poured into his heart.” (p. 199)

I also was intrigued by this exchange between Nora and Father Luke, a Catholic priest:

“When I am in pain, when I suffer, God is attempting to do something for my good – to do something in and through me. So, I’ve learned, it’s foolish to waste the pain. I must first forgive he who has harmed me. Then I need to accept the pain, as a gift…to seek to understand it. Last, I must learn how to use the healing of forgiveness and the gift of pain to help others I meet along the way.” (p. 335)

Being a bigger fan of naturopathic remedies that pharmaceutical remedies, I was also happy to see that the Nazis had actually developed a cure for the Spanish flu – a remedy which they called Liebfraumilch – that was composed of root and herbs such as Tibetan ginseng and Indian echinacea. Here, two of the team members, Digger and Georgina, share with Mark what they learned:

“The Nazis concocted a cure out of Indian echinacea, European alder, biscuit root, bloodroot, black coneflower, Tibetan ginseng, and even touch-me-not. Just a bunch of root and herbs!”

“You’re kidding.”

“All herbs that have shown at least some effectiveness in treating influenza or the common cold. And, apparently, the Germans have a long tradition with them.”

“You mean we risked our lives for a bunch of root juice?” Mark moaned.

“Call it what you want,” Digger said, “but researchers from Russia, China, and Germany have found that the extract components possess what they call immunostimulant properties. And, believe it or not, studies actually show they increase the ability of white blood cells to fight the virus.”

“Great,” Mark said. “That makes me feel much better.”

“And” – Georgina spoke as if she’d been waiting for the chance to interrupt -- “I found Nazi documents claiming the recipe was taken from some of the early nineteenth century’s best-known German herbalists and tested on concentration camp prisoners. They refined the recipe based on results and hit the mother lode with Liebfraumilch. They found it virtually one hundred percent effective at rapidly reducing symptoms of the virus, and preventing fatalities.” (p. 417)

I was on the edge of my seat throughout the reading of this book, and I had a hard time putting it down! There is so much realism in this book that the possibility of this type of terrorism could come to pass. The human mind can conceive so much evil – Hitler and the Nazis and the 911 terrorists being perfect examples – that I no longer am surprised at what the human heart can contemplate. I pray that this sort of thing can never happen in the real world.  Not only was there was the exciting storyline, but these wonderful authors included the Christian theme of forgiveness, which is quite necessary in a story full of Nazis and environmental terrorists. I look forward to the next novel in the ‘Time Scene Investigators’ series, and may have to seek out the first one!  

You can order this book here.

This book was published by Howard Book, a division of Simon and Schuster, and provided by Glass Road Public Relations for review purposes.