THE MELODY OF THE SOUL by LIZ TOLSMA, review by Paula Shreckhise

Liz Tolsma is a true wordsmith. She paints a picture— a realistic one but not always a beautiful one of occupied Prague in WWII.

Times have been trying for Anna Zadokova and her grandmother. She has been separated from the rest of her family and the lifestyle that she knew with her musical family as a promising violinist. She is not only of Jewish descent but grew up as a Christian as well. 

But as far as the Nazi’s are concerned, she is a Jew. That's all that matters. 

“Train up a child in the way that he should go and he will not depart from it” Proverbs 22:6 could be a theme for the characters in this book. Anna and her brother David have been raised in a loving Christian home, although David has joined his friends in a new philosophy. Horst Engle, a Nazi officer in charge of preserving architecture in Prague, has had a mixed upbringing. But his mother’s Christian voice has taken effect and colors his reactions to his job in the Nazi regime. 

This story recounts the horrors of Nazi occupation the lengths the underground will go to protect the Jewish people. Anna’s grandmother is always the voice of faith in the midst of real turmoil and frightening times. Liz’s descriptions put you right in the action, hoping the Jews in hiding will not be caught. The suspense is palpable.

If you love history and want a compelling story that shows strong Christian faith in the middle of a troubling time in our world history then this is the book for you.



BACK COVER BLURB:
Anna has one chance for survival—and it lies in the hands of her mortal enemy.

It’s 1943 and Anna Zadok, a Jewish Christian living in Prague, has lost nearly everything. Most of her family has been deported, and the Nazi occupation ended her career as a concert violinist. Now Anna is left to care for her grandmother, and she’ll do anything to keep her safe—a job that gets much harder when Nazi officer Horst Engel is quartered in the flat below them.

Though musical instruments have been declared illegal, Anna defiantly continues to play the violin. But Horst, dissatisfied with German ideology, enjoys her soothing music. When Anna and her grandmother face deportation, Horst risks everything to protect them. 

Anna finds herself falling in love with the handsome officer and his brave heart. But what he reveals might stop the music forever.

This is book one in a series: Music of Hope by Liz Tolsma.

Buy The Melody of the Soul at Amazon

Buy The Melody of the Soul at Christianbook.com

*I received this book from the publisher, all opinions are my own. I was under no obligation to give a favorable review.*