PAULA'S REVIEW:
“No matter what, God.”
“My peace comes from the assurance that God overseas all things.”
In this dual-time book, we see McKenna search for her roots and the missing parts of her ancestral story. It is steeped in the chaos of World War II in Poland, and a little known people group known as the Lemkos who got lumped in with another group and targeted for annihilation. What was fascinating was that the author drew on her own background and researched her own family origins. This was yet another story in the complex and gut-wrenching history of World War II. This tale showcased not only hardship, but also resiliency, remarkable courage and resolve in seemingly desperate situations. The writing style was eloquent, persuasive, and powerful depicting people of great faith.
What I Left For You brought the story of Helena to a new generation, when McKenna found the links to her great grandmother.
Ms. Tolsma is a distinctive voice in World War II fiction. I am always glad to read her perspective.
*A complementary copy of this book was provided by Barbour Publishing on behalf of the author and through NetGalley. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.* 5 stars and a strong faith thread
A Family’s Ties Were Broken in Poland of 1939
1939
Helena Kostyszak is an oddity—an educated female ethnic minority lecturing at a university in Krakow at the outbreak of WWII. When the Germans close the university and force Jews into the ghetto, she spirits out a friend’s infant daughter and flees to her small village in the southern hills. Helena does everything in her power to protect her family, but it may not be enough. It will take all of her strength and God’s intervention for both of them to survive the war and the ethnic cleansing to come.
2023
Recently unengaged social worker McKenna Muir is dealt an awful blow when a two-year-old she’s been working with is murdered. It’s all too much to take, so her friend suggests she dive into her family’s past like she’s always wanted. Putting distance between herself and her problems might help her heal, so she and her friend head on Sabbatical to Poland. But what McKenna discovers about her family shocks everyone, including one long-lost family member.
Also in the Echoes of the Past Series:
What I Would Tell You
What I Promise You
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