This Promised Land

By: Cathy Gohlke

Dakota County Library hardcover 342 pages plus author's note and acknowledgements

Published: 2025

Genre: Christian fiction

 

I almost included "historical" in the genre listing because it's set in the 1990s (with flashbacks to the 1940s). Does something set forty years ago count as historical fiction?

 

I really enjoyed this book! Cathy Gohlke may be one of my favorite authors. The characters and story really resonated for me. I look forward to tonight's discussion.

Page 2: "If her older, bossy brother had handed Ginny a gold-leaf-engraved invitation to latch on to the new boy, he couldn't have roused her curiosity more."

Her brother had warned her against interest in Curtis and merely succeeded in piquing her curiosity. Sometimes we humans are so contrary!

Page 8: "But the envelope niggled at the back of her mind for days, a little spider climbing the wall of her brain, spinning dark and silken threads to tempt her, taunt her."

Gohlke is a wonderful wordsmith! She perfectly  captures that sense of not being able to ignore something troubling.

Page 23: "The rain had slowed to a drizzle. Mama, you'd call this a mizzle. Daddy always made fun of you for saying that. Oh, Mama. I miss you so."

I love the word "mizzle," but I also recognize that pang of missing my mother. I can't imagine Ginny's sadness, with so much estrangement before her mother's death.

Page 37: "Ginny shook her head. She couldn't believe it, not after all the years her parents had scrimped and saved and finagled every which way to keep the farm going."

It's both fascinating and mind boggling to me that people who are super thrifty can raise children who make foolish financial decisions. I'm thankful for my parents' example and am glad that I don't crave shopping or risky investments! Ginny here is reflecting on her brother's choices after her mother's death.

Page 50: "She couldn't change or fix the past, but was she responsible? Should she have been? Hadn't they lived the lives they chose?"

This! This is so hard. When you are dealing with people you care about, it can be so hard to draw and keep boundaries. What is helpful? What is enabling? Am I my brother's keeper?

Page 91: "What about them, Lord? I can't supply all their needs. I can't be their savior. Only You. Only You know what they need. Only You can supply their lives. Do you see them? Are You listening?"

I loved Ginny's prayers! Her heart for doing what was pleasing to the Lord was inspiring. She wanted so much to be a blessing to Luke, Bethany, Mark, and Mark's children. I love that she was turning her concerns over to the Lord on a regular basis.

Page 96: "'You can. You can do so much more than you realize, just not in your own strength.' She pulled him to her. 'The thing I learned in taking care of your father is that you can't keep a hard heart when you touch someone, help someone, physically care for someone. It melts the hard feelings inside and that's a good thing.'"

Bethany is a very, very patient wife to Luke. She is wise and sweet and wonderful. I love that she reminded him of Philippians 4:13 - "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Page 109: "'It's your home. You're the spiritual leader of your home, son.'"

Mr. Will Skipwith was another gem, like his father before him. 

Page 121: "It's us. We're a family of prodigals. Me. Mark. What about Luke - the older son, never the prodigal . . . but is that true? Is that possible? Aren't we all runaways from God in one way or another, at some time or another? Haven't we all deserted Him, broken His heart, demanded our inheritance - bent on grabbing our wants?"

I love how Gohlke used the theme of the prodigal son story in this scene in church and also throughout the book. I love how Ginny contemplates the different people in the story and expresses a desire to be like the father welcoming home the prodigal son.

Page 143: "'You've turned something meant as an unkindness into something grand, Arlo. Not everyone can do that. Not everyone would try. Maybe you should write your stories down.' Will looked directly into Arlo's eyes until the girl blushed and looked away."

Will again! He had just heard the story behind "Chicken Snot and Hot Shot" and while Ginny grieved what the children had endured, Will had praised Arlo for watching over her siblings and having a positive attitude.

Page 144: "'You see good even where others see trouble.'

'It's not about seeing the good right off. It's about looking for the good, for the image of God in every person.'"

Again, Will and Ginny are talking and Will expresses his attempts to find the good. What a great guy!

Page 187: "The great thing about dogs, Arlo thought as she trooped, is that they never ask questions, never talk back, never nag, never want you to be anything but you. They don't mind who you are or what your pa did or where you came from."

This is so sweet and so poignant. I'm sorry that kids (and adults) can be mean. I love that dogs are generally affectionate and loyal. Bailey was a blessing.

Page 209: "'We all have the chance to be any one of those characters - the runaway, prodigal son who finally wants to come home; the older, selfish, self-righteous brother who doesn't want to forgive or share what there is; or the running father, the one who doesn't hold the past against either son but welcomes them home once they come. I've been both of those brothers in my life, Bethany. I want to be the running father now.'"

There's that theme again. I love that Ginny and Bethany develop such a great relationship and that they are trying to help Luke and Mark reconcile.

Page 271: "But that was the thing about words - once said they were forever loosed."

Bethany recognized that her husband regretted his angry words toward his brother, but she was frustrated with so much anger and sadness. If I hear myself (internally or aloud) saying, "I shouldn't say this, but . . . " I try to bite my tongue and leave it unsaid!

Page 293: "'They can't change what they don't see. God will work in them just like He's working in each of us . . . in His time, His way - not ours.'"

Ginny is counseling Bethany against being upset with uptight, judgmental Louise and the other "church ladies" who are hurtful.

 

Page 300: "Even as she penned the words, she knew that a part of her was remembering Curtis, wishing she could have shared the strength of the Lord with him as she was doing with Mark. She didn't know if it would have made a difference, if Curtis could have understood when he came back from the war. She hadn't known how to do that, not then. She drew a deep breath. I can do this now."

I love that although she thinks about her past and how things might have been different, she doesn't live in the past. Ginny recognizes that she cannot change what happened, but she can learn from it and try to make a difference for her nephew. Praise God He changes us when we look to Him!

Page 307: "'You're looking at this in your own strength, Ginny - what you can do, what you can afford, what you can make happen. You're worried about many things. Let God finish His work. Let Him finish what He's begun and see what happens.'"

Pastor Edwards was another wonderful character. He reminds Ginny that she's supposed to look to the Lord, not to her own limited finances and abilities. I loved how joy came out of tragedy!

There were other post-its, but I've had enough. I really liked the book, even though I cringed at some parts (Arlo not telling about the mean kid at school and what he said, the fire, Mark's reaction to Luke's angry words . . . . ) I'm glad we get to talk about it tonight!

Ladies of the Lake

By Cathy Gohlke

Dakota County Library paperback 352 pages plus author’s note, acknowledgements, and discussion questions

Published: 2023

Genre: Christian historical fiction

 

I hope I remember details when our book club meets in a week and a half! There are things I loved about this book and things that bugged me. I learned about the Halifax explosion of 1917. In fact, I looked it up before I was even halfway through the book. I’d never heard of it before!

 

Young Adelaide Macneill becomes an orphan when her parents don’t return one night, lost in a storm at sea. Her much older brother removes her from PEI and sends her to a girls boarding school in Connecticut. She becomes friends with three other girls and the “Ladies of the Lake” pledge to be eternal friends.

 

There will be spoilers, so stop here if you've not yet read the book!

 

Pg 4: “Not my concern after looking after the both of you all these years? You’ve gotten to be like that Miss Haversham woman in that Dickens book you’ve been reading aloud. You'll keep on till you die like - - "

"Portia, please. And it's Havisham."

 

I love the reference to Dickens and the correction of the character name! Portia and "Rosaline" (Aka Addie) have a unique connection and a long history.

Pg. 13: "Dear God and Father of us all, we come to You tonight heartbroken, grieving the sudden and terrible loss of Adelaide's beloved mother and father. We grieve for the loss of their strong arms about her, for the loss of the home she dearly loved - the home where she was born, felt safe, and had expected to grow to womanhood."

Mrs. Simmons is the woman I want to be - attentive, sensitive, kind, and willing to pray with someone who clearly needs prayer. The prayer goes on and was such a great counterbalance to young Addie's brother's coldness and her grief.

Pg. 57: "The gulp in Bernadette's throat was visible. She looked at the headmistress, set her mouth in a firm line, and looked away. 'I've been better, but it costs more.'"

We've traveled from 1910 and Addie to 1935 and her daughter Bernadette. The headmistress at Lakeside Ladies Academy is now Dorothy Meyer (aka "Dot," one of the Ladies of the Lake). When Bernadette utters those words, Dot is immediately reminded of her dear friend Addie (who theoretically died in 1917 . . . ). There were so many hints and clues . . . and it seemed pretty apparent to this reader where the story was going.

Pg. 63: "I'd never tasted alcohol, but I was certain those racings of brain and pulse signified intoxication."

Ah, young love! Just being near Stephen makes Addie feel intoxicated. Sigh, swoon.

Pg. 185: "Miracles are Your department, aren't they, Lord? Dorothy wondered if that was sacrilege, to beg God when she needed Him and ignore Him when things were fine. But things aren't fine, Lord! They've never been fine, not for a long time."

I love that God's grace is bigger than our sin! But it does frustrate me when people only cry out to God when they want something from Him. Ignoring God when "things are fine" is such a huge mistake.

Pg. 274: "And how can I hope to be forgiven if I don't forgive? Each day I pray the Lord's Prayer - 'Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.' Dear God, forgiveness depends on both of us; I know this. We're in this hole together and together we can climb out. That's where freedom is born, isn't it?"

 

I love how Addie / Rosaline, Dot, Ruth, and Susannah all had such distinct personalities and strengths. I love how Addie grows throughout this story. Her ability to recognize the need for forgiveness is powerful.

 

Pg. 284: "Stephen is no longer that young man any more than I am that young woman. Who is he now? Who am I without the shield of memory I've built to protect myself? Lord, you've built an identity in me while I've stood unaware, grieving a broken monument. The wonder overwhelmed me."

 

Sometimes we forget that others' lives have moved, as ours have moved. Memory can be powerful and positive, but it can also be deceptive.

Pg. 309: "I'd vowed to the Lord yesterday that I wouldn't waste one more moment of my life in fears and regret, but carrying that out was harder than I'd imagined."

Amen, sister. Good intentions, even vows to God, doesn't equal a clear path to follow in words and actions.

Pg. 315: "I don't want to lose another minute of our friendship, girls. The truth is, children grow up and move on with their lives. Husbands become busy with their work and who knows what. But women need friends, read, true friends, and we're the best we've got."

I don't remember which character said this! (I've already returned the book to the library and I'm just using screenshots of pages for the quotations.) It's one of my favorite lines from the book.

Pg. 325: The big reveal - that Dot had married Jonas Meyer and not Stephen Meyer kind of ticked me off. It was so strongly implied that she had betrayed Addie because she was pining for Stephen . . . Ugh. The wasted time and lives . . . All's well that ends well, I suppose. But that part kind of bugged me.

The whole drama about Addie being Bernadette's mom (vs. aunt) and going to the graduation were also mixed with the board treasurer embezzling money and the school's danger of closing. It was a wonderful book to read! Oh, and the Meyer family were of German descent and faced persecution during the war. The girls taunting men with the white feather . . . there were so many details. The author's note was quite good, too.

 

 

 

A Hundred Crickets Singing

by Cathy Gohlke

Jean G's copy hardcover 404 plus note to readers

Published: 2022

Genre: Christian historical fiction

Set in both the Civil War era and WWII, this book had a LOT of characters! Sometimes I had to stop and think, "Now, who is ______?" At book club, Amanda said she did the same thing!

Civil War era / Minnie - "'No battle is lost until it's over,' Mother constantly reminded me. 'Our business is to do what we need to do, what God has equipped us for, what He expects of us.' ' To stand for those oppressed, to clothe the naked and feed the hungry, to take in the foreigner . . . ' I quoted themes from Scripture I'd learned at Mother's knee, ones Father read each morning from the Bible as our reason for being, our cause for wealth and stature within the community - to give home and succor to those in need." (pg. 8)

I loved Minnie and her mom. It was interesting to think about whether or not Southerners like this really existed in the 1860s . . . 

"But freedom - the very hope of it - was everything, and those who ran vowed they'd run or die trying. Some did both." (pg. 9)

Sometimes I think we're too cavalier with our talking about slavery ("enslavement" is how it's referred to now) and too distant from the actual horrors of what that meant. Freedom is powerful indeed, and so is hope. Dying for your freedom . . . that's too abstract for me in my daily (easy) life.

"The idea that Jean Valjean had been sentenced to twenty years for stealing a loaf of bread to feed a starving child incensed her." (pg. 34)

I love that Gohlke uses the themes of Les Miserables throughout this book! In this passage, Joe is thinking of Celia and her compassion. In Minnie's era, the realization that Tom read a sanitized version highlights the gulf between them in beliefs.

Page 62 - This is where I had the "aha!" moment that these were the same characters from a previous Gohlke book we had read! (Night Bird Calling) Reading the names and about the barn burning . . . I'm a little slow.

I love in Joe's letter to Celia when he says, "Through all this I've started praying, something I haven't done much since my parents were killed in that fire when I was a kid. I can't say I have answers, or that I'm even sure God hears me. None of this makes sense, but I don't blame God for it like I used to. I blame the ugliness and hatred of people. How God can stand to look at us, I don't know, but I need Him. I sure need somebody." (pg. 211)

Joe was one of my favorite characters in this story. I loved how he often hoped for / expected the best of others . . . like the people of No Creek. Kind of naive, but sweet.

Page 225 - Minnie. "The moment I saw Grayson burning those freedom papers and land deeds, I realized that the strong, the politically powerful rule this world, even if it means they flaunt the law."

This is sad but true. Then and now.

Page 321 - Joe is praying  and his conversation with God is raw and honest. "What do I have? Where will You lead me if I give You the reins of my life?"

I think we all have those moments . . . I want to trust You, God, but I'm afraid to give up control.

Page 327 - Minnie's diary. "This is not what I'd hoped, what we worked so hard to achieve for our friends, but if I have learned anything these many years, it is that I cannot control another soul, least of all my younger brother. I can work and wait and hope, but I must surrender Grayson and all my dear ones to the Lord. Only He can change a human heart. Even then, I know that heart must be willing. May God forgive me where I have failed, and my He give His angels charge over our friends, and over Ellie and me now."

Minnie's faith and strength, despite her "weakness" as a woman in a male society, is powerful.

Page 371 - "She also needed to formulate some serious crow to eat in her coming apology to Ruby Lynne. On long reflection she didn't know what had possessed her to say those things to Ruby Lynne, to even think them. No matter if they were true, they weren't kind or necessary. Celia knew it was the type of meanness she'd expect from somebody who'd never known grace, but Celia had received grace - again and again in life."

I liked that Celia had this realization and prioritized doing the right thing by Ruby Lynne (as opposed to a ploy to regain Joe's respect). I like Celia, even if she can be a bit of a pain.

Page 397 - "Marshall struggled to his feet, refusing Joe's help. He stood, unsteadily at first, taking his time, getting a grip on his cane before he met Rhoan's hand and shook it. Both men nodded."

This was a very big deal . . . and a huge change of heart for Rhoan.

Worst characters: Grayson Belvidere and Ivy's parents. 

Nice ending to the story!

Night Bird Calling

by Cathy Gohlke

Dakota County Library paperback 420 pages

Published: 2020

Genre: Christian historical fiction

I didn't even get a copy of this before the book club (April), so I didn't go that month. I'm glad I've read it, though the focus on abusive relationships and the constant fear of some of the female characters wasn't exactly enjoyable.

Back of book:  "Appalachia, 1941. When Lilliana Swope's beloved mother dies, Lilliana gathers her last ounce of courage and flees her abusive husband for the home of her only living relative in the foothills of No Creek, North Carolina. Though Hyacinth Belvidere hasn't seen Lilliana since she was five, she offers her cherished great-niece a safe harbor. Their joyful reunion inspires plans to revive Aunt Hyacinth's estate and opens a public library where everyone is welcome, no matter the color of their skin."

Page 60 - "What struck me more than the color of his skin was the hunger and wonder in the eyes of Olney's nephew, Marshall Raymond, as he took in Aunt Hyacinth's library for the first time.

'All those books!' Marshall had whistled, slipping his hat from his head with the reverence one might offer in a great cathedral. 'Never in my life did I think I'd see so many books in one place.'"

Any time someone is awed and pleased by a library, it makes me happy. I love libraries and books!

Page 71 - "If only I could have God's forgiveness, His love and approval, life would be complete. But I knew that wasn't possible. God was too holy to look at sinners and smile - and I was chief among sinners, 'a snake in the grass,' as my father had once labeled me. That message resounded through all my growing years and was reinforced in my married years."

This refrain of hers got old, but it was a reminder to me that words have power. Parents can send messages of hope, encouragement, and love. They can also tear down, discourage, and hurt. 

Page 119 - "'In the end, when people hear something ugly long enough, they believe it's true. They want to believe it - to set it in a box they can understand and label.'"

In this passage, Lilliana is referring to Ida Mae's gossip. Again, the power of words can be used to heal or to harm. In some ways, Ida Mae seemed like the darkest character in the book! (And that's saying a lot, seeing how many abusive men were part of the story.

Page 141 - "Right now they're stirring the pot. Once the Klan gets worked up and going, it's like a fire; it smolders and smokes, looking for a place to vent, until it explodes. It's that venting, that explosion that worries me."

The KKK . . . those white robes and hoods seem to be evil from the pits of hell. How does burning a cross on a black family's lawn communicate anything other than hate and evil? Did these people really think they were Christians? Did they read their Bibles? Ugh!

Page 153 - "'Your aunt bore no children. The child she raised is gone. She needs to give you her stories, your family's stories. While there is time, if there is still time, listen. It is the gift that matters most to her.'"

When the doctor tells this to Lilliana, it made me think of the stories I *didn't* listen to or write down. Now that my parents are gone, so are there stories. (Except the few that I do have recorded.)

Page 173 - "Of course he was 'Jesse' to those he'd grown up with. Certainly he was to Miz Hyacinth, though she never referred to him as anything but Reverend Willard from the moment he returned from seminary, and she insisted others do the same. She' accorded him all the respect she'd have given an older, more experienced pastor, and never failed to let him know how his sermons blessed her. If only she knew how she had blessed him! He hoped she knew."

 

I liked this - that even though Hyacinth was the elder to be respected, she chose to show this young man respect in his profession and in their community. (Yes, I know respect can and should be a two-way street.) I just liked this observation.

 

Page 174 - "Was she a believer in Jesus Christ as her Savior? Did she know she could turn to Him in her need even if she couldn't turn to another human being? Jesse didn't know. He'd assumed she believed, being Miz Hyacinth's niece, having grown up in a church - and above all because of her kind and loving heart. It went without saying, didn't it?"

 

No, it doesn't go without saying. We don't know what's in someone else's mind or heart. We need to share the Good News and encourage people to talk about their faith journey. Don't assume!

 

Page 261 - "'I didn't mean you ain't welcome - if it was up to me.' Celia mourned that it was not and she knew it. 'I just mean you need somewhere to lay your head and be warm, a table to set your feet under.'"

 

I love that it is a child who desires to show hospitality and grace to the young couple down on their luck! I wish it were up to the Celias of the world to extend hope and blessing! Sometimes we need to be more childlike in our faith.

 

 Page 309 - "'Such news (bombing of Pearl Harbor) could strike fear in all our hearts did we not know that You are in charge of this world and our lives, that nothing happens without Your knowledge, and that You alone can bring good out of the horrors man perpetrates for evil. Protect the men and women in our armed services. . . . '"

The pastor's prayer is so wonderful. Reading it in this book was a blessing! I didn't type all of it here, but it's all wonderful.

Page 379 - "Tell that preacher over to Saints Delight to bury me beside my Shadrach on the mountain and say words over me. Never mind that I wouldn't attend his church. I found God on His own mountain. No church building could hold me after that."

Granny Chree was such a cool character! The letter she left had lots of instructions, but I love the idea that "no church building" could hold her. She was a nature gal for sure!

Page 398 - "What I saw was hope. Hope that things might mend. Fragile, but real."

Yes! Hope has so much power and possibility!

Page 423 - "Sometimes they know of nowhere and no one to run to, no one to trust - have even been taught not to trust outsiders or the police, or are so beaten down they don't believe in their own worth or that they deserve love or protection. They may even believe they deserve the abuse and become unable to stand for themselves."

In her afterword, Gohlke addresses the "horror of abuse" that she writes about. It's pretty powerful. She is a talented woman who is making a difference with her writing. Praise God!

The Medallion

by Cathy Gohlke
Scott County Library paperback 400 pages
genre: Christian historical fiction

This was our last month's book club book, but I just finished it! Part of the reason it was a slow read for me is that it is yet another book dealing with the horrors of the Holocaust. It's so difficult to read a fictional story about people and events that really happened in such an awful chapter of human history. It is a worthwhile read, but a very sad one.

Main characters:
Sophie (British, but married to a Polish fighter pilot - for the RAF - and stuck in Warsaw at the start of WWII)
Janek (her husband)
Rosa (Jewish and Polish, mother to Ania)
Itzhak (Rosa's husband, an electrician, also Jewish and Polish)
Matka (Rosa's mother)

I won't summarize much. Warsaw, Poland. WWII. Nazis. Cruelty to the point of sheer evil. Starvation. Deprivations. Death.

The medallion is a Tree of Life necklace that Itzhak gave to Rosa on their wedding day. When Rosa sends her toddler Ania away with Irena Sendler to try to save her life, she breaks the tree in half, intending to reunite the necklace along with her family after the war.

Page 357 - "I can handle this on my own. There is nothing I can't handle - just leave me alone."
"We're not meant to handle life alone, Sophie. It's too hard, too unpredictable, too messy and big. There is One who is willing and ready to help, to travel with us, if we let Him."
I love this scene! We don't get to know Carrie very well, but she has wise advice for her friend Sophie.

Page 371 - "What should I do, Lord? Not what do I want, this time, but what should I do? I can't do this alone - and I shouldn't." Finally! Sophie takes a long time to get to this point, but when she trusts the Lord, the situation changes.

Author's note, page 405 - "The Medallion is a reminder to help when help is needed, regardless of the cost to ourselves."

Until We Find Home

by Cathy Gohlke
Hennepin County Library hardcover 3 or 4 hundred pages
genre: Historical Christian fiction

This was a book club book that I didn't finish before discussion. Set in World War II, Claire is a super romantic (and pretty immature) American living in Paris. Part of the underground resistance, she helps five Jewish children escape. But when her "love" doesn't show up, she crosses to England with the children. Ending up at her aunt's home in the lakes country, there is intrigue, danger, romance, etc.

I liked the literary threads (neighbor Mrs. Heelis, aka Beatrix Potter; the Secret Garden; C. S. Lewis; etc.) I also liked little Gaston - he was a firecracker!

But the story was pretty lightweight. I didn't even mind the discussion and its inevitable "spoilers" because I just didn't care that much. It was fine but not a re-read or "must" recommend book.

Saving Amelie

By Cathy Gohlke
Hennepin County Library paperback 429 pages
genre: Christian historical fiction

Since I was only halfway done with this when my book club discussed it, I missed out on a lot of meaning. Then I've had to force myself to finish reading it. Set during WWII, this book takes a look at the eugenics programs at the time. Main character Rachel Kramer was adopted as an infant and raised in the United States.

If you want a summary - visit Amazon. I don't think I can do a good job with this blog entry.

Pages that stood out and I put post-its on:
117 - "Even with the Nazis' heavy censoring, enough came through to New York that it should have infuriated the country. Where was his 'Christian nation,' anyway? Weren't they supposed to help the oppressed and needy?" I cannot imagine what it was like for people in 1939 in America . . . or why so many of us aren't outraged at current-day atrocities around the globe. It makes me sad and curious about humanity.

136 - "She lifted her head. But it's not the end. No, I have the children's choir and I have Oma, and I will hold this day." Lea amazes me with her courage and strength! I need to work on having this kind of deep faith and hope. It's so hard when you're feeling discouraged by things in life.

138 - Lea feels as though things are going *too* well and something is wrong. Her grandmother is an encourager! "Joy is the gift of God, and you are His child. He loves you so."

163 - I love the inclusion of Dietrich Bonhoeffer in the story. "But we've come to practice cheap grace - grace that appears as a godly form but costs us nothing - and that is an abomination, a stench in the nostrils of God!" I have started reading a book about Bonhoeffer, but would like to read the book he wrote on grace sometime . . .

208 - "It was dangerous to be an individual in the Reich today - dangerous to be committed to or allied with anyone but Hitler and the Nazi Party. And that made aligning yourself with the radical Jesus dangerous." This made me think of the song "Rabble-rousing radical man" . . . I love thinking of Jesus this way. The radical Jesus is someone my mom would have loved! (And perhaps she got to know him before the end of her physical life.)

301 - I just love the language here: "So much craziness, so many lies to sort out, and all of them woven, like plaits, into her mind." Sometimes lately, I wonder how much my thinking can change. So much of what's in my head is in how I was raised. (In addition to nature and nurture, aging and conscious choices shape us.)

303 - "Such a vast network to keep straight and so many lives at stake - Curate Bauer spent more time than ever on his knees." Prayer is so important! I should be spending more time praying, not less, when I feel busy and stressed out!

401 - "Amelie sighed. It was happiness to be loved and wanted." Yes.

Secrets She Kept

by Cathy Gohlke

Hennepin County library, paperback 391 pages

Genre: Christian historical fiction

·         This was a different kind of WWII / Holocaust book! Protagonist Lieselotte’s father is a war criminal and her brother is a hard-line Nazi Youth, but Lieselotte works with friends to save Jewish people. The “modern” (1972) protagonist Hannah Sterling is coming unglued after her mother Lieselotte’s death. Why was she so cold and distant? What in her life made her so unloving toward Hannah and her dad? My overall reaction: gripping story, very realistic. I look forward to discussing it at book club tonight.

Page 3 – Hannah’s boss “Everybody needs time when they lose a parent.” / Hannah’s thought “How could I lose a parent I never had?" “We weren’t close.” How many times did I have to explain that? This resonated for me, but I won’t bring it up at book club. I don’t think the others understand my lack of emotional connection toward my dad. They all really like their dads! I truly feel more relief than sorrow over my dad’s death.

Page 84 – “I wanted the assurance that enveloped Frau Kirchmann, that radiated peach in her soul and through her eyes, her smile. But I knew that came from her relationship with Jesus, and I was still uncertain about giving my life to Him.” I want to be like Frau Kirchmann!!! Seriously, I love when people are so filled with Jesus' love that it overflows and people notice it. I want to glorify God in my life!





Page 105 – “ . . . I wanted to believe in God, the author of love and mercy. I bowed my head when the pastor prayed . . . even though I prayed then too, I believed nothing and no one. I trusted no one.” So very sad! How many people have the outward appearance of faith but not the peace in their souls?

 Page 279 – when Carl is helping Hannah returned some of the confiscated items to Jewish descendants – “I just don’t understand why she would still be afraid, or why you came so unglued.” “That is right, Hannah. You do not understand. And what you do not understand can be frightening, even dangerous for others. Let me think.” Americans and seeing things through our own lens . . . not understanding the depths of pain and fear (and subtexts) of Germans who lived through WWII.

Page 300 – Frau Kirchmann praying in the camp . . . her witness to Lieselotte and others. Love this.

Page 337 – When Lieselotte is confiding in Corrie tenBoom (cool inclusion in the story, btw) . . . she responds “Don’t hate, my child. That’s a prison worse than Ravensbruck.” So powerfully true!

Page 359 – Lieselotte thinks “If I could be the mother to my baby that Mutter Kirchmann was to me, life might come full circle.” At this point, I was thinking, “Why didn’t she? Why did her own daughter grow up thinking her mother didn’t love her and was incapable of love?” I’m not really satisfied with how the author “answered” this question in the last forty pages of the book.

Page 386 – When Hannah meets with Corrie tenBoom to try to resolve the mystery of her mother’s life, Corrie says “This is proof that Jesus does not expect us to forgive in our own strength – that the hurts in this world are not healed by us, not forgiven by us, but by His great love. Jesus said to love our enemies . . . and with that command He gives us the love to do it.” It's kind of out of context here, but forgiveness and the power of God's love shine through.

Hannah’s prayer and peace at the end are a good resolution. The apple struedel was a nice touch.