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4.47 AVERAGE
4.47 AVERAGE
I loved this book! I struggled to put this down and got a little moody when I had to. Life still had to be lived. I was submerged into the story, felt so much the same as the characters themselves. I love history books that make you truly understand the life and capacity on which the lives of past have shaped our world. I cried, laughed, cheered, felt fear with them and then cheered and celebrated with them. My 10 year old downloaded the audio of this book because he heard me listening to it in the car and he enjoyed it as well.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I didn’t want this audiobook to end! I keep going to play it and remember it is over :( it was 14.5 hours long and I loved every minute!
Lynn Austin did an amazing job with the story telling & Stina Nielsen’s narration had me lost in the worlds of these 3 main characters! Highly recommend this audiobook.
Summary:
This Book Follows 3 women through World War II from 1939 to 1945 in the Netherlands. The book covers so much and it was refreshing that whilst there was romance throughout it was never the focus of the story and while I love a hallmark romance this was really nice to focus on the war and really feel the grit and devestation, fear and sorrow, small joys and purpose, faith and miracles, questions and disappointments. It felt realistic to me without being gory.
Main Characters:
This book is written from the P.O.V. of three women
Lena De Vries - Lena is a Christian Dutch farmers wife and a mother of 3, Ans, Wim & Maiike, she is married to Pieter. And her father is the local pastor and full of wisdom. Lena likes to be in control and has trouble trusting God with her family.
Ans De Vries - Ans is the eldest of 3 children and 19 at the start of the book, she is a rebellious teen and wants to leave the farm and religion she was raised with and move to the big city. Ans finds a boyfriend in the big city, he is a police officer who is forced to join the Dutch Nazi Party Ans works as a live in companion for Eloise who struggles with melancholy and trauma from WWI. Ans processes her faith in God and her role in the war.
Miriam Jacobs - Miriam is a young German Jew who flees to the Netherlands excited for the freedom this country will hold for her and her father. Miriam struggles with Anxiety and her violin is a gift to her to express her emotions and calm her panic Miriam meets Avi in refugee camp when she arrives in the Netherlands and they marry and have a beautiful baby Elisheva aka Bep
Series:
Stand alone.
Content:
I really liked the biblical exploration that so naturally flowed through the characters as they asked questions of “what is ok?” “Can I lie?” “Should I protect myself?” Etc. These are all things I’ve wanted to understand and I loved how much this book impacted me and my own faith journey!
Book recommendations:
Reading this book reminded me of the first book I ever listened to by Lynn Austin and what made me love her writing: Candle in the Darkness by Lynn Austin and the whole refiners fire series! It’s about the civil war.
Other similar books by Lynn Austin that I’ve liked
A woman’s place set in early 1940s and follows 4 woman
A woman’s place set in early 1940s and follows 4 woman
And If I Were You about 2 women during WWII
Audio Performance: 9/10
Lovely to listen to, she brings the characters uniquely to life.
Author: Lynn Austin
Narrator: Stina Nielsen
Length: 14hrs 38mins (Unabridged)
Released: 8-June-2021
Publisher: Recorded Books Audio
Platform: Scribd
Content Warnings
Moderate: War
Minor: Death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Grief
Suicidal Thoughts Expounded, (none-minimal spoilers) Ans is a companion for Eloise who has suffered trauma from WWI and as a result battles with meloncholy and suicidal thoughts (non-descript) Ans and Eloise’s husband are always keeping an eye on her to avoid her harming herself. Tastefully written.
Panic Attacks Expounded, (none-minimal spoilers) Miriam can also struggle with anxiety and panic, she turns to her violin for comfort.
Expounded, (none-minimal spoilers) A family member (who you grow to know and love) is shot by the nazi’s - family hear it all.
This book doesn’t sugar coat the war so there is loss & death & separation scattered throughout the book.
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
World War 2 was difficult for many people.
A lot of people made hard choices.
This book follows 3 women and the choices they make to help others and for the war.
A lot of people made hard choices.
This book follows 3 women and the choices they make to help others and for the war.
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Chasing Shadows- I was thrilled to read this book after I finished, If I Were You and The Wish Book Christmas also by Lynn Austin. In general I love historical fiction and the different points of view it presents to the reader.
Chasing Shadows takes place during WW2 (1939-1945) in the Netherlands. Lena, a Dutch farmer, is taken aback as her headstrong and stubborn, 18 year old daughter, Ans wants to leave her family and church to pursue a life of her choosing. Lena and her husband Pieter send Ans to Leiden, Netherlands to be a companion to Eloise the fragile, melancholy wife of Professor Huizenga. Around this time in Cologne, Germany Miriam and her family are suffering persecution for being Jews and are looking for an escape before the persecution becomes unbearable. Since the Netherlands is neutral they decide to escape there. Leaving everything and everyone behind Miriam and her abba make the journey in hopes to send for family when they are settled.
Everything changes when the Nazi’s invade and occupy the Netherlands. Now with Germany in control of this once peaceful land the Dutch people have to make a choice, will they stand up against the Nazi’s and their tyranny, will they join the Nazi’s to protect themselves or will they make the choice to turn a blind eye and not get involved.
Chasing Shadows is an interesting look into how those in the Netherlands fought back against the Nazi occupation. It shows the love that people had for God and for their neighbors. A common theme throughout the book was one of faith over fear. Lena had to release her children to God and allow him to be in control of their lives.
I enjoyed the types of love that Austin highlights, that between a man and a woman, parents to their children, and humanity to their creator, God. Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction and WW2 era stories of triumph over the evils of war.
Chasing Shadows takes place during WW2 (1939-1945) in the Netherlands. Lena, a Dutch farmer, is taken aback as her headstrong and stubborn, 18 year old daughter, Ans wants to leave her family and church to pursue a life of her choosing. Lena and her husband Pieter send Ans to Leiden, Netherlands to be a companion to Eloise the fragile, melancholy wife of Professor Huizenga. Around this time in Cologne, Germany Miriam and her family are suffering persecution for being Jews and are looking for an escape before the persecution becomes unbearable. Since the Netherlands is neutral they decide to escape there. Leaving everything and everyone behind Miriam and her abba make the journey in hopes to send for family when they are settled.
Everything changes when the Nazi’s invade and occupy the Netherlands. Now with Germany in control of this once peaceful land the Dutch people have to make a choice, will they stand up against the Nazi’s and their tyranny, will they join the Nazi’s to protect themselves or will they make the choice to turn a blind eye and not get involved.
Chasing Shadows is an interesting look into how those in the Netherlands fought back against the Nazi occupation. It shows the love that people had for God and for their neighbors. A common theme throughout the book was one of faith over fear. Lena had to release her children to God and allow him to be in control of their lives.
I enjoyed the types of love that Austin highlights, that between a man and a woman, parents to their children, and humanity to their creator, God. Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction and WW2 era stories of triumph over the evils of war.
A stand-alone book from a really engaging Christian author. This book, set during WWII in Holland, mostly follows three women. Lena and her husband are simple farmers, while their oldest daughter Ans longs to leave the country and move to the big city of Leiden. Miriam is an accomplished violinist, but is Jewish and living in Germany. Though Miriam's mother and the rest of her family won't leave, she and her father flee into Holland and first start off at a refugee camp. All three women's paths and stories cross, and we are enveloped in a wonderful story of love, faith, redemption and grace while fighting for their freedom. I read this along with a dear friend (Debbie) and thoroughly enjoyed this one, both the story itself, and talking with my buddy about the characters and plot.
I don't even have the words to describe how wonderful this book is. I think this is Lynn Austin's best book to date, and that is saying a LOT because I love all of her books.
WWII historical fiction is my favorite subgenre, but that also means I've read so many of those books that they sometimes blur together and a lot of the stories are almost repeats of others. This, however, was a brand new perspective of the war and I completely lost myself in this book. You know the term "book hangover" where a book made you feel so deeply involved that you can't let it go? That will be me for a while.
Also, it would be amazing to get a book from the perspective of Avi sometime in the future so we can know what he was doing and what he went through after being separated.
I just have one question that wasn't answered: What happened to Abba's work that was given to Hermen?? I just have to believe it was saved.
WWII historical fiction is my favorite subgenre, but that also means I've read so many of those books that they sometimes blur together and a lot of the stories are almost repeats of others. This, however, was a brand new perspective of the war and I completely lost myself in this book. You know the term "book hangover" where a book made you feel so deeply involved that you can't let it go? That will be me for a while.
Also, it would be amazing to get a book from the perspective of Avi sometime in the future so we can know what he was doing and what he went through after being separated.
I just have one question that wasn't answered: What happened to Abba's work that was given to Hermen?? I just have to believe it was saved.
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No