About the book-
Gisela must hold on to hope and love despite all odds in the midst of a war-torn country.
Gisela Cramer is an American living in eastern Germany with her cousin Ella Reinhardt. When the Red Army invades, they must leave their home to escape to safety in Berlin.
However, Ella is a nurse and refuses to leave, sending her young daughters with Gisela. During their journey, Gisela meets Mitch Edwards, an escaped British POW. She pretends she is his wife in order to preserve his safety among other Germans, especially one wounded German soldier, Kurt, who has suspicions about Mitch's identity. Kurt also has feelings for Gisela and tries to uncover the truth about her "marriage."
Their journey to Gisela's mother in Berlin is riddled with tragedy and hardship, but they strive to keep Ella's daughters safe so they can reunite with their mother. During the journey Gisela and Mitch begin to develop feelings for one another beyond friendship. They reach Berlin, but their struggles are far from over. Gisela and Mitch must learn to live for the day and find hope in the darkest of circumstances.
In this moving, historically accurate portrayal of WWII Germany, the characters learn that, even with destruction all around them, some things last forever.
Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/wAD3T
My thoughts
Since the very first time I picked up Number the Stars by Lois Lowery when I was 8 years old, I have always been drawn to works of fiction that are set in the WWII era. There is just something so fascinating to me about this heartbreaking time in history. I think it is because I can not possibly fathom how anyone made it through such an awful war. I reviewed Liz Tolsma's first book Snow on the Tulips last year and I thought it was a very interesting look into both sides of what innocent people would be going through during the war...the Jewish people who were being targeted and the German people who made the significant risk to hide them away. I knew that when she wrote another novel about WWII I would have to read it. Daisies Are Forever didn't disappoint. It was certainly a page turner. The story is of a group of people trying to head out of the danger zone and into Berlin for safety. Gisela is the main character and she has a lot on her shoulders feeling like she is responsible for other people's safety and well being. She is thoughtful and scared out of her mind. On her way to fleeing to safety, she meets Mitch Edwards, who is a British soldier that escaped from a POW. This leads to her having to lie about his identity to make sure he stays safe as well. I found Gisela and Mitch both very likeable and my heart broke for both of them and everyone with them for what they were going through. I found Kurt to be kind of a creep and I could have done without him, but he was definitely an obstacle for Gisela and Mitch, or at least he was trying to be. The description used in the novel is vivid and really brings the story to life. You can almost feel the pain and fear that the characters feel. I read Daisies Are Forever in just a few short days and I could even see myself reading it a second time (I am not usually a repeat reader). I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction or has a specific interest in WWII.
My thoughts
Since the very first time I picked up Number the Stars by Lois Lowery when I was 8 years old, I have always been drawn to works of fiction that are set in the WWII era. There is just something so fascinating to me about this heartbreaking time in history. I think it is because I can not possibly fathom how anyone made it through such an awful war. I reviewed Liz Tolsma's first book Snow on the Tulips last year and I thought it was a very interesting look into both sides of what innocent people would be going through during the war...the Jewish people who were being targeted and the German people who made the significant risk to hide them away. I knew that when she wrote another novel about WWII I would have to read it. Daisies Are Forever didn't disappoint. It was certainly a page turner. The story is of a group of people trying to head out of the danger zone and into Berlin for safety. Gisela is the main character and she has a lot on her shoulders feeling like she is responsible for other people's safety and well being. She is thoughtful and scared out of her mind. On her way to fleeing to safety, she meets Mitch Edwards, who is a British soldier that escaped from a POW. This leads to her having to lie about his identity to make sure he stays safe as well. I found Gisela and Mitch both very likeable and my heart broke for both of them and everyone with them for what they were going through. I found Kurt to be kind of a creep and I could have done without him, but he was definitely an obstacle for Gisela and Mitch, or at least he was trying to be. The description used in the novel is vivid and really brings the story to life. You can almost feel the pain and fear that the characters feel. I read Daisies Are Forever in just a few short days and I could even see myself reading it a second time (I am not usually a repeat reader). I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction or has a specific interest in WWII.
About the author-
New York Times best-selling author Liz Tolsma is the author of Daisies areForever, Snow on the Tulips, and the contributing author of A Log Cabin Christmas. When not busy putting words to paper, Liz enjoys reading, walking, working in her large perennial garden, kayaking, and camping. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband and children, all adopted internationally.
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Liz Tolsma's latest WWII historical fiction novel, Daisies are Forever, is getting rave reviews.
". . . compelling and fast-paced tale about the atrocities and tremendous losses. . . ." —Library Journal
"Excellent storytelling, accurate historical reporting and gritty, persevering characters make this WWII-era novel a must-read." —CBA Retailers + Resources
One winner will receive:
- A Kindle Fire HDX
- Daisies are Forever by Liz Tolsma
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