January book review <3

I have seen a lot of memes lately about today being January 45th or referencing what a loooonnnggg month this has been. I laugh because I appreciate good humor even if it doesn’t apply to me. 

I have enjoyed January. We have loved attending basketball games and watching them on TV. When there isn’t a game, we use the longer hours of darkness to sip hot tea, curl up under a blanket and read. As a result, I managed to meet my goal and finished two books this month. 

The first one I read was The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff. I found this book in the Share Library Box outside our YMCA just before we left for Normandy last fall. Of course it caught my eye and while it has taken me some time to pull it out, I loved it. It is based on true events and was a good read. 

Just before D Day, the British Secret Service was being thwarted in their efforts to work with the French Resistance to send and receive messages, interrupt the efforts of the German army to determine where an invasion might occur and disrupt the flow of the army through sabotage. 

Their male agents were being quickly identified and eliminated by the SS, so a secret mission was launched to train young women who could pass as French citizens to operate radios and do whatever was needed. The thought was that the Germans would not suspect the women were spies. 

The characters are fully developed with their own stories and their role in the bigger story of history. Because this section of the British governement was top secret, when they were caught, the Germans could make these disappear. There was no record of them as having served, either on the German side or their own country. 

I don’t want to ruin the story for you if you decide to read it, but it is both hard to read and strangely uplifting to see justice done in a war that was so vial. The author is able to get the brutally of the SS across without being overly graphic. I highly recommend this book and would encourage anyone who reads it to explore the factual story behind this historical fiction novel. 

The second book I read was gifted to me from Rachel. Emmet had it as a required reading this year and she thought I might enjoy reading something he had read. So, yes, it is a book geared for younger readers but it certainly was not childish. 

The Broken Bow, by Elizabeth George Speare, follows the story of a young man named Daniel. It takes place in and around Capernaum during the early years of Jesus’ ministry. Daniel’s father has been killed by the occupying Romans. His mother has died as a result of the grief. His bitterness drives him to join a band of men who are sworn to raise up an army to overthrow the Romans. 

Daniel has a sister who is dependent on the care of their grandmother. The story follows Daniel’s inner struggle for revenge, his encounters with Jesus, the friends who come alongside him and the transformation of his life as a result of these people. 

I loved the insight into this time in history. The message of a new Kingdom comes through so clearly as Daniel learns to see that conquering is more powerful through forgiveness and love. The author wove the story together with words that landed me right in the middle of this time and place. 

Even though it is suitable for a 6th grader who is up for the challenge, adults would gain much by reading this book as well. It is a reminder for us as Christians that the Kingdom is within us and we are not subject to the tyranny of anger and bitterness. No matter who is in authority in a given time of history, God is supreme over all times and seasons.

Blessings and happy reading!