About the Book
Book: A Picture of Hope
Author: Liz Tolsma
Genre: Christian Historical Fiction
Release date: October, 2021
A Photojournalist Risks Her Life to Save Children
Full of intrigue, adventure, and romance, this new series celebrates the unsung heroes—the heroines of WWII.
Journalist Nellie Wilkerson has spent the bulk of the war in London, photographing pilots taking off and landing—and she’s bored. She jumps at the chance to go to France, where the Allied forces recently landed. She enlists Jean-Paul Breslau of the French underground to take her to the frontlines. On the journey, they come upon an orphanage where nuns shelter children with disabilities. Can they help save them before the Nazis come to liquidate it?
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My Thoughts:
A Picture of Hope shows us what some heroes will do to save people from the evil that is hunting them down. Nellie Wilkerson is a photographer who is bound and determined to get into France and photograph what is happening. Since she is a woman journalist, she is not allowed to go over with the men, but she is resourceful and she finds a way. Meeting Jean-Paul is a boon as he agrees to take her closer to the war.
Jean-Paul is a Frenchman working with the French underground movement. He mistakenly trusted a wrong man and he has paid the price for that. But when the Allies have reached the shores of Normandy he is set free. However, the fleeing Nazi's go with destruction and evil intentions in their hearts.
As Jean-Paul escorts Nellie deeper into the war, they both stumble across a little Down's girl who they both know would be a target of evil as they would consider her less than. So together they seek safety all the while seeing the bigger picture and the dangers that people with disabilities and Jews are facing at the hands of the Nazi's. And all those who are helping in their escape.
This was a harrowing adventure and knowing it is based on true events makes is all the more sobering. What evil men can do!
The author has some great notes and she lists what is true and what is from her imagination. This is a good story that takes a different look at those who were being hunted.
I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.
About the Author
More from Liz
Why Another WWII Novel Set in France
You may well read the back cover of my latest release, A Picture of Hope, and wonder why on earth we need another WWII novel set in France. After all, Kristy Cambron just had one. Melanie Dobson and Sarah Sundin will be coming out with theirs in 2022. So why did I feel the need to write my novel with the same setting?
First of all, I’m a Francophile. I love all things French. It started when I took French in high school. Everyone else was learning Spanish, but I wasn’t into being part of the crowd. There were only a few of us in the class, and it was great fun. We had a wonderful teacher. Being able to pull out some of that French, refine it a bit, and use it in the book was a blast. But I also love French food (who doesn’t?) and everything else.
Secondly, I hadn’t written about France before. When I wrote this proposal at least five or six years ago, I didn’t know France would be so hot. God did, and the book came about in His perfect timing. I’d explored the Netherlands, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and the Philippines. Such a shame that I was leaving out France, so I set about to write a novel located in that country.
Thirdly, there was so much good material to pull from. The French resistance, while small, did good work and sacrificed a great deal to get Jews out of the country and into Switzerland or Spain. The books that Kristy, Melanie, Sarah, and I write are all so different. Only the setting is the same. And when I found out that the famous mime Marcel Marceau was part of the resistance, I couldn’t help but giving him a cameo. Be on the lookout!
Along the way, I discovered some truly heartrending incidents that took place in France. They also compelled me to write this book. I long for the world to remember what happened so that we will never forget. And so that the atrocities committed there will never be repeated.
Fourthly, this was originally the third book in a series. Don’t worry – it’s a stand-alone. Maybe someday I’ll get to publish the other two. The women in the series are all American journalists in Europe. One is a reporter, the other is a broadcaster, and so I decided to make Nellie, the heroine in A Picture of Hope, a photojournalist. And where better to take pictures than on Omaha Beach soon after D-day. How she gets there is based on a very interesting true story, so be sure to read to the end for that one.
There are so many stories about WWII to be told and so many countries that participated in the conflict in one way or the other. The ground is so rich that we aren’t plowing the same parcel. You’ll find all of these books to be very different from each other, each with its own message, its own voice, and its own plot.
The focus in my book is on children with Down syndrome. I have a background in special education, and my husband and I adopted a child from the Philippines with an intellectual disability, so I’ve always had a heart for people with special needs. My daughter brings us so much joy that I wanted to share a glimpse into what these remarkable people are truly capable of.
So that is why I wrote a WWII novel set in France. Make yourself a cup of café au lait, butter up a croissant, and enjoy A Picture of Hope!
Blog Stops
A Baker’s
Perspective, October 28
Life of
Literature, October 28
Book Reviews
From an Avid Reader, October 28
Genesis 5020,
October 28
Debbie’s
Dusty Deliberations, October 29
The Book
Chic Blog, October 29
Blogging With
Carol, October 29
Texas Book-aholic,
October 30
Sodbuster Living,
October 30
Spoken
from the Heart, October 30
Elly Gilbert,
October 30
Truth and Grace
Homeschool Academy, October 31
Inklings
and notions, October 31
Labor Not in
Vain, October 31
CarpeDiem, October
31
Splashes of
Joy, November 1
Reviewingbooksplusmore,
November 1
Life, love,
writing, November 1
For Him and My
Family, November 1
deb’s Book
Review, November 2
A Good
Book and Cup of Tea, November 2
Babbling Becky L’s
Book Impressions, November 3
Betti Mace,
November 3
Worthy2Read,
November 3
Abba’s
Prayer Warrior Princess, November 3
Daysong
Reflections, November 4
Locks, Hooks
and Books, November 4
Vicky
Sluiter, November 4
Southern
Gal Loves to Read, November 4
Older
& Smarter?, November 5
By the Book,
November 5
Ashley’s
Clean Book Reviews, November 5
Connie’s
History Classroom, November 6
For the
Love of Literature, November 6
Bigreadersite,
November 6
Happily
Managing a Household of Boys, November 6
Rebecca Tews,
November 7
A Modern Day
Fairy Tale, November 7
Mypreciousbitsandmusings,
November 7
She
Lives To Read, November 8
Musings
of a Sassy Bookish Mama, November 8
Where Faith
and Books Meet, November 8
Pause for
Tales, November 9
Christian
Bookaholic, November 9
Through
the Fire Blogs, November 9
To Everything
There Is A Season , November 9
Little
Homeschool on the Prairie, November 10
The
Meanderings of a Bookworm, November 10
Mary Hake,
November 10
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Liz is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and copy of A Picture of Hope!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/12b83/a-picture-of-hope-celebration-tour-giveaway
To say I am intrigued would be an understatement
ReplyDeleteOh my! This sounds amazing! Reading this one asap!
ReplyDeleteA Picture of Hope sounds like a fascination read and I can't wait to find out if and how Nellie saves her children! Thanks for sharing it with me and have a spectacular holiday season!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your thoughts on the book, Pause for Tales! Have a spectacular holiday season!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your thoughts on this story and the author's bio and book details, this sounds like an excellent read
ReplyDelete