From Dust and Ashes: A Story of Liberation

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Summary: Caught in the Aftermath
Review: As a guy, I'm not drawn usually to fiction featuring the faces of glamorous women. I am drawn, however, to WWII stories. I lived in Austria for a time, and I've visited Matthausen concentration camp with my wife. With that in mind, I couldn't resist checking out "From Ashes and Dust."

The story brings together an assortment of characters caught in the aftermath of Hitler's terror. Peter is an American, disturbed by the conditions within the concentration camps. Michaela is a survivor from Poland. Helene is a woman torn by her husband's brutal actions as an SS officer. And Arno is her husband's fellow conspirator, a conniving man with a treasure to uncover. The pace never flags as these lives come together and pull apart. Although God's redemption is central, the story doesn't come across as melodramatic or simplistic. It honors those who lived through the horror of those days.

Once again, I'm glad I overcame my silly prejudices. Tricia Goyer writes a wonderful story of pain and evil coming face to face with forgiveness and hope. The WWII veterans' endorsement of this tale encouraged me to read on--rightfully so. The historical and geographical details are rendered with care. Yes, there is some romance, but it is woven into the tragedies of the day and never seems forced.

From the ashes of war, Goyer crafts a wise and entertaining story. I look forward to her next effort.

Rating:
Summary: From Dust and Ashes
Review: FROM DUST AND ASHES by Tricia Goyer seized my attention on the first page and carried me through to the end, and wanting more! A beautifully written novel set at the end of WWII - a story of love, courage, and forgiveness.



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Summary: Review of From Dust and Ashes
Review: From Dust and Ashes is a beautifully written story of hope, love, liberation and faith. American soldiers suddenly discover two concentration camps abandoned by Nazi guards. Helene, wife of an SS Guard, is one of the first to take food to the prisoners. Within moments her life becomes entangled with two of the rescued women and an American soldier. Their lives will never be the same. Helene,burdened with guilt,concerned about her future and that of her unborn child and little girl,wonders what will happen when her secret is known. Will they ever be free? Will any of them know peace again?
Out of the horror of war, shredded lives, greed of a few, From Dust and Ashes tells a story of freedom, compassion and hope. You will find it difficult to put the book down. You will cry some tears of sorrrow and of joy.

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Summary: Great story!
Review: From Dust and Ashes raises the bar for Christian fiction. It's intriguing, the plot is believable, the characters fully developed, and the research is so well done the reader feels as if he or she is actually there. The story is not preachy, yet Tricia manages to show God working in people's lives in a very real way.

The author could not have picked a better topic in which to develop the theme of forgiveness and she does it beautifully. An SS wife has compansion for the recently freed prisoners, two former prisoners accept her help and forgive her, an army soldier forgives the SS wife, and the wife forgives her husband. Only with God could this be possible, and Tricia Goyer tells the story well.

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Summary: Couldn't put it down!
Review: I was privileged to proofread this book and I loved it! I love history, especially dealing with the various wars, and this was an interesting and moving story that I was truly happy to get a chance to proofread. It's been awhile since I read it (& I do proofread a LOT of books), but I do remember enjoying it quite a bit--it's one of the best (if not the best) fiction books I've proofed in over eight years of being a professional proofreader. I love historical fiction, especially fiction that I can "sink my teeth into," as I put it, meaning that I like historical fiction with historical & spiritual depth, and this book has both! You won't go wrong choosing this book! It's excellent! :)

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Summary: From Dust and Ashes
Review: This is one of the best books on WWII fiction that I've read. I especially like the emphasis on the liberation of people from the concentration camps. There are not very many stories out there like this one. I couldn't put the book down. Great love story, great intrigue/action, and accurate. I went to the Holocaust Museum in DC and this story takes you right into that era. Also, I like the Nazi piece to the story. War is a terrible thing and many people are stuck on a side they don't necessarily want to be on. Tricia Goyer did an excellent job writing this novel. I laughed, I cried. I felt the love of these people. It doesn't get better than this.

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Summary: Beautifully written.
Review: This was a beautifully written book about the end of Nazi occupation of Europe. The book told of Helene, a Nazi wife, who
reached out to the concentration camp victims, taking 2 of them into her home and nursing them back to health. The book is
told through 3 viewpoints: the Nazi victim, the American GI, and the Nazi wife. It was great to hear the different
viewpoints of the different time periods.

This book was obviously well researched, as the horrors of Nazi occupations were described how vividly. Helene's feelings to
the treatment of the concentration camp victims came out so good. I loved Michaela, and how through her, Helene gradually
came into a relationship with God.

I look forward to more books by this author.

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Summary: Powerful Story
Review: Tricia Goyer takes us on a journey of liberation through the eyes of three very different travelers? an American GI, an emaciated death camp survivor and the wife of a cruel Nazi SS Guard. Goyer draws her characters realistically, with sensitivity and depth. I found myself still reading at 2am, unable to put this book down even knowing I had an early morning meeting.

Most WWII novels deal with the war period itself. I found the dynamics of post war even more compelling-- the displacement, the confusion, the power shift, the border changes-- especially since, at the time of my reading, we're watching the confusion of postwar Iraq on the nightly newscasts. It's a case of fiction offering us a richer understanding of reality.

Don't miss reading this book.

Rating:
Summary: You Won't Want To Stop Reading!
Review: Why did I cry when I read From Dust and Ashes? Because Tricia Goyer's novel made me feel the raw emotions experienced by so many during the liberation of a Nazi Concentration camp. Along with Helene, I feel in love with Peter, an American Soldier and I empathized with Michaela, a concentration camp survivor, as she tried to go home again. Through the characters - I lived this story. Thank you, Tricia!