Chasing Shadows

Reviewed by: 

Jo Ann Gryder

REVIEW INTRODUCTION

Title:  

Chasing Shadows

Author:  

Lynn Austin

Publisher:     

Tyndale House Publishers

https://www.tyndale.com/

Date: 

June 3, 2021

Format:

Length: 

289 words

OVERVIEW

A work of Historical Fiction, Chasing Shadows takes the reader to The Netherlands, a self-declared neutral country, that the Nazi movement of the 1940’s would respect and not invade.  That’s what both the city dwellers and farmers of the Netherlands thought.  That’s what the persecuted German Jews thought, too.  But it was not to be.  Ms. Austin unfolds a story of a well-educated Jewish Professor and his talented daughter who seek asylum in the Netherlands leaving the wife/mother behind in Germany. 

The people they meet who aid them and other Jews once the Nazis invaded the Netherlands is captivating.  A farm girl moves to the city and becomes a member of The Resistance along with her aristocratic employer who lost loved ones to the Germans in WWI; her Father goes off to join the Netherlands Army and fight  the Nazi’s; her Mother provides a shelter for many Jews on the run risking her own safety in the process.

The bravery of the Dutch people during WWII is depicted with warmth and strength.  The actions they took while never knowing just who to trust is a captivating tale of heroism.  The angst of losing loved ones or not even knowing if they were dead or alive is brought to life through Ms. Austin’s writing.  The pure joy of seeing their loved ones after months/years of uncertainty is heartwarming. 

All in all, Lynn Austin has written an historical novel about a period of time that is well known but in a country that not as much has been written.  It is a good read that satisfies not only the historian but also the romantic as we see how the strength of loved helped so many to endure the atrocities of war.

ASSESSMENT

Rating (1 to 5):         

5

Suggested Audience:          

WWII aficionados; romance readers; faith based readers

Christian Impact:

Ms. Austin writes of people with strong Judea-Christian faith which strengthens them throughout the tribulations of war.