The Gathering Storm (Zion Diaries) [Paperback]

Bodie and Brock Thoene (Author)

Book Description

Series: Zion Diaries | Publication Date: August 1, 2010

As Nazi forces tighten the noose, Loralei Kepler, daughter of a German resistance leader, must flee her beloved Germany. But is any place safe from Adolf Hitler's evil grasp? Loralei's harrowing flight leads her into the arms of needy child refugees, who have sacrificed everything in exchange for their lives, and toward a mysterious figure, who closely guards an age-old secret.

Explore the romance, the passion, and the danger of the most anticipated series of the last twenty years.

Born from the highly acclaimed and best-loved novels of three generations of readers -- The Zion Covenant series and The Zion Chronicles series -- Zion Diaries ventures into the lives of the inspiring and intriguing characters who loved intensely, stood up for what was right, and fought boldly during Hitler's rise to power and the dark days of World War II.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Bodie and Brock Thoene (pronounced Tay-nee) have written over 50 works of historical fiction. These best
sellers have sold more than 20 million copies and won eight ECPA Gold Medallion Awards. In their timeless classic series
about Israel (The Zion Chronicles, The Zion Covenant, and The Zion Legacy), the Thoenes love for both story and
research shines. In 2008, their book Vienna Prelude, was a finalist in two categories for the Audie audiobook award.
Prague Counterpoint was the 2009 Audie Award winner for Most Inspirational Audiobook of the Year.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Summerside Press (August 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1609360338
• ISBN-13: 978-1609360337
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #240,084 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoenes do it again with "The Gathering Storm.", July 20, 2010

By 

chpayne - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Gathering Storm (Zion Diaries) (Paperback)

After reading "The Lord of the Rings" author C.S. Lewis wrote that, "...here are beauties which pierce like swords or burn like cold iron; here is a book that will break your heart." I cannot think of a more apt phrase to describe this book. The Thoenes' have continued the legacy started with their "Zion Covenant," "Zion Chronicles," and "A.D. Chronicles" of masterfully crafting stories of a world engulfed in darkness as evil forces marshal. In these dark times, pinpricks of brilliant light shine through the hearts of the followers of Jesus. This book is part of a new series called "Zion Diaries." It bridges the gap between the "Zion Covenant" and the "Zion Chronicles" through the horror of the Second World War. This book is different from all the others they have written. This is not a story of brave men and women standing on the front lines, or as statesmen and newspapermen sounding the alarm to a deaf world. This is a story of an ordinary, righteous young woman named Loralei as she struggles to be a beacon of light to those surrounding her who have been absolutely devastated by evil, and how she bravely faces the loss of her family...and falls in love again. The Thoenes have perfectly captured the bleakness and absolute horror surrounding those fleeing Hitler's advancing army and the Londoners living through the Blitz. For the reader, evil becomes palpable and smothering-there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel. It is here that the stunning beauty of Loralei's life and her faith shine through. Her example stands in stark contrast to her surroundings, and the reader begins to see the value of even the smallest of good deeds-and their eternal impact. Through this experience (and believe me, reading this book is an experience) the reader begins to get a glimpse of how Jesus views acts of kindness and mercy. I absolutely recommend this book.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful story!, August 11, 2010

By 

Michelle Sutton (Arizona) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Gathering Storm (Zion Diaries) (Paperback)

Back in 1990 I first discovered a genre called Christian fiction. The very first Christian novel I'd ever read was Vienna Prelude by Brock and Bodie Thoene. The story was excellent. From that point on I was hooked, and it was then that I discovered an affection for historical fiction, especially set during the devastation of WWII Europe. The characters in their books faced uncertain peril, but trusted in a powerful and loving God to save them. Since that time I have read at least 30 of their books up through 2005, but then stopped when the number of available Christian novels exploded to the point I had too many choices and couldn't keep up. It wasn't until this year that I started reading again stories they've written together.


On an emotional level, this story blew me away. At first I'd thought it would be good like some of the others. Engaging and interesting; maybe even a bit heart-rending. This book was so much more. It had passion in it that I don't recall from earlier books. My heart was hurting and I even cried a few times. I read those intense scenes over again...and cried a second time. My heart was totally engaged in the story and invested in this characters' lives. I didn't want it to end.


Yet while the ending was painful--agonizing even--it resolved in an awesome way. But then it changed again. While the second ending was obviously improbable, I still found it more than satisfying. I was willing to suspend disbelief because I wanted to believe the resolution even though it was impossible. I wanted to believe that if you gave up the one thing your heart loved most in this world, that God would restore that to you eventually if you were obedient and followed through with releasing your most beloved person to Him. I wanted to believe that such a passionate and sacrificing love could live forever.


I highly recommend this story for WWII buffs. If you like the supernatural, that's even better. This story is full of action and terror, war and misery, but more than that, it is chocked full of love demonstrated between neighbors, self-sacrifice, and a pure devotion to helping the helpless. I felt so inspired by the character's lives and their faith it left me breathless. I often forgot they weren't real people. I found Eben's revelation about his past incredible and even wondered if it were possible. With God, anything is possible. While the story behind his life is too incredible to be real, it still felt real to me. That is an example of fantastic storytelling. As a result, this book is making my favorites list of 2010 and is staying on my keeper shelf. I absolutely loved it!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the Gathering Storm, February 16, 2011

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gathering Storm (Zion Diaries) (Kindle Edition)

I am a huge fan of the Thoene's and this book does not disappoint. The characters are compelling and honorable. The story is beautifully written. I couldn't put it down!