Customer Reviews

The Heart Mender: A Story of Second Chances

5 star:		(134)
4 star:		(48)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Who can resist little know facts about submarine activity off the coast of the United States coupled with a love story? I thought I knew a great deal about World War II. Much to my surprise the submarine activity along the Southern states and the Gulf of Mexico was extensive. The facts in the book are amazing. Can you believe that German sailors were mingling with movie goers in New Orleans? The background in this book was exceptionally interesting.

But the war history wasn't the best part. A damaged young woman and an equally damaged enemy sailor find love, turn their lives around, and surprisingly, live happily ever after. But the romance isn't sticky sweet. It portrays the need for forgiveness and has an aspect that makes the best thrillers sell like hotcakes. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't recommend it highly enough for an educational and inspirational read!
The Heart Mender: A Story of Second Chances

The Heart Mender: A Story of Second Chances was one of the best books I've ever read. From the very first page, I was absorbed in the fascinating story and barely able to put down the book. Andy Andrews masterfully weaves the historical tale of love, intrigue, and forgiveness.

While cutting down a tree on his property, Mr. Andrews discovers an old can that contains eight antique buttons, three photographs, a ring, and a medal. His quest to discover the origin of these items uncovers little-known World War II history as well as a story of the many kinds of love, including the forgiveness that one can only learn from knowing and loving God.

During World War II, German U-boats patrolled the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, sinking ships and intercepting Allied supplies. Far from their homeland, the German submariners obtained food and fuel from money-hungry American traitors and, sometimes, even came ashore to see movies. One submariner, wounded by a member of his own crew, washed ashore and was found by an angry young woman whose husband had already been killed in the war. The unlikely friendship between these two people leads them both to forgiveness and healing through faith in God.

Mr. Andrews provided a helpful Reader's Guide to spur group discussion or invite further self-reflection on concepts such as symbolic imagery, the nature of decisions, the idea that "No Man is an Island", the course of civilizations, and the power of forgiveness. Lastly, the author provided a "Where Are They Now" summary at the very end of the volume.

This book is an excellent transition for mystery or historical fiction readers who are ready to take a step toward reading for self-improvement and personal growth. One cannot read this book and be unchanged. Much like faith itself, it requires a decision and action. In this case, one is confronted with the following questions that demand a response: What does it mean to be a Christian? Who do I need to forgive? What people has God placed in my path for me to mentor and love? And, finally, what legacy do I want to leave behind?

The Heart Mender by Andy Andrews is a very heartwarming book, yet not without suspense and history intertwined throughout it's pages. It starts off from the perspective of an author who uncovers some surprising items in his backyard, and from there weaves a beautiful story about war, love, and forgiveness.

I personally love historical fiction, especially when there is a bit of romance involved, so The Heart Mender was a very enjoyable novel for me to read. Romance was not the main theme of the book though, just an offset of it. The main theme of the book was about forgiveness in times of hardship and fear. It was split into three parts, yet each part flowed to the next, so it was an easy book to read and take pleasure in. In fact, I finished it within a few days of starting it because the story was very captivating to me

The historical part of the book followed events occurring during WWII when German submarines attacked U.S. vessels off the Gulf of Mexico. I had never heard of these events before (which are true!) so I was very interested in the background, the storyline, and what would happen next.

If you love a good heartfelt story and the chance to learn a bit of history in the process, I would highly recommend this novel.

Andy Andrews is a master at telling stories that weave principles into the narrative. His latest book, The Heart Mender: A Story of Second Chances, is no different. He takes a true story that he experienced, and shows how anger can destroy a life and how forgiveness can set that life free.

Andrews discovered a buried "treasure" while trying to remove a tree from his property. It was a can that contained a family picture, some buttons, a ring, and a medal that traced back to the German submarine corps from World War II. Given that this was found on the Gulf coast in Alabama, it did present a real mystery as to how it got there. He starts to talk with some of the older people in the community, those who would have been around during the war. What he learns is a surprise to him. The Germans were active in the Gulf with their U-Boats, sinking cargo ships to disrupt the American war effort. But much of this was hushed up by the government to prevent a loss of morale by those at home. This explains how a submariner might have been present in Alabama, but what was the story behind the picture? Andrews finally finds a couple that remember certain incidents at the time, and they tell him a tale of lost love and hate. But through forgiveness and understanding, hate is soon replaced by love and freedom from a self-imposed prison.

Even if you aren't interested in the principle angle of the book, the story is still fascinating. The first question that almost everyone asks him (and it would have been my primary question also) is "this is true?" He explains it as "yes, for the most part." Before you start to think it's fabricated, it's not. It's just that he's changed locations and names as the primary players are still alive. The experiences and general events *did* happen, and it's due to forgiveness that all things worked out as they did.

The Heart Mender is an excellent read, both for the example of how forgiveness can heal, and for the story of survival during war time in an unfamiliar country.

Disclosure:
Obtained From: Publisher
Payment: Free

I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves history and unforgettable stories!! I read this book in two days and hated to put it down.

Based on a true story, Andy Andrews weaves a tale of healing, hope and forgiveness set in World War II America.
Helen Mason is angry at everyone and everything. After losing her young husband to the war, Helen is bitter. Moving away from everything, she finds shelter in Coastal Alabama. Lt. Josef Landermann served on a German U-boat that was patrolling the Gulf of Mexico. Betrayed, shot and left for dead, he washes ashore where Helen finds him. Both struggle with how life treated them and their current (and dangerous) circumstances. Together they find that forgiveness and letting go of the past brings healing: physically, mentally, and spiritually.

The Heart-Mender is the story of two people who have been destroyed by harsh events in their lives. Bitterness, anger and despair are coming easily to both characters. Then another horrific accident brings the two characters together and they together must learn the practice and power of forgiveness.

If this sounds like a romance novel to you and that makes as nervous and as ready to bolt as a man accidently wandering into the feminine hygiene aisle then you feel like I did when this book arrived in my mail box. But I had made a committment to Thomas Nelson to review the book so I read it.

What I discovered was a real pleasure to read. Mr. Andrews has a gripping writing style, without a ton of action I was still riveted and had to know what happened to these two characters. I also felt like Andrews was able to make his characters very real, like people you might actually know.

The theme of the book was finding forgiveness in the midst of real despair inducing hardships. The book is not only easy to read but does a powerful job of explaining forgiveness and showing its power to heal.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

I hesitate to write too much of a summary of this book, I had read the summary that came with the book, and the info on the screen when I ordered the book and feel I knew too much of the story before reading. This book has a great story, message and impact if you just pick it up and read it without all the hype.

I will tell you most of the book takes place in 1942 during World War II, set in warm waters and white sands of the Gulf of Mexico. It is truly a story of second chances and forgiveness.

Andy Andrews is a wonderful storyteller, he first wrote and released this book under a different title several years ago that hardly made shelves in any bookstore. He is now releasing it under this new title with a great publisher and some big fans from his other works, with the hopes of getting his story read by the masses. He tells us on the first few pages that this story for the most part is true, the names and places have been changed because the people in this story do exist. If you are a history buff you may enjoy this book, if you like romance you may like this book, but if you love a good story you will love this book.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their [...] book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

When I first began reading Andy Andrew's The Heart Mender, I was honestly worried that I wouldn't like it. The story got off to a bit of a puzzling start, but as the pieces of the mystery fell into place, I found myself digging deeper into the book, curious to find out more about what seems to be a very true love story between a WWII "Nazi" and the American waitress who finds his battered body on the shoreline.

Helen has just lost her husband to the war and finds herself in a lonely pit of anger and despair. When taking a late night walk, she stumbles upon a German soldier's body lying on the shore, and her first instincts are to leave him to die. Yet when this man whom she assumes is a heartless Nazi, quickly demonstrates his kind spirit, Helen undergoes an enormous risk by lugging the wounded soldier back to her sea-side cottage and nurses whom she thought was her enemy, back to health.

With enough romance and action to satisfy an array of readers, The Heart Mender is a story of love and second chances. The account of one woman's need to forgive and a displaced soldier who has no where else to turn, The Heart Mender is a reminder that a person's true colors do not decorate any uniform, but exist within the heart.

I will be giving away a free copy on my blog: [...].

I was completely blown away by this book. I love historical fiction and this book was amazing. The story is about a woman who lost her husband in WW2 but she hasn't lost all hope yet. She is still determined to find him. As she walks the beach, she finds a man washed up on it but once she brings him to her house, she finds out he is German. It is a wonderful story about forgiveness, and survival. I loved it immensely! 5 stars!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Sadly, the YouTube clip is better than the book (search Andy Andrews The Heart Mender for a fascinating video overview of this book by the author).

The story is incredible.

The writing is not.

If you don't mind preachy interludes and awkward transitions from first person to third person narration and back, then reading this book will be worth your time.

I found the beginning of Part Three thrilling, as the author connects his personal, almost diary-like account at the beginning of this book to the bulk of the story set during WWII.

But after watching the video, I didn't feel like reading the book provided much extra insight into the era.

Who knew that German submarines invaded US waters in the 1940s? This was news to me!

Full disclosure: Thomas Nelson provided me with a free review copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.