Two Crosses: A Novel (Secrets of the Cross Trilogy) [Kindle Edition]

Elizabeth Musser (Author)

Book Description

The glimmering Huguenot cross she innocently wears leads her deep into the shadows.

 

When Gabriella Madison arrives in France in 1961 to continue her university studies, she doesn’t anticipate being drawn into the secretive world behind the Algerian war for independence from France. The further she delves into the war efforts, the more her faith is challenged.

 

The people who surround her bring a whirlwind of transforming forces—a wise nun involved in the smuggling, a little girl carrying secret information, and a man with unknown loyalties who captures her heart. When she discovers a long hidden secret from her past, it all leads to questions about trust, faith in action, and the power of forgiveness to move beyond the pain of the past.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“One intriguing era in France’s history, one unforgettable cast of characters, and one of the best writers in the CBA today all add up to one incredible read!”
— Ann Tatlock, award-winning author of Promises to Keep

About the Author

Elizabeth Musser, a Georgia native, lives in Lyon, France, where she and her husband serve as missionaries. She has authored acclaimed novels including The Dwelling Place and The Swan House ,which was named one of Amazon’s Top Christian Books of the Year and one of Georgia’s Top Ten Novels of the Past 100 Years.

Product Details

• File Size: 1161 KB
• Print Length: 464 pages
• Publisher: David C. Cook; 2 edition (June 1, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B007ZH6ZM8
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #117,346 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Modern Historical Novel July 10, 2012

By Iola

Format:Paperback

It is September 1961, and Gabriella Madison is on a one year Franco-American exchange programme in Castelnau, near Montpelier in France. The programme is headed by Mother Griolet, who Gabrielle herself has met before, as a child of six, even though the nun does not mention the fact. This gives us an early sense of hidden secrets and unsolved mysteries. And Mother Griolet is not the only one with secrets. It appears that the handsome young professor, David Hoffman, has some of his own, and these are about to involve Gabriella.

David invites Gabrielle out socially (obviously student-teacher relationships are not an issue), and she begins to fall for him despite the fact that she is a strong Christian, the daughter of American missionaries in West Africa, and he is a half-Jewish atheist. Ophélie is the six-year-old daughter of Anne-Marie Duchemin, a pied noir, a French woman born and raised in Algeria. Anne-Marie is missing, and Ophélie finds herself in Castelnau, in the orphanage run by Mother Griolet. Like Gabrielle, Ophélie wears a Huguenot cross necklace, but doesn't understand its' significance.

The background to Two Crosses is the Algerian war for independence from the French. The early chapters therefore have quite a bit of explanation of the historical context, which some readers might find slow or off-putting. Personally, I have always enjoyed history, and one of my personal bugbears is authors who set novels in a particular time and place but get the facts wrong. So while there was quite a bit of information in the opening chapters, I liked the fact that the author knew the time and the area. The story is very well plotted, and the disparate strands come together as the story progresses. I particularly liked the character of Mother Griolet, the wise old nun who provides Gabrielle and others with practical and spiritual guidance.

Two Crosses is not a light read, nor an easy read. But it is a worthwhile read. While telling a story about the recent past, the stories of the Huguenots' reflect on the more distant past, and encourage the reader to think of the present and the future. As the old saying goes, those who do not learn the lessons of the past are doomed to repeat them. Well worth reading, particularly for those who enjoy solid historical fiction.

Thanks to David C Cook Publishing and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Good read, but not an easy read September 8, 2012

By Debbie TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

"Two Crosses" is a Christian historical romance/suspense novel. The story was set in 1961 in France and Algeria. The vivid historical and setting details immersed me in the story. Many of the scenes were of characters in a terrorist-attacked area, so people died (including women and children), people were tortured, etc. This was more mentioned than described, and any descriptions were short and not very graphic. Still, since I wasn't sure that main characters wouldn't be killed off at any moment, it was somewhat difficult to read as I didn't want them to get hurt.

The story maintained a high level of suspense from start to finish. The suspense was created mainly by physical danger to the characters, but also from relationship tensions. The characters reacted realistically to their situations and were well-developed (though sometimes I wasn't sure about why they were acting that way), and I did want the "good guys" to survive and succeed.

Some French words were used, but you could either tell what they meant by the context or the translation was worked into the text. The characters talked frequently about trusting God and why God lets bad things happen. This was woven into the story in a natural way, and it didn't come across as lecturing to the reader or other characters.

There were no graphic sex scenes. There was a minor amount of "he cursed" style of bad language. The novel ended with everyone out of immediate danger and the story threads resolved, but with a major character headed off into danger. Overall, I'd recommend this suspenseful novel.

I received an ebook review copy of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Loved it! August 28, 2012

By sds

Format:Paperback

I've now read this book twice. The first time was several years ago. I was ashamed to admit that reading this was one of my first exposures to the Algerian wars. One reason I love Elizabeth musser is for her historical fiction told so delightfully through lovable and detestable characters. I loved it even more the second time I read it knowing I would be able to complete the series now that the third will finally be printed in English in September. I would definitely recommend it!!
It is a mix of a love story and the many harsh realities of war.