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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Historically beautiful and painful at the same time, April 18, 2010
This book is based around the days of 1943, WWII, a Lutheran Pastor named Steffen, and a Jewish Nurse named Hanne. Set in a time I have never known, other than through books, I found that this particular story at times took my breath away as I put myself in the characters world. Steffen steps outside his comfort zone of "behind the pulpit" and the pages begin to turn...
Is it possible to love and hate a book?
Never a fan of war related stories, this one, held on to me. I had no problem at all staying entirely engrossed in this fictional, historical, Christian read, that brought this horrible war and this incredible love to my home.
There are so many things in this world that I have not lived or experienced, and author Robert Elmer, through a fictitious read about a true war, brought a piece of history to me that I had not really known. I now feel in my heart - that I have a little of that fear, that "hold on to your faith" through everything knowledge, because of this book.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Page Turner That Does More Than Entertains, May 12, 2010
Ever since reading Diary of Anne Frank in sixth grade I have been captivated by World War II and Holocaust literature. A good book is like a double espresso shot, it keeps you up turning page after page. A great book keeps you awake long after, placing yourself in the minds of the characters. Yet a great Christian book is a double espresso shot to your faith: it encourages, convicts, and challenges..giving a fresh jolt of energy. Wildflowers of Terezin takes a blue ribbon in all three categories.
Elmer excels in historical accuracy, creating a book that engages the senses. The reader can nearly smell the stench of the deportation trains, hear the Danes singing the national anthem, feel Bela's forehead as her temperature breaks.
Each character is richly drawn. All too often villians become cardboard caracatures, especially when World War II era Europe is the subject. I love the pointed contrast between brothers Henning and Steffen. Henning repeatedly tells Steffen 'return to your kirke (church)." Henning's character is found in all those who rightly criticize the church as hypocrites when we lack the action to match our talk.
Love demands action. Due to his love for Hanne, Steffen is willing to go to the ultimate lengths even risking his own life for her sake.
What lengths will we go to in order to demonstrate our love for Christ and for those He created? I enjoyed watching Steffen's character evolve from a pastor who preaches through the same notes annually to a man on fire for the Lord.
We live in a time when the Gospel message is becoming watered down by many churches, particularly in this country where we have been blessed with so much abundance. Will each of us stand up and tell the Truth, even if it is offensive to the government? What risks are we willing to take for our faith? Mr. Elmer relentlessly asks us these questions, using the character of Steffen.
Wildflowers of Terezin is a beautiful and lyrical novel that kept me self-reflecting long after I finished the last page. Robert Elmer's book is a must-read and I look forward to his next project.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
History or Fiction, A Great Story, August 9, 2010
Robert Elmer did it again. When I began reading this book I found myself in a story world so real I had to continually remind myself it was fiction. Some would say that is because the story is based on true historical events. And, while there is truth in the statement, only Robert Elmer could make the line between history and fiction eschew this way.
Hanne Abrahamsen is a nurse in Denmark during the fall of 1943. When the Gestapo begins deporting Jews to concentration camps, her chance meeting with Lutheran pastor Steffen Petersen opens a doorway to freedom. Steffen is drawn into the resistance and as he risks his own life to help Hanne and her family, his faith is challenged and strengthened. Can love bloom in the darkness as wildflowers grow in concentration camps?
Readers will be drawn into the story, the history, and wish with all their hearts they could change the way things happened. I highly recommend this book!
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