Wednesday, July 21, 2010

The Gathering Storm by Bodie and Brock Thoene



Description from Goodreads:

As Nazi forces tighten the noose, Loralei must flee
her beloved Germany. But is anywhere safe from Adolf
Hitler's evil grasp?

When her father, a German opposition leader, is
imprisoned by the Nazis, Loralei is forced into hiding and
then on a harrowing flight that will eventually lead her to
London. In the midst of grief and deep losses of her own,
Loralei finds meaning in helping the overwhelming flood
of refugees, including thousands of children, who escaped
Hitler's reach and made their way to freedom, yet sacrificed
everything in exchange for their lives.
While in London, Loralei meets a friend of her father's
from her pre-war life in Germany. . .and falls deeply,
passionately in love. Yet he's a man she can never marry - a mysterious figure who closely guards an age-old secret.

As air-raid sirens now wail over blacked-out London and
Luftwaffe fighters fill the British skies, Loralei looks for a
new reason to live in hope, even amidst the debris of so
much brokenness
.


My review:

I am a long time fan of Brock and Bodie Thoene's WWII fiction. I first read the Zion Covenant series and Zion Chronicles series over 15 years ago. I must admit I almost screamed with joy when I found there was to be a series bridging the two earlier series. I also screamed (on the inside) when I found The Gathering Storm at Barnes and Noble on Friday.

In true Thoene fashion, The Gathering Storm begins with a modern day prologue. However, unlike the earlier books, this one is written in first person from the point of view of the heroine, Loralei Bittick. She is the daughter of an Austrian pastor and his Texas born wife. The story begins in Brussels just as the phony war is ending with the Nazi invasion of the neutral countries. The story follows Loralei's escape from the continent to London. In London, Loralei runs into Eben Golah, who she knew in pre-war Europe. Eben is quite a fascinating character. If I say more, I feel I might be in danger of spoiling the book.

At the end of The Gathering Storm, readers will find short descriptions of upcoming books in the Zion Diaries series. These two books will reintroduce characters from the Zion Covenant and Zion Chronicles. I look forward to reading these new books as well.

4 comments:

Kav said...

Wow, this sounds really good. I'm embarrassed to say I've never read any of Brock and Bodie Thoene's books...ack...never even heard of them. That's it, I need to retire and read full time...only since I haven't collected enough of a pension yet I'll starve to death and that will defeat my quest to read every Christian fiction book written! Such a dilemma!

Is this book related to the other two series you mentioned? Does it stand alone or should I read the Zion series first?

Michelle said...

LOL, I totally understand. I wish I could read full time too. But as you said, I'd starve.

I think this one could be read alone, but I also think it's a much deeper read if you've read the first series.

The Zion Covenant series would be the one you would need to read first, if you wish. There are 9(!) books in that series. It's an excellent series though, has a permanent place on my keeper shelf.

The Zion Chronicles series is the second one, and it covers the founding of Israel. Definitely do not read it until you've read the Zion Covenant series, some characters from the Zion Covenant series reappear.

Kav said...

Thanks, Michelle, I just checked and my library has all of them!!!! I am so excited...but I definitely need another day in my week.

Michelle said...

LOL! Just one more day in the week, Kav? Let me know when you're reading them. I want to know what you think. I believe you'll love them though.