Saving Amelie by Cathy Gohlke

About the Book:

Genre: Historical

Increasingly wary of her father’s genetic research, Rachel Kramer has determined that this trip with him to Germany—in the summer of 1939—will be her last. But a cryptic letter from her estranged friend, begging Rachel for help, changes everything. Married to SS officer Gerhardt Schlick, Kristine sees the dark tides turning and fears her husband views their daughter, Amelie, deaf since birth, as a blight on his Aryan bloodline.

Once courted by Schlick, Rachel knows he’s as dangerous as the swastikas that hang like ebony spiders from every government building in Berlin. She fears her father’s files may hold answers about Hitler’s plans for others, like Amelie, whom the regime deems “unworthy of life.” She risks searching his classified documents only to uncover shocking secrets about her own history and a family she’s never known.

Now hunted by the SS, Rachel turns to Jason Young—a driven, disarming American journalist and unlikely ally—who connects her to the resistance and to controversial theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Forced into hiding, Rachel’s every ideal is challenged as she and Jason walk a knife’s edge, risking their lives—and asking others to do the same—for those they barely know but come to love.

My Review:

5 Stars

I have read all Cathy Gohlke's books and each one is fantastic and better than the last. When I first heard she was releasing a new book I knew I had to read it. Almost as soon as I got it in the mail I started to devour this powerful and emotional story. Like all of Cathy's books a few tears will be shed and your heart twisted but by the end you are so invested in it that it is worth the good ending.

Saving Amelie is set in WWII era Germany and speaks about Hitlers goal to make a perfect Aryan race. We all know how much he hated the Jews but what gets forgotten is that He also hated anyone that He didn't deem perfect: handicap, deaf, blind, you get the picture. This is such a powerful read that will really make you think and feel for the people and what happened back then. 

This is so not a easy beach read book but one that challenges your brain and twists your emotions. I highly recommend this book to all of Cathy's fans, those who love reading books set in that time frame or someone that is up for an emotional book filled with accurate history and fantastic characters that show the strength they need to survive and fight. Great job Cathy on another fantastic book.

* I received this book through the Tyndale Blog Network for the purpose of this review.