1. Saving Amelie
    Cathy Gohlke
    Tyndale House / 2014 / Trade Paperback
    Our Price$11.49 Retail Price$15.99 Save 28% ($4.50)
    4.9 out of 5 stars for Saving Amelie. View reviews of this product. 51 Reviews
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    Stock No: WW383224
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  1. bookworm
    Pennsylvania
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Wonderful Read
    July 29, 2014
    bookworm
    Pennsylvania
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Saving Amelie is a thought provoking read and is set during World War 2 in Germany. Rachel Kramer is the daughter of a genetic researcher and takes a trip with him to Germany hoping it will be her last. However, when she receives a letter from her friend, Kristine, things change. Kristine is married to a Nazi officer and is worried that he will hurt their daughter, Amelie who has been born blind since birth. When Rachel hears of Kristines fears for her daughter, she puts her life on the line to research classified files that put her in danger. As she researches, she finds unknown information about her own family and becomes a target of the Nazis. Rachel then seeks help from a journalist who hooks her up with a resistance that is connected to Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Will Rachel be caught by the Nazis? What will happen to Amelie? Is there a future for Rachel and the journalist? I really enjoyed this book because not only was it rich in historical information, but it also speaks about the courage of people during a very hard and evil time in the history of Germany.
  2. Stardust Fiddle
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    And a Child Shall Lead Them
    July 27, 2014
    Stardust Fiddle
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    When good people do nothing

    Germany, 1939: Three very different people find themselves in the midst of the Third Reichs rise, each with their own problems. Rachel Kramer comes to Germany on a business trip with her adoptive father, a United States eugenicist working with Drs. Verschuer and Mengele. She has lived a privileged life among the American and German elite, but soon her idyllic future becomes a nightmare embroiled in the turbulent times. Also in Germany, foreign correspondent Jason Young works to provide the American public with the reality of Hitlers regime while passing censorship. Meanwhile, Lea Hartman and her loving husband Friederich make a frugal living in the small town of Oberammergau, which is renowned for its decennial Passion Play. A womans dying wish changes all of their lives forever, at a time when standing for humanity means defying the SS.

    In the vein of The Sound of Music and Anne Blankmans Prisoner of Night and Fog, Cathy Gohlke beautifully and soberly orchestrates the inventive storyline of Saving Amelie. Told from various third-person points of view, it provides a unique perspective on the World War II narrative. The primary focus is not on Jews but on the overall refugee experience as the novel progresses at an adrenaline-inducing pace with disturbing parallels to modern times. The Christian theme materializes and blossoms in a humble, natural manner, exploring true grace as opposed to cheap grace and the consequences that result when good people do nothing. The fortitude of both the fictional and real characters stands as a testament to the men and women who heroically maintained and discovered Christian discipleship during this dark period in history. Appended to the end of the novel are discussion questions and a note from the author.

  3. Terri Gillespie
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Gohlke's Best . . . So Far
    June 10, 2014
    Terri Gillespie
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Everyone has favorite authors–trusted authors. By trusted authors, I mean writers who do more than create interesting stories that capture my attention–they create stories that capture my heart and challenge me to see areas of my life that could be better. One such author is my friend, Cathy Gohlke.

    Double Christy-Award Winner and bestselling author, Cathy Gohlke just released what I believe to be her best novel to date, Saving Amelie. Set shortly before and during the Holocaust, Saving Amelie is one of the most unique World War II stories I've ever read.

    Saving Amelie is the story of Rachel Kramer. Rachel has become suspicious of her father's genetic research as so much of that research involves her and their regular trips to Germany. Uncomfortable with the invasive tests and the headlines surrounding Germany's aggression, she is more interested in embarking on a new career in the theatre. She decides this will be her last trip. Her plans are to arrive and depart as quickly as possible. And Rachel is accustomed to getting her own way.

    But a cryptic letter from her estranged friend, Kristine, begging Rachel for help, changes everything. Married to SS officer Gerhardt Schlick, Kristine is privy to the more nefarious deeds of the charismatic Adolf Hitler. Her husband's behavior toward her has become increasingly more abusive; his disdain for their daughter, Amelie, deaf since birth, has her putting the pieces of the eugenics puzzle together and coming up with a picture of devastation for her and their beautiful little girl.

    While Rachel knows personally how twisted Schlick is–having dated him and turned down his marriage proposal–she still has a difficult time imagining one of Hitler's officers would do away with his own child.

    Once the reader "arrives" in Germany, Saving Amelie has more twists and intrigues than the underground resistance. Yet, the characters are as vivid and believable as they are memorable. I don't want to share too much as it would spoil the surprise–and you will be surprised.

    Other than the main characters, one of my most favorite characters was Rivka, a young Jewish woman hidden by Rachel and her family. A touching scene that caused more than a few tears for me was when Rivka shared the Passover Seder in the attic. Beautiful.

    Gohlke has never been afraid to "go there" in her books–to delve into the dark areas of humanity's heart. She has thoughtfully tackled slavery in William Henry is a Fine Name and I Saw Him in the Watchfires; mental illness and emotional oppression in Promise Me This; and human trafficking in Band of Sisters. She is able to take the reader to those disturbing places but also demonstrate in her protagonists how one act of sacrifice, one act of kindness, can shine brightly. Those bright moments in the lives of ordinary people can affect change in others–teaching moments to help others choose in their fear, to be brave.

    One reviewer commented that Saving Amelie should be required reading for schools. I would agree. Cathy's attention to historical authenticity is impeccable. Although she deals with graphic subject matter, she does it with sensitivity–still, it's not for the very young reader.

    Well done, Cathy Gohlke. Thank you for being willing to sacrifice many months of research and writing about the depravity of Nazi Germany–and all the emotionally draining places that took you–so that we could learn and be challenged to be ever vigilant to never again allow this to happen.
  4. Rebecca Maney
    Gastonia, North Carolina
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Cathy Gohlke Has Done It Again!
    May 19, 2014
    Rebecca Maney
    Gastonia, North Carolina
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Cathy Gohlke has done it again! She has crafted a beautiful narrative amidst a turbulent time in world history; Nazi Germany during the height of Hitler's arrogance and cruelty; using the backdrop of Oberammergau as her stage."Saving Amelie" is the kind of story that is realistic enough with its traceable facts and actual locations, that one might actually believe that it happened. And fortunately and unfortunately; collectively, it probably did.

    Rachel Kramer, leaving the comforts of New York with her father, the acclaimed geneticist Dr. Rudolph Kramer, never imagined that she was never intended to return. Upon her arrival in Germany, Rachel is reunited with her childhood friend Kristine, who married a previous suitor of Rachel's; a very cruel SS officer Gerhardt Schlick. Kristine confides her deep distress over their daughter, Amelie; who is four years old and deaf. In the name of racial purity, disabled German children were being routinely separated from their families and subsequently disappearing. Kristine frantically implores Rachel to leave Germany immediately and take Amelie with her.

    Jason Young is an American journalist assigned to Berlin; actively following the story of genetic research; insinuating that Germans are murdering many of their own people along with those of Jewish descent. Rachel's father, he believes, is guilty of engineering some of the exact research that has aided many inhumane experiments. When he and Rachel are introduced at a state dinner, their immediate connection launches a spiral of events that has Rachel running from secrets about herself, her father, Gerhardt Schlick; and towards a family that she never knew existed; taking Amelie with her.

    In spite of being separated on and off for months from each other, Jason and Rachel both similarly and dramatically change in this story; from the inside out. As they cross paths with the now renowned theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, they began to understand that their inner courage and selfless love for others is not derived from their own goodness, but from a "costly grace". As Rachel reads the Bible for the first time in her life, she is confronted with person of Jesus, who willingly sacrificed himself for all humankind; and realizes that "all that ran counter to her upbringing - the very idea that the Bible was anything but destructive to human ambition."

    Gohkle's epilogue reinforces that fact that Bonhoeffer was one of very few voices in the Christian Church, who understood completely that Hitler's distorted ideology and cruel anarchy would challenge the Church to worship man, rather than the one true God; and he writes, "The Church has only one pulpit and from that pulpit faith in God will be preached and no other faith, and no other will than the will of God, however well-intentioned." And even more sobering, he states,"Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, that that good men look on and do nothing." And from where we are positioned in history, we know that he was right.

    This is such an outstanding book; Gohlke is a master story-teller and I was privileged to receive an advance copy of this book from the publisher in order to give my honest opinion of the story.
  5. J4Life5
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    Couldn't put it down
    May 9, 2014
    J4Life5
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Rachel Kramer is a young woman resistant to the frequent trips to Germany and physical examinations her father insists that she participate in. She is increasingly concerned over her father's research in genetics and the direction it is taking. When journalist Jason Young and Rachel's friend Kristine, reveal to Rachel the purpose of genetic research in Nazi Germany, Rachel is horrified. Kristine is terrified of what the future holds for her daughter, Amelie, who was born deaf. Will Rachel be able to escape from the Nazis? Will she be able to save Amelie?

    Gohlke's descriptive writing style and engaging characters make all of her novels interesting and easy to read. This one is no different. From the very beginning, I was pulled into the story and hopeful that Amelie would evade the evil machinations of her SS father, despite the incredible odds against her survival. There were so many twists and turns in this novel, I found myself surprised several times.

    What I found most interesting about this book is that it focused on a population targeted for destruction by the Nazis that doesn't get a lot of attention, those who were disabled. It also described the forced sterilization of many people, sometimes without their knowledge. It was obvious Gohlke had done a lot of research when writing the book. For those interested readers, make sure to read the Note to Readers at the end of the book to get more information.

    If you enjoy historical fiction from the WWII era, you will enjoy this book. I think it is a really good book for those who have a heart for children or people who are disabled, even though parts of it are heartbreaking to read. Gohlke does such a great job in her writing that readers can really immerse themselves.

    I received a complimentary copy from Tyndale Publishers in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
Displaying items 16-20 of 51
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