Memories of Glass by Melanie Dobson is a time-slip novel set in 1942 Holland. I picked this one up to read because I was taking time off from social media reading. It was a better choice and one I think I’ll do more of. It’s always nice to read the entire story rather than fragments of thoughts on social media. 🙂 No worries, I’ll still show up there, just not ALL THE TIME.
Back to this book. First let me say that I loved Dobson’s writing so much that I went on to read a lot of her books, even though time-slip novels are not my favorite kind of read.
Memories of Glass is the story of Jose van Rees and Eliese Linden, childhood friends whose lives were upended by the war. While this is a tough story to read—families torn apart and sent to camps, children taken from their parents—all awful. Yet, Dobson was able to write this in a way that it was tolerable to read and absorb.
Josie becomes a nursery worker and Eliese, hoping to save her own family, becomes a register, keeping track of where Jewish families are taken. The courage these two women show throughout the story is to be celebrated.
The time-slip comes with the introduction of Ava. That took me a while to figure out the connection, but once I did it was a wild ride to redemption and justice.
There are some emotional parts to this book which one should expect when reading about this war. So if you only like to read happy books this might not be for you. Or if you are triggered by Holocaust stories, stay away from this one.
IF not… then pick this one up to read. Knowing the history of such events can only enrich your life and your beliefs, along with making you question what would you do? https://amzn.to/3bI9m27
Reminiscent of Diane Ackerman’s The Zookeeper’s Wife, this stunning novel draws from true accounts to shine a light on a period of Holland’s darkest history and bravest heroes.
1942. As war rips through the heart of Holland, childhood friends Josie van Rees and Eliese Linden partner with a few daring citizens to rescue Eliese’s son and hundreds of other Jewish children who await deportation in a converted theater in Amsterdam. But amid their resistance work, Josie and Eliese’s dangerous secrets could derail their friendship and their entire mission. When the enemy finds these women, only one will escape.
Seventy-five years later, Ava Drake begins to suspect that her great-grandfather William Kingston was not the World War II hero he claimed to be. Her work as director of the prestigious Kingston Family Foundation leads her to Landon West’s Ugandan coffee plantation, and Ava and Landon soon discover a connection between their families. As Landon’s great-grandmother shares the broken pieces of her story, Ava must confront the greatest loss in her own life—and powerful members of the Kingston family who will do anything to keep the truth buried.
Illuminating the story and strength of these women, award-winning author Melanie Dobson transports readers through time and place, from World War II Holland to contemporary Uganda, in this rich and inspiring novel.
READ IT NOW!
