Friday, November 1, 2013

Snow on the Tulips By Liz Tolsma and Giveaway!

I received this book from Litfuse Publicity for no charge in exchange for my honest opinion of this book. The opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone.


Book Description: 


The war is drawing to a close, but the Nazis still occupy part of the Netherlands. After the losses she’s endured, war widow Cornelia is only a shadow of the woman she once was. She fights now to protect her younger brother, Johan, who lives in hiding.
When Johan brings Gerrit Laninga, a wounded Dutch Resistance member, to Cornelia’s doorstep, their  lives are forever altered. Although scared of the consequences of harboring a wanted man, Cornelia’s faith won’t let her turn him out. 
As she nurses Gerrit back to health, she is drawn to his fierce passion and ideals, and notices a shift within herself. Gerrit’s intensity challenges her, making her want to live fully, despite the fear that constrains her. When the opportunity to join him in the Resistance presents itself, Cornelia must summon every ounce of courage imaginable.
She is as terrified of loving Gerrit as she is of losing him. But as the winter landscape thaws, so too does her heart. Will she get a second chance at true love? She fears their story will end before it even begins.


My Thoughts:

Liz Tolsma is a new to me author and has become one of my favorites. Snow on the Tulips is a novel that looks at the war and German occupation in the Netherlands in 1945.  This novel is about Cornelia de Vries, a young widow who lost her husband less that a day after they were married. Cornelia spends her time keeping her brother, Johan,  safe from The Nazi's. She takes care of him and hides him when the Nazi's come to look for men that are hidden.  Cornelia witnesses the executions of some men brought to the river by her home to die.  Later that evening Johan heads to where these men were killed to cover one of them to show his resistance to the Nazis and the war. Johan finds Gerrit Laninga, one of the men to be executed. His executioner spared his life by shooting him in the shoulder rather than the head. Johan brings the injured man to their home for Cornelia to care for. Though scared, Cornelia does what she can to take care of Gerrit Laninga. Gerrit Laninga is a Dutch Resistance member who is aching to get back to his work.  As they spend time together Cornelia and Gerrit become close and feelings that neither one of them thought they would ever have again, begin. 


This novel is a wonderful story. Liz Tolsma gives a voice to the Dutch affected by the war. As a huge fan of historical fiction I was drawn to this novel from the description. As I began to read, I could NOT put it down. I found myself disappointed when it was time to go to sleep. This novel gives a candid view of the war and how it affected everyone involved. Liz Tolsma writes with authority about The Netherlands, the living conditions of the residents, and the war itself.  Even though this novel is fiction, there are many facts given in this novel.  The characters of this novel are amazing and to follow them through their tragedies and celebrations is a real experience. I felt like I was there watching the events unfold. I truly enjoyed this novel and HIGHLY recommend this novel to those readers of Historical Christian Fiction, you will not be disappointed. I cannot wait for Liz Tolsma's next novel coming out in 2014. 


Please check out below the giveaway Liz is having on her website!!


Liz Tolsma is celebrating the release of her novel, Snow on the Tulipsby giving away an Amazon Reading Pack to one lucky winner. Find out what readers are saying about the book here.

snowtulips-rafflecopter

  One winner will receive:
  • A $50 Amazon gift card
  • Snow on the Tulips by Liz Tolsma
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on November 16th. Winner will be announced November 18th at Liz's blog.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by Liz's blog on the 18th to see if you won. (Or, better yet, subscribe to her blog and have the winner announcement delivered to your inbox! Just enter your email address on the left sidebar of her blog.)

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