Literally couldn't put this book down. So vivid and well researched. Passionately written and intrinsically beautiful. Characters are well-written with excellent development over the course of the book. Story was gripping and intense, while still providing a satisfying ending. I would recommend this to lovers of WWII fiction and historical fiction. ( )

Both man’s inhumanity and man’s compassion is revealed in Liz Tolsma’s latest novel set in WWII Europe, The Melody of The Soul. In this first novel in the Music of Hope series, Tolsma’s characters attempt to survive the soul-crushing cruelty of the Nazi regime in Prague and Terezin. This novel is a moving account that I just could not put down. Highly recommended.

Violinist Anna Zadok loves her family, Prague, and music. All three have been integral parts of her life for as long as she can remember. But with the occupation of the Nazi’s she loses one after the other as the Final Solution decimates the Jewish population of the city. Faced with either boarding a transport train or trusting a Nazi officer, Anna and her grandmother take a risk that God is really protecting them.

I loved the historical details that Tolsma effortlessly wove throughout The Melody of The Soul. The beauty and cultural richness of Prague is contrasted with the desperate conditions of the transition center the Nazi’s called Theresienstadt. She somehow portrays the horrible conditions of Terezin and the depraved actions of the Nazi occupiers without being too graphic. But the story still makes the heart break for all those lost in the Holocaust. The characters are very complex. Anna and Nazi officer Horst Engel struggle with their place in the drama that is unfolding around them, as well as what God is doing in their lives. Resistance fighters Particie and Georg place others above themselves. And the villain of the story, Stephan Jaeger, is a man of contrasts. Despite the hopelessness of many of the characters’ situations, they find themselves depending more and more on God and finding that He can indeed be trusted.

Music plays a major role in the characters’ lives. Anna’s brother David finds himself performing during his stay in Terezin. This is what it did for him — And then the music enveloped him, carried him far from this place. He sailed above Terezin’s confines, peering down on this miserable lot. He soared above green fields, majestic mountains of blue, shimmering turquoise oceans. Away, far away from the misery of his soul. The terrible ache in his heart over the loss of his parents, of his family faded. But music can only take you so far — only God can bring real salvation.

The Melody of The Soul displayed the human experience at its worst — grief, despair, fear and impotence, and at its best — sacrifice, faith, and perseverance in trial. While not always an easy read — there are many scenes I wished I could have looked away from — it is definitely a beautifully written and thought-provoking one.

Highly Recommended.

Audience: adults.

(Thanks to Litfuse and Gilead Publishing for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) ( )

Music crosses racial, ethnic, and cultural lines. It soothes the soul. It tells a timeless story. In "The Melody of the Soul" by Liz Tolsma, music becomes the lifeline for Jewish Christian Anna Zadok and her grandmother and Nazi officer Horst Engel during WWII. Anna's family is deported from Prague, leaving her to take care of her grandmother. But soon after her family's deportation a Nazi officer moves into the ground floor apartment making Anna's life more tension filled and fearful. Her only solace is playing her violin which the Nazi Regime has declared illegal. But Anna continues to play. Officer Horst hears Anna playing, the music penetrating his soul, his psyche. When it comes time for Anna and her grandmother to be deported, Horst risks everything to save them. The story is quite moving, tears will fall for the cruelty to mankind and as one cheers for this displaced group to out-smart the Nazis. I received a complementary copy of this book from Litfuse and was under no obligation to post a review. ( )

I am so emotionally drained after reading this book, that I don’t think I will ever be the same again. The atrocities that the Jewish people endured was so hurtful I cried throughout the book. The book draws readers in with details that only an author that has done extensive research could write. Her words flow with emotion across the pages. I am so upset after reading this book because the thought of people bring hunted down and murdered because of their ethnicity is barbaric. It’s part of our history that can never be erased and I’m ashamed that it happened to innocent people.

The author gives us a few characters that we follow as they go through the horrors of hiding and at times some being found. Can you imagine having to hide in a little crevice hoping you would not be discovered? Anna is a wonderful character who relies on the music from her violin and God to help ease her fear and desperation. I could hear her music quietly play as hope enveloped her. Her desire to keep her family safe was so emotional, I wanted to help her hide and hug her at the same time.

It is hard to allow your heart to trust during this difficult time. I often questioned if Anna was making a wise choice when she begins to trust a German soldier. Will the soldier keep Anna and her grandmother safe? I loved how the author used certain characters to illustrate the passage in the Bible about “laying your life down for a friend.” Those lives were sacrificed so others would be safe. Would you be able to give your life to save another? This has to be one of the most powerful, realistic book I’ve ever read about the unfair treatment of Jews. The author captured the truth of an historical event and wrote a story that we must never forget.

“No one should be hunted because of the blood that flows in their veins. We’re all created in God’s image.”

I received a copy of this book from Litfuse. The review is my own opinion. ( )

Title: The Melody of the Soul (Music of Hope Series #1)
Author: Liz Tolsma
Pages: 315
Year: 2018
Publisher: Gilead Publishing
My rating is 5 out of 5 stars.
The story is set in Czechoslovakia during WWII. The lead female character is Anna Zadok, a young woman in her mid-twenties who is a violinist. She was studying to become a concert violinist when the Germans invaded her country and forbade all Jews from owning musical instruments. She, her grandmother, mother, father and two sisters live in a small apartment. They have watched as their neighbors and friends have received their deportation notices, which will send them to the prison camp of Terezin, some have been dragged from their homes for failure to report with their notices and some have even been shot by the German soldiers who are occupying their city. Anna and her family are strong Christians of Jewish blood, so they are labeled as Jews. Anna’s parents and two younger sisters receive their deportation notices. Anna begs to go with them, so they can stay together. Her parents, however, ask her to stay behind and care for her grandmother. Anna reluctantly agrees, wondering if she will ever see her family again.
A German officer, Horst Engel, commandeers the apartment below Anna by having the prior Jewish occupants evicted and put on deportation trucks. Anna has been sneaking playing her violin for short periods, even though this is forbidden. She continues to do so and the soldier confronts her. She fears for her life, but it turns out that he likes her music and is an aficionado of the symphony. He asks her and her grandmother to come to his apartment so she can play for him. He works to preserve and repair the architecture of Prague as part of his service to the German Army.
What follows this is a harrowing tale of attempting to survive the war as well as the German soldiers out for Jewish blood. There is a resistance group that gives aide at times, but there are visits to Terezin that are heart-breaking too. Anna has a wonderful Christian role model in her grandmother. Horst also begins to remember the lessons his own mother, a devout Christian, taught him years ago. However, his father is a devoted follower of Hitler and has high expectations for his son’s military career. Horst is caught in a difficult situation that is fraught with deadly consequences. This was a great story that I couldn’t put down! I had to see how it ended. There was sadness in the story, but overriding everything was hope in the One who is in control.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” ( )