By Kelly Bridgewater
About the Book:
Book: The Medallion
Author: Cathy Gohlke
Genre: Clean Historical Fiction
Release Date: June 4, 2019
For fans of bestselling World War II
fiction like Sarah’s Key and The Nightingale comes an
illuminating tale of courage, sacrifice, and survival, about two couples whose
lives are ravaged by Hitler’s mad war yet eventually redeemed through the fate
of one little girl.
Seemingly overnight, the German blitzkrieg of Warsaw in 1939 turns its streets
to a war zone and shatters the life of each citizen—Polish, Jewish, or
otherwise. Sophie Kumiega, a British bride working in the city’s library,
awaits news of her husband, Janek, recently deployed with the Polish Air Force.
Though Sophie is determined that she and the baby in her womb will stay safe,
the days ahead will draw her into the plight of those around her, compelling
her to help, whatever the danger.
Rosa and Itzhak Dunovich never imagined they would welcome their longed-for
first child in the Jewish ghetto, or that they would let anything tear their
family apart. But as daily atrocities intensify, Rosa soon faces a terrifying
reality: to save their daughter’s life, she must send her into hiding. Her only
hope of finding her after the war—if any of them survive—is a medallion she
cuts in half and places around her neck.
Inspired by true events of Poland’s darkest days and brightest heroes, The
Medallion paints a stunning portrait of war and its aftermath, daring us to
believe that when all seems lost, God can make a way forward.
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| From Goodreads |
My Thoughts:
Cathy Gohlke does a fabulous job at creating stories that
tug at the heart. My favorite novel of hers is
Secrets She Kept. I keep recommending it to tons of people. Even
you. As for
The Medallion, first, I
LOVE the cover. So pretty and mystical all in the same page. As for the plot,
Gohlke does a fabulous job at creating and showing the horrors of World War II,
but this time in Poland. I have heard of these mass graves where they lined the
Jews up and shot them all, but Gohlke took a different twist and made it super
personal. My heart ached as I watched one of the characters find his mother,
wife, and three sisters. The plot is moving and heartbreaking all at the same
time. The characters are brave, heroic, and wonderful to watch as they struggle
to feed their family. They all do whatever it takes to survive. Overall,
The Medallion is a well-crafted story of
Poland during World War II with the heart of what makes a family. Fans of
Gohlke's other works, Sarah Sundin, or Melanie Dobson might enjoy this novel
too. I can't wait to see what she comes up with
next.
I received a complimentary copy of The Medallion by Cathy Gohlke from Tyndale Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.
My Rating:
4 out of 5 stars
About the Author:
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| From Amazon |
Cathy Gohlke is the
three-time Christy Award-winning author of the critically acclaimed novels The
Medallion, Until We Find Home, Secrets She Kept (winner of the 2016 Carol and
INSPY Awards), Saving Amelie (winner of the 2015 INSPY Award), Band of Sisters,
Promise Me This (listed by Library Journal as one of the best books of 2012),
William Henry Is a Fine Name, and I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires (listed by
Library Journal as one of the best books of 2008), which also won the American
Christian Fiction Writers' Book of the Year Award.
Cathy writes novels steeped with inspirational lessons from history. Her
stories reveal how people break the chains that bind them and triumph over
adversity through faith.
When not traveling to historic sites for research, she, her husband, and their
dog, Reilly, divide their time between Northern Virginia and the Jersey Shore,
enjoying time with their grown children and grandchildren. Visit her website at
www.cathygohlke.com and on Facebook at CathyGohlkeBooks (Taken from
Amazon.)
More from Cathy
Every story begins with a journey. Sharing that journey is twice the joy.
The Medallion was inspired by two true stories—the first was
the WWII account of Itzhak Dugin and his Jewish family, persecuted in
Lithuania. Their heart-wrenching story made world news when the tunnel
from which Itzhak escaped the Nazis was discovered using modern
technology.
The second was the story of Irena Sendler, a Polish Catholic social
worker within Żegota (an underground Polish Council to Aid Jews), who
developed a network to rescue children. Despite terrible risks, they
smuggled 2500 Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto and certain death
at the hands of the Nazis, then hid them in Polish homes, convents,
churches and hospitals until the end of the war. Approximately 2,000 of
those children were found after the war. Theories abound regarding the
whereabouts of those missing. I couldn’t help but wonder, and imagine:
What became of those 400 to 500 missing children? What became of one?
Set in WWII Poland and post-war England,
The Medallion is a story of courage, sacrifice, love, forgiveness and redemption.
Blog Stops
GIVEAWAY
To celebrate her tour, Cathy is giving away a grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!
