Not By Sight by Kate Breslin

After I read Kate Breslin's debut novel, For Such a Time (read my review here.), I knew she was a voice I wanted to read again and again. Her newest novel, Not By Sight, is another delightful read that I found hard to put down. If you haven't read either of Ms. Breslin's work you are truly missing out.

The characters in Not By Sight captivated me from the first few pages and carried me along in their story until the very last page. I was there in England during WWI. I felt what Grace Mabry felt and wanted to help her help her country and ultimately her brother. I gasped when I saw the Tin Man's mask. I could go on and on but what I am saying here is that Ms. Breslin captures the feeling of the period. She takes simple words and turns them into a beautiful masterpiece that any artist would be proud of and might even envy. 

I enjoyed watching as Grace Mabry matured into a compassionate woman. One who finally understands the ugliness of war, I loved watching Grace and Jack's story unfold. The descriptions of the settings took my breath away and made me want to go back to that time so I could envision all that the story depicted. 

There is so much that I could say about this book, but I do not give out spoilers and so therefore all I will say is if you enjoy reading historical fiction this book is a must. You will find espionage and treason, the love of country, the love and faith in God, grace and love and hope. I can also say, it is a book that should hold your attention so strongly that you might want to set aside some time to ingest the story otherwise you might find yourself reading long into the night.

I would highly recommend Not By Sight to anyone who loves a good read. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

On a 5-Star scale - 5 Stars!!!!!

I would like to thank Ms. Breslin and Bethany House Publishers for my copy of Not By Sight. I received my copy for free in order to read it and give my honest review, which I have done.

Smiles & Blessings,

For Such a Time by Kate Breslin

 I have always been a fan of debut novels. One thing I love about them is the opportunity to discover a new voice, someone I will want to follow in their future novels. So when given the opportunity to read and review For Such a Time by Kate Breslin, I jumped at the chancce. I can honestly say her book touched my heart at the deepest level and I can hardly wait to read more by this very talented debut novelist.

For Such a Time is set during World War II and takes place over a little less than a months time in the year 1944. It is the story of SS Kommandant Aric von Schmidt and Hadassah Benjamin, who early in the novel, goes by the alias of Stella Muller in order to protect herself because of her Jewish heritage. Aric rescues Stella from being shot while she was a prisoner at Dachau. He takes her to his aunt's house where she is kept locked in a room. In time, Aric comes and takes her to the camp he is the commandant for, Theresienstadt, another prisoner camp that is known as a paradise ghetto, but it is just as bad as the rest of the camps that kept the Jewish people prisoners simply because they were Jewish. Aric tells her she is to be his secretary and will live in his home outside the walls of the 'ghetto'. 

Stella's parents died when she was very young and she was then raised by her uncle Mordecai. She soon finds out that her Uncle Morty is a prisoner in the Theresienstadt prison camp. She is able to see him on rare occasions and in the end they work together to escape the camp.

Aric is an Austrian who has had a difficult life. Stella is a Jew who is living a difficult life. Together they find that barriers between the Nazis and Jews can be torn down and they can coexist, after all, they are both human. 

Ms. Breslin based her story on the Book of Esther in the Bible. It's almost as if she used the Book of Esther as her outline for her masterful first novel.  She did a phenomenal job!

I could go on and on about all that happens but I don't believe in handing out spoilers, but I will say one thing, Please take a look at the cove on the novel. You will find that the red hair, pearls and the tattered Bible all play a significant part in the telling of this wonderful story.

I would highly recommend For Such a Time to any adults who love a good, well researched historical novel. Due to the topic of the killing of the Jewish people, I wouldn't suggest this to younger children.

I would like to say one more thing, this is without a doubt, the best book I have read since reading Francine Rivers' book, Redeeming Love. It is a book filled with forgiveness, trust, perseverance and love. I loved all the characters but I was particularly drawn to Aric. Ms. Breslin's words brought him to life for me. Remarkable!

I would like to thank the publisher, Bethany House, for my review copy of For Such a Time. I received my copy for free in order to read and give my honest opinion which I have done.

On a 5-Star scale = 5 HUGE Stars!!!!!

Smiles & Blessings,