Book Review: A Sparrow In Terezin by Kristy Cambron

Joshua 1:9

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Bound together across time, two women will discover a powerful connection through one survivor’s story of hope in the darkest days of a war-torn world.

This book is incredibly realistic!
Put it on your reading list today.
  

Present Day—With the grand opening of her new art gallery and a fairy–tale wedding just around the corner, Sera James feels like she’s stumbled into a charmed life—until a brutal legal battle against fiancé William Hanover threatens to destroy their future before it even begins.

Now, after an eleventh-hour wedding ceremony and a callous arrest, William faces a decade in prison for a crime he never committed, and Sera must battle the scathing accusations that threaten her family and any hope for a future with the man she loves.

1942—Kája Makovsky narrowly escaped Nazi-occupied Prague in 1939 and was forced to leave behind her half-Jewish family. Now a reporter for The Daily Telegraph in England, Kája discovers the terror has followed her across the Channel in the shadowy form of the London Blitz. When she learns Jews are being exterminated by the thousands on the continent, she has no choice but to return to her mother city, risking her life to smuggle her family to freedom and peace.

Connecting across a century through one little girl, a Holocaust survivor with a foot in each world, these two women will discover a kinship that springs even in the darkest of times. In this tale of hope and survival, Sera and Kája must cling to the faith that sustains them and fight to protect all they hold dear–even if it means placing their own futures on the line.

MY PERSONAL REVIEW:

A Sparrow In Terezin by Kristy Cambron is a heartbreaking, yet hope filled book of love and courage written for the reader who is not only interested in being entertained, but simultaneously informed to historical events that took place during World War II. 

Masterful writing!

A Sparrow In Terezin by Kristy Cambron captures the happenings that took place within the boundaries of the Nazi established Jewish internment camp of Terezin during World War II. Terezin was a town in Northwestern Czechoslovakia and history records that Jews were brought by the thousands to this city for the purpose of falsely promoting a model "Jewish settlement" of sorts and thereby utilizing it to show the world how well the Jewish nation was being treated by the Nazis. This in fact was a lie. The town in actuality served as a transit camp run by the SS for the Jews who were en route for extermination to other death camps. The city was an overcrowded ghetto filled with underfed, mostly elderly and young Jewish people who were suffering from rampant illness and poor living conditions.

Kristy Cambron logically interlaces the lives of the two main characters, Kaja and Sera between current time and 1942. As each woman faces the most intense trial of her life, they each uncover an inner strength and peace. The story utilizes meticulous narration as the two intertwined lives eventually comprehend that the source of their strength is Christ living within them. The gospel presentation is subtle, but unmistakably clear. The continual foundation of family commitment and unwavering selflessness that are consistently communicated in this book, are inspiring and commendable. The inhumanity revealed within A Sparrow In Terezin as depicted through the horrendous events occurring in the city during the war are clearly appalling and paralyzing, however, the countering bravery, trust, resilience, hope and faith that each character represents, manage to restore a sense of confidence in humankind that is undeniable. 

I was enlightened to some of the atrocities that occurred during this time period and I am grateful for a deeper understanding of the intense suffering that took place. I was truly touched by the reading of this book. I found the descriptions of the children within the city walls to be hauntingly realistic. A Sparrow In Terezin was painful to read in some parts, but the exchange for knowledge was worth the injurious emotions. I'm thankful for the education and I walk away from this masterpiece with a desire to be "a teacher of hope". 

Thank you to Thomas Nelson, a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc for this review copy of A Sparrow In Terezin by Kristy Cambron. A copy of this book was provided to me through the BookLook Bloggers program in exchange for a complete read and an honest opinion of this work.

Don't Drop Me

Psalm 119:42(MSG)
Then I'll be able to stand up to mockery, because I trusted Your Word.

We used to play this game in nursing school that, looking back, had the sole purpose of assisting us in cultivating the art of trustworthiness.  It taught us how to trust others and how to be trusted.  You might have played a game like it in your youth group or in some other venue through the years.  I will name it the "Don't Drop Me Game". 

It was played by two or sometimes three people.  One person was blindfolded and stood in front of the other two team members.  At some point the blindfolded person was instructed to fall backwards.  At that point the other team members were to be ready and standing strong to catch them before they actually fell to the ground.  It required the blindfolded one to assume an incredibly high level of confidence in those that were standing behind them.  On the flip side, it demanded very high levels of listening and preparedness skills on the part of the "catching team".  

It was a very difficult behavior to stand blindfolded and fall backwards with no assurance that you would land safely.  Evenly difficult was the assigned duty to catch a person who would soon be falling.  The knowledge that this person was completely dependent on your skills was an overwhelming thought.

My daughter teaching trust to the bunny
she rescued.

This game was very effective in teaching me how to trust others and how to gain confidence in my God given abilities.  I learned that I can take care of others needs, but I have to be very aware of their needs first.  I also learned that there are times when I need to be able to trust, without reservation, in the skills and abilities of others. 

Today's verse brought the "Don't Drop Me Game" back to my mind, because it is a literal picture of the trust in God and His Word that is necessary if I'm going to be able to stand strong for Him in all the circumstances of my life.  I must know that what He says is true.  I need to be listening and attentive in order to embrace the direction that His Word leads me and walk in that way with conviction.  I also need to have the assurance and faith that He will be there to catch me when I fall.  It's this same trust in God that will allow me to remain firmly planted in Christ when the winds of adversity blow and the storms of life rage.  

Father,
Thank you for Your words that are trustworthy.  Thank You for showing me that You are there for me in all seasons of my life.  You are a good God and You keep Your promises.  Help us to learn to trust You more!
In the beautiful name of Christ,
Amen