Book Review: The Girl From The Train by Irma Joubert

I Corinthians 13:4-8(NIV)
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

Book Description:

As World War II draws to a close, Jakób fights with the Polish resistance against the crushing forces of Germany and Russia. They intend to destroy a German troop transport, but Gretl’s unscheduled train reaches the bomb first.

Gretl is the only survivor. Though spared from the concentration camp, the orphaned German Jew finds herself lost in a country hostile to her people. When Jakób discovers her, guilt and fatherly compassion prompt him to take her in. For three years, the young man and little girl form a bond over the secrets they must hide from his Catholic family.

But she can’t stay with him forever. Jakób sends Gretl to South Africa, where German war orphans are promised bright futures with adoptive Protestant families—so long as Gretl’s Jewish roots, Catholic education, and connections to communist Poland are never discovered.

Separated by continents, politics, religion, language, and years, Jakób and Gretl will likely never see each other again. But the events they have both survived and their belief that the human spirit can triumph over the ravages of war have formed a bond of love that no circumstances can overcome.

About the author:
International bestselling author Irma Joubert was a history teacher for 35 years before she began writing. Her stories are known for their deep insight into personal relationships and rich historical detail. She's the author of eight novels and a regular fixture on bestseller lists in The Netherlands and in her native South Africa.

My Personal Review:

The Girl From The Train by Irma Joubert is a fabulous historical fiction book! I was drawn into the drama and suspense from the first few pages. 

The Girl From The Train by Irma Joubert is unique in that it focuses on the time period just after World War II and the turmoil felt by entire countries, especially Poland. The story is built around the main character, a young Jewish German girl named Gretl Schmidt, who becomes orphaned as a direct result of the war. Circumstances leave the child stranded in Poland, homeless and starving. 

The details of her rescue by a Polish resistance fighter and the behind the scenes look at life in a post war torn country serve as the foundation for the story. The young child's eventual move to South Africa and placement in a new home continue the thread of determination, commitment, survival, conflict and love that form the structure of the novel. Of course, discovering that the author, Irma Joubert is a native of South Africa where she taught history for 35 years, gives credibility to this book and helps to make it feel even more authentic, despite it's fictional genre.

This book enlightened and informed me as it relates to Poland and the country's internal struggle to maintain their own identity in the years following WWII. I am not a historian and actually was not too attentive during my history classes in school, but this narrative spurred a desire to learn more about the period after WWII and the ripple effect it had on the people in various countries. 

The consistent attention to detail and the element of mystery right down to the final chapters of The Girl From The Train  by Irma Joubert is what sets this work apart from your average read. The author is able to take the reader into the scenes with her descriptive writing. The Biblical factor in this book was unmistakable. The need to rely on God through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ was communicated softly without seeming too overbearing. The collision of different cultures, past experiences (both good and bad), age, environment, professional choices and religion each seem to come out unscathed when love is applied. This is not your average "love story"...in fact it is a tale of what real love...the love of I Corinthians 13... put into action should look like. Enjoy!

Thank you to Thomas Nelson a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing Inc for this review copy of The Girl From The Train by Irma Joubert through the BookLook Bloggers program. I was not required to write a favorable review, but only to read this book in it's entirety in exchange for my honest opinion.

Don't Budge

Psalm 119:51 (MSG)
The insolent ridicule me without mercy, but I don't budge from Your revelation.



Covered foot bridge in Pennsylvania.

I'm on a "bridge" obsession right now.  I love them!  They fascinate me.  Pretty much everything about them.  This one to the right is in Pennsylvania.  It's actually a foot bridge we crossed over while hiking there last summer.  I can almost feel the cool water as it ripples down stream.  If I concentrate hard enough, I can hear the gentle water as it rushes over the rocks and slides through the overhanging brush.  Listen.  Did you hear it?

Listening is hard isn't?  Especially when all you can hear is silence.  For instance, when you have prayed and prayed for something that you are sure is in God's will to deliver and yet He remains quiet.  What do you do with that?

Give up asking?  Turn to something else for answers?  Become bitter and angry?  Nope!  As a child of the King, that is not an option!  It is at this very point of silence that we do exactly what this verse says tonight.  We stand firm in Him and  we "...don't budge from His revelation!"  If you need encouragement tonight, hold tight to the Words that He has given You in His Word.  They are true morsels of the goodness of His love for you. 

My favorite woman of faith, Corrie Ten Boom, was quoted as saying,
 "In darkness God's truth shines most clear.” 

Most High God,

Thank You for revealing Yourself to us through the revelations You provide in Your Word. Help us to cling to those truths and allow them to light our path while we walk in dark places. 

In Christ's Name,
Amen  

 

Steep Yourself In God's Provisions

Luke 12:22 & 25(NIV)
22~Then Jesus said to his disciples:  "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat;  or about your body, what you will wear.  25~Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 

I frequently listen to our local radio station, 88.3 the Wind FM, as I do my morning commute.  They always have a positive thought for the day.  Today's thought was something like this:  "Worry is like rocking in a rocking chair.  It gives you something to do, but you get no where!" 

I have been known to struggle with worry!  I haven't met too many people who don't have  an issue with this at some point in their life.  There are certainly some very stressful situations that we deal with throughout our life span.  I would never want to treat someone dismissively when their heart is in turmoil over a heavy burden, but I'm thankful once again, to be able to turn to the Word of God and rest in His presence for situations that are beyond my control.  It is there that I find peace and I pray that you will find His peace there too.

Here is what the Lord tells me in the gospel of Luke about how to deal with my worries:

Luke 12:31-32(MSG)
Steep yourself in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions.  You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.  Don't be afraid of missing out.  You're my dearest friend!  The Father wants to give you the very kingdom itself.

FOCUS!  Even if you're only holding on by a thread.

So, once again, my focus is so important.  I can't take my eyes off of Him!!  When I start getting distracted, He is a gentle reminder that HE IS A BIG GOD!!  He CAN handle it.

Lord,
Thank you for the encouraging words that you set in our hearts and minds to equip us to handle our worries.  When we struggle with the concerns of today, please help us to refocus and lay them at the foot of the cross for You to carry for us.  For those who are reading this right now and are carrying extremely heavy burdens, I am asking You to surround them with Your peace and gentle reassuring love.  Thank you for wanting to give us the "very kingdom itself".
In Christ name, 
Amen

Getting To The Top Of The Hill

Psalm 119:13(MSG)
I'll transfer to my lips all the counsel that comes from Your mouth;
I woke up in the usual way.  As I was rushing around from task to task before we scurried out the door to head for school, I heard my husband say something about needing to leave early because the radio was reporting slick roads.  Huh?  There wasn't snow in the forecast?  I was precisely on my usual time schedule with no buffer minutes factored in.  Uh-oh.

Shutting the car door behind me, I backed slowly out of the garage to find that there was indeed a slight snow and ice covering over the pavement.  No problem, I thought, this is not too bad.  I made quick time as I wove around the neighborhood curves and came to the stop sign that leads to the main road.  Slowly approaching the intersection, I could see cars stopped from both ways and basically parked on the road.  As I ventured the nose of my car a bit further to the edge of the corner, I was able to see what was happening. 

The main road is similar to a roller coaster as it moves up and down steep grades in both directions.  I watched as cars would attempt to go up the hill and get stuck in the middle.  They would then slowly back down and try again.  One by one, the cars would attempt to climb the hill.  Some were making it, but some were not.  Those that were unable to conquer the task remained trapped in the valley with no hope of escape.  You can only imagine the tangled, congested mess that ensued, as cars, trucks, and even buses became prisoners to the icy hills. 

Before it was all over, there ended up being two buses and numerous cars that had to be towed up the hills by fire trucks.  My daughter and I successfully made it to school, but we were two and half hours late!  The whole thing got me to thinking.  Here's what I thought.  Our lives are like those cars that got stuck.  A significant amount of time we find ourselves paralyzed at the bottom of monstrously large, slippery slopes.  We try to get up on our own,  but  our attempts are futile.  We get completely immobilized.  We spin our wheels, run off the road, and sometimes even crash before we ask for the "fire truck" to come and rescue us. 

My daughter "riding up the hill" on a local nature trail.

Why do I do that?  Why, when I have the complete counsel of God in my hands and readily available to speak from my lips, would I ever try to travel without Him?  I can choose to cling to Him and use my lips to rehearse His promises when I am in the valley, or I can keep my mouth quiet and miss His amazing grace working in my situation.  The choice is entirely mine to make. 

Father,
Thank you for Your continued Word of counsel that provides a firm hold for me when I am crawling in the valley and barely able to stand up.  Help me to respond to the trials that I encounter  with the light of Your wisdom and grace.  Lord, let me honor You in my darkest times with genuine praise to the King of Kings!  I am asking You tonight to carry those that are in the midst of a trial and deliver them safely to the top of the hill.  Place Your Word on our lips and let us glorify Your name from the highest of heights!
In Jesus Name,
Amen