A Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Pub. Date: January 2006
ISBN-13: 9780800794057
Pages: 272
Rank: 5 out of 5

Summary: A Hiding Place is a true story of the Ten Booms who helped saved the Jews by helping them escape and hiding them during Nazi Germany’s occupation of Holland.

Review: I absolutely loved this book! Though Ten Boom’s writing style was first person narrative, it made me feel like I was sitting in front of her having coffee by the fireplace, listening to her wonderful tale. Her descriptions just drew me in, and I felt like I was right there in 1940’s Holland.

I flew through this book. I just marveled at the simplicity of her life before Holland was invaded by Nazi Germany. Towards the middle of the book, I felt so tense because I already knew something terrible was going to happen when Corrie and her family started hiding the Jews, but I kept reading.

What truly amazed me was Corrie’s and her sister Betsie’s undying faith, and their ability to forgive and to love their enemies no matter how things went from bad to worse. They remained spiritually strong and so was their belief in God even after they starved and suffered in the concentration camp in Germany.

The Hiding Place is a remarkable story of courage, strength, forgiveness, and hope. It will be forever in my collection. It is definitely one of the best books I have ever read.

Recommendation: This is a great book to read if you are looking for a World War II story or if you are looking for something inspiring.

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group

Pub. Date: May 2009
ISBN-13: 9781400067114
Pages: 314
Ratings: 4 out of 5

Summary: 1937. Pearl and May Chin are sisters who live in Shanghai, China. They lived the modern, glamorous lives of beautiful girls - models who pose for pictures. Their happy lives are threatened after their father forced them into arranged marriages after he came into financial ruin. Things go from bad to worse when the Japanese invade China. After a horrifying tragedy, the sisters survive, and they go to Angel Island where they are detained to go to America to join their husbands. Once they reach America, they face even more challenges and discrimination.
The storyline spans from the 1930’s Shanghai to 1950’s Los Angeles, going from World War II to the Communism that lead to paranoia and frenzy which gripped America during the early years of the Cold War.

Review: This was probably one of the saddest books I have ever read. The storyline had one adversity after another, and after awhile I wondered: Will Pearl and May ever find any happiness?

Pearl is older than May. She is May's protector and will do anything for her younger sister. She is the narrator of the story and she bears all the weight of the responsibility of the older sister. In the beginning, she starts out as a strong, wise character, but that changes after Japan invaded China. Although she survives from a terrible fate, Pearl becomes traumatized from the memories of the war and stops living. She spirals into depression even though she has a daughter and eventually comes to love her husband, Sam.

May, on the other hand, has her share of tragedy. At the beginning of the story, she is considered to be naïve and sheltered by her sister and her parents. She survives the war with her sister. Yet, unlike Pearl who clings to the past even after they have a chance to start over in America, May embraces her new life. She shows strength and perseverance which thrills and delights me. I think she is misunderstood by her sister and sometimes by me. Surprisingly, I came to like her just as I like Pearl.

What I really liked about this book is how Ms. See shows the loving relationship between Pearl and May. They love each other and will do anything for each other. They are friends as well as rivals. I think those who have siblings can somewhat relate to their close relationship. I have an older sister myself and our bond is somewhat similar to Pearl and May’s.

The ending was abrupt, at least to me. My reaction was like: Was that it? I also felt that another tragedy was too much for Pearl. It made me wonder if the author liked Pearl at all, but that’s just me.

Recommendation: I strongly recommend this book especially to all historical fiction lovers.

Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky

Publisher: Random House Inc
Pub. Date: April 2007
ISBN-13: 9781400096275
Pages: 431
Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary: In 1940, Nazi Germany invaded France. In Suite Francaise, Nemirovsky wrote about the French evacuation of Paris. Chaos among the Parisians set in as they try to escape their enemy. Moving from Paris to the occupied German town of Bussy, the French were forced to live with the enemy in their own homes. It’s a story of strength and survival and of people at their worst and at their best.

Review: Suite Francaise is divided into two parts: Storm in June and Dolce. In part one, Storm in June, the story opens in the eve of Nazi occupation of Paris. A series of characters are introduced such as the Pericand family; the writer Gabriel Corte and his mistress Florence; the married couple Jeanne and Maurice including their son Maurice; and Charlie Langelet. Each of them deals with survival as they go on their exodus from Paris and into the countryside. What I loved about this book was how the author brought me right into scenes. I could feel the panic they felt as they tried to leave Paris. The author was also quick to point out how the poor, the middle class, and the rich dealt with the evacuation. While the rich were quick to prey on the poor, war had no boundaries and everyone no matter what class they came from was greatly affected. I felt that the poor suffered more though.

The evacuation scenes did remind me of Byron Henry and Natalie Jastrow while they tried to escape Poland during the Nazi invasion from Herman Wouk’s Winds of War. That’s another great book, by the way, if you haven’t read it.

Part two is titled Dolce. Some of the characters from Storm in June are included here, but the story has proceeded into the rural town of Bussy. By now the Nazis have invaded Bussy and the townspeople are forced to open their homes so that the soldiers have a place to stay. The town has no choice but to let the enemy in their lives or else they will face death. Although it is engaging to read Storm in June, I found Dolce to be more fascinating. I’m not sure if it’s because of the forbidden attraction of the German officer, Bruno, and Lucille, a French woman who’s trapped in a loveless marriage but it certainly does add a twist into the story. One thing I’m certain why I like it is because I felt closer to the characters than I did from Storm in June, but perhaps that was the author’s intent. There were far more characters in the first part than in the second. I felt that Lucille from Dolce was the most dynamic character of all. Although she befriended a German officer, she showed that she was a French patriot first by aiding a troubled family friend to escape the hands of the Nazis.

Recommendation: If you’re a die hard fan of WWII- related books like me, do not miss this book.

City of Thieves by David Benioff

Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Pub. Date: March 2009
ISBN-13: 9780452295292

Pages: 272

Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary: It is 1942, and Leningrad is under siege by the Nazi Germany. Lev Beniov, a Russian Jew, is thrown into jail after being caught for looting. While in jail, he meets the tall, handsome, and confident Kolya who's jailed for deserting his Army. A Soviet colonel decides to spare their lives if they accomplish an outrageous mission: They must obtain a dozen eggs for the colonel's daughter's wedding cake. Sure, a dozen eggs can't be too hard to find, but Leningrad is torn by the war where food supplies had been cut off, forcing Lev and Kolya to go behind the enemy lines.

Review: After reading The Bell Jar and Of Mice and Men, City of Thieves was a breath of fresh air. I was absolutely entertained by this story. It had adventure, suspense, and comedy. I was immediately hooked by the story, and it was impossible for me to put the book down. Mr. Benioff is an awesome writer.

The story started out with Lev who got caught after trying to loot a dead (yes, dead) German soldier whose life ended due to the cold. (This is in the dead of winter in Russia, after all.) He was sent to jail since the dead soldier was actually the Russian government's property, and therefore Lev was stealing from the Russian government. By the way, did I mention that the soldier was dead?

Just when I thought the reason for Lev's incarceration was ridiculous, a Soviet colonel decided to spare him and his companion in jail, Kolya, from execution if they accomplish this amazing feat: Get a dozen eggs so the colonel's wife can bake a cake for their daughter's wedding. Getting a dozen eggs ought to be simple, but unfortunately this was war time. Invaded by the Nazis, Leningrad was cut off from food supplies. The Russians were dying either from getting killed or starving to death.

Lev and Kolya go through plenty of near death experiences such as escaping from Russian cannibals and also from the Nazis. Yet despite the odds of the odds against them, Kolya's humor remained intact. I thought Kolya was a lovable and unforgettable character with his easy going attitude and wise-cracking remarks. Lev, however, held up on his own as a main character. Only seventeen, he was a naive city boy but later showed courage when danger was imminent.

Recommendation: I love this book and it's a keeper. It is highly recommended if you are looking for the following in a book:

1. Action and adventure

2. Comedy

3. A coming of age story

4. A story of friendship

World War II Books Wish List

I was sitting at my Dad's desk today, hoping to find the Sunday paper, when I stumbled upon a catalog of the Naval Institute Press. I kind of rolled my eyes to myself, wondering what exactly could be interesting about US Navy ships, and who would want to write about books about ships? Well, the US Navy, of course...but that's beside the point. I flipped the catalog open since I was curious what they had to sell.

I was pleasantly surprised that I found some books that held my interest. One such book is called the Sisterhood of Spies: The Women of the OSS by Elizabeth P. McIntosh.

Since I am a big fan of World War II books (fiction and nonfiction books), I just had to get this book. Icons such as Julia Child and Marlene Dietrich actually served in the OSS (Office of Strategic Services) which was a US intelligence agency back in World War II.

Other books that are on my wish list are Germany's Last Mission to Japan by Joseph Mark Scalia and Hitler's Navy by Jak P. Mallmann Showell. I may wait to get Hitler's Navy though since it's almost $70. Yikes!

There's also the fighting Admirals of World War II by David Wragg where he wrote the biographies of admirals that served on both Allied and Axis Powers.

I also plan to buy Manila and Santiago by Jim Leeke, which accounts the naval warfare of the Spanish American War. I know it's not about World War II, but it does tell a little bit of history of my birthplace, the Philippines.

I definitely want to read Stranded in the Philippines by Scott Mills. It's a true story of Henry Roy Bell, who's a missionary, and his family who became stranded in the Philippines during the Japanese invasion in World War II. I think these would be very interesting to read. I remember my grandma used to tell me how she and her family hid from the Japanese soldiers because they were afraid of getting raped or killed or both. They were truly horrible times.

I'm excited to get these books. I may do a review on a couple of them like Standed in the Philippines and Sisterhood of the Spies and I can't wait to share them with you guys.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

Now a national best seller, this debut novel has become one of my favorite books. Set in Seattle during the 1940's, this is the story of Henry Lee, son of Chinese immigrants. Though he is an American citizen, he endures the prejudice of his peers. Yet he gains a friend in Keiko Okabe, a Japanese American. Their friendship blossoms into something deeper but their happiness doesn't last long after Keiko is forced to be separated from Henry.

I won't go any further than that because I don't want to ruin the ending. I was so touched by this book that I actually emailed the author (something I had never done before) and thanked him for writing such marvelous work. Mr. Ford was nice enough to reply.

This book gets high recommendations from me. I think readers will find this enjoyable and well worth reading.