"How can I bear to see disaster fall on my people?"
Reviewed by Audrey Lawrence
Posted April 6, 2014
Historical | Fiction | Inspirational
Inspired by the heroic Biblical story of Queen Esther,
debut author Kate Breslin has written a very strong and
compelling version set against the horrific backdrop of war-
torn Nazi Germany and concentration camps in 1944.
With false papers organized for her by her uncle Morty, the
lovely blonde and blue-eyed Hadassah Benjamin had tried to
avoid capture by passing herself off as Stella Muller from
Austria. That worked for a bit until she rejects the
lecherous advances of a Gestapo soldier and her reward
becomes a one way ticket on a train to Dachau. Months of
living close to starvation and a tattoo on her left arm had
left her weak in body, but she is determined to stand
without fear as she faces the gunfire from the firing squad.
Yet, that was not to be her fate. Meticulous to the
smallest detail, SS-Kommandant Colonel Aric von Schmidt had
discovered a mistake and insists on rectifying it. Saving
Stella from the firing squad, he is now speeding her to his
base at Theresienstadt in Czechoslovakia where Jews were
held in a transit camp before being sent to Auschwitz. Will
this fate now be worse that the clean death that Hadassah
has barely escaped? Why has she been saved?
Setting her up as his secretary, Aric is gentle and kind to
her, but still makes his intentions known. Can he be
trusted? As Stella types his letters and work orders,
their implications become clear. Just like the Biblical
Esther, Hadassah cannot enjoy being pampered when there is
so much suffering and death. She must find a way to save
her people or as many as possible. But, they are still in
the middle of a war. Can she convince the Kommandant to
let her go?
While FOR SUCH A TIME may be Kate Breslin's first novel,
she is already known for her inspiring fiction and poetry
and that clearly shows in her strong writing style. I
enjoy how Breslin develops her characters and they spring
to life quickly in the reader's mind. While the premise of
a SS-Kommandant rescuing a Jewish woman may be atypical,
Breslin sets the stage for this event in a realistic
manner. Without wanting to have to give a spoiler alert, I
can vouch that there are many dramatic and gut- wrenching
scenes with lots of fast moving action and a little
romance. While not a perfect novel, it is a very riveting
read and its storyline will resonate in your mind long
after you are finally able to put the book down. I
particularly liked reading the author's note at the end of
FOR SUCH A TIME where Breslin shares in her research and
highlights what is fact and what is not in her fictional
story.
FOR SUCH A TIME is sure to be hit with inspirational and
romance fans who are sure to enjoy this story of how God
moves in mysterious ways to bring two unlikely people
together and gives them the courage to do what they feel is
right, despite all the dangers and deaths that might be
involved. I highly recommend FOR SUCH A TIME and I look
forward to more novels from debut author Kate Breslin!
Enjoy!
SUMMARY
Powerful Retelling of the Story of Esther In 1944, blond and blue-eyed Jewess Hadassah Benjamin feels
abandoned by God when she is saved from a firing squad only
to be handed over to a new enemy. Pressed into service by
SS-Kommandant Colonel Aric von Schmidt at the transit camp
of Theresienstadt in Czechoslovakia, she is able to hide
behind the false identity of Stella Muller. However, in
order to survive and maintain her cover as Aric's secretary,
she is forced to stand by as her own people are sent to
Auschwitz. Suspecting her employer is a man of hidden depths and
sympathies, Stella cautiously appeals to him on behalf of
those in the camp. Aric's compassion gives her hope, and she
finds herself battling a growing attraction for this man she
knows she should despise as an enemy. Stella pours herself into her efforts to keep even some of
the camp's prisoners safe, but she risks the revelation of
her true identity with every attempt. When her bravery
brings her to the point of the ultimate sacrifice, she has
only her faith to lean upon. Perhaps God has placed her
there for such a time as this, but how can she save her
people when she is unable to save herself?
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