Review: Snow on the Tulips by Liz Tolsma

August 3, 2013

Title: Snow on the Tulips
Author: Liz Tolsma
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Pages: 336
ISBN: 978-1-4016-8910-0
Publication Date: August 6th, 2013

Synopsis:
A stranger’s life hangs in the balance. But to save him is to risk everything.

The war is drawing to a close, but the Nazis still occupy part of the Netherlands. After the losses she’s endured, war widow Cornelia is only a shadow of the woman she once was. She fights now to protect her younger brother, Johan, who lives in hiding.

When Johan brings Gerrit Laninga, a wounded Dutch Resistance member, to Cornelia’s doorstep, their lives are forever altered. Although scared of the consequences of harboring a wanted man, Cornelia’s faith won’t let her turn him out.
As she nurses Gerrit back to health, she is drawn to his fierce passion and ideals, and notices a shift within herself. Gerrit’s intensity challenges her, making her want to live fully, despite the fear that constrains her. When the opportunity to join him in the Resistance presents itself, Cornelia must summon every ounce of courage imaginable.

She is as terrified of loving Gerrit as she is of losing him. But as the winter landscape thaws, so too does her heart. Will she get a second chance at true love? She fears their story will end before it even begins.
Review:
In 1945, the allies have finally gained ground and have pushed Hitler's army back and they are freeing the people who have been shoved under Hitler's imposing thumb. When I think of WW2, I think of the tragedy of the Holocaust, the landing of Normandy, the perseverance of England. Those are the most well known events of the war. Snow on the Tulips by Liz Tolsma brought to my attention the hardship that Netherlands faced as they were occupied by the Nazi's.

Cornelia is a widow, she lost her husband in battle with the Nazi's and has lived her life quietly through the war. As quietly as a person can live anyway as she hides her younger brother from the Nazis. Cornelia is content to live the quiet and unnoticed life, waiting for the allies to release the Netherlands. She is a woman who cares deeply for her remaining family and is willing to help them anyway possible. Cornelia is a strong woman in her own way, she resists the Nazis, she refuses to speak German, even though she is fluent.

Gerrit is not a person who wants to sit quietly by till the end of the war, he wants to fight anyway he can. Because of that, it brings him to Cornelia's door, wounded and on the verge of death. He is nursed back to health by Cornelia and her siblings and with their help is able to avoid being caught by the Nazis again. Gerrit is a strong believer in fighting for what you believe in, no matter the cost. His passions give Cornelia something to think about with their time together. His faith is also a strong part of who he is and guides him in his toughest circumstances.

This story is based on true events that happened in Liz Tolsma's own family. It is awe inspiring to me, hearing stories of survival during this nightmarish time in our history. This was a good story and set in a background I hadn't thought of, when considering WW2.

Too Read!
4 out of 5

You can purchase Snow on the Tulips at ChristianBook, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble

About the Author:
Liz Tolsma has lived in Wisconsin most of her life. She and her husband have a son and two daughters, all adopted internationally. When not busy putting words to paper, Liz enjoys reading, waling, working in her large perennial garden, kayaking, and camping with her family. You can see more at www.liztolsma.com.







Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Booksneeze, I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

2 comments

  1. Nice review! I'm really interested in reading this book, as I'm from The Netherlands myself. And it's even more interesting when you hear this is based on things happening with the authors family (I already thought she came from a Dutch family when I heard her last name)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks! Oh, wow! That is neat. Yes, all the towns listed are the real towns and at the end, Liz Tolsma gives the details to what happened. I didn't know much about what all happened in the Netherlands during WW2, but it was good to read about. I'm going to look more into it.

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