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Liz TolsmaThomas Nelson / 2013 / ePubOur Price$6.494.7 out of 5 stars for Snow on the Tulips - eBook. View reviews of this product. 29 ReviewsAvailability: In StockStock No: WW37412EB
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Cara PutmanIndianaAge: 35-44Gender: female5 Stars Out Of 5Rich WWII StoryNovember 6, 2013Cara PutmanIndianaAge: 35-44Gender: femaleMeets Expectations: 4This review was written for Snow on the Tulips.Liz Tolsma's Snow on the Tulips is a haunting WWII story set in the Netherlands that reminded me of Bodie Thoene's early books. A young woman is pushed outside of what she knows she should do in order to do the right thing. In the process she pulls those she loves deeper into the web of deception and danger as the Germans actively look for the resistance member she is protecting. And just as tulips peep through the snow, so hope peeps through the pages of this book.
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Sufficient in JesusAge: 18-24Gender: female5 Stars Out Of 5Fabulous Book!November 2, 2013Sufficient in JesusAge: 18-24Gender: femaleQuality: 5Value: 5Meets Expectations: 5This review was written for Snow on the Tulips.From Snow on the Tulips:
Johan eased the man's torso across the mattress, then swung up his feet.
Cornelia stood beside him but turned to her brother. 'Where did you find him?'
'On the road, near the bridge.'
'Do you know what happened to him?'
Johan shook his head and the man remained silent.
'Let me look at your shoulder.' Taking great care not to hurt him in any way, she pulled aside his ripped shirt and lifted a crude dressing. Red oozed from a gaping hole...
'What happened to you?'
'The Gestapo tried to execute me. They missed.'
With those words, Gerrit Laninga entered the lives of Cornelia and Johan, a brother and sister who had lived quietly beside the canal until that spot became a place for Nazi executions. Life in the Netherlands during the war had already given them enough to hide: men Johan's were wanted for work in the German factories, and Cornelia had all she could do to keep him safe and out of sight.
Now Corrie must help this stranger heal and return to the world of the Dutch Resistance, a group of heroes who didn't accept that title but continually took the risks for their countrymen.
From Snow on the Tulips: 'I never said I didn't like you. You Resistance people I mean.'
'But you are afraid of us.'
'Ja. I suppose I am. Death follows you.'
'Death follows all of us, and more so during war.'
Liz Tolsma's writing absolutely shines in Snow on the Tulips, her first full-length novel.
You can tell that much labor was put into telling this tale right, setting the stage with characters, places, and happenings, and the result makes for a wonderful novel.
This book flows along with such a current and it drew me right along with the story.
Her descriptions, from the oiled wood and stained glass rainbow inside the church where Cornelia goes to pray to the plastered walls and dust covered boxes in the attic hiding place, are extremely well crafted.
Cornelia is our main heroine, but we also get a glimpse into her sister Anki's story.
Anki is a trained nurse, whose skill draws her into the battle, and whose loving husband only wants to keep her safe.
Liz develops real characters in intense circumstances, characters who grow and change and develop over time.
Snow on the Tulips explores many powerful themes, such as the rightness of telling lies to save a life, of breaking one command to keep another.
And the character's actions raise questions.
Was Piet wrong to want to keep Anki uninvolved and protected?
Was he wrong to accept orders from the state without question as part of the Sovereign plan of God?
It isn't often that black and white is it? There is so much humanity to consider, human love and human frailty. Human courage and human fear.
From Snow on the Tulips: 'You can't do it, or you won't do it?'
"Can't. Won't. What difference does it make? People get hurt and killed when they defy the authorities.
The Allies will be here soon.'
'What if the entire world sat back and waited for someone else to free us? Where would we be then?
God uses men as His instruments to fulfill his purposes.'
What a fabulous book this is. Replete with serious scenes and also moments full of light and even joy, this book made my "Favorites of 2013" list.
Thank you Liz Tolsma and Litfuse for my review copy! -
VicsMediaRoomIrvine, CAAge: 55-65Gender: male5 Stars Out Of 5The Dutch Resistance Movement, World War II & RomaNovember 1, 2013VicsMediaRoomIrvine, CAAge: 55-65Gender: maleQuality: 5Value: 5Meets Expectations: 5This review was written for Snow on the Tulips.Liz Tolsma in her new book "Snow On The Tulips" published by Thomas Nelson brings us to the life of Cornelia de Vries in 1945.
From the back cover: 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.
History, romance, family drama and suspense all bundled together into one very entertaining story. The Dutch Resistance Movement and World War II. Truth to tell I really do not know a lot about the Dutch Resistance Movement or I didn't until I read this book. Wow, what people had to endure because of the war, it is incredible. Ms. Tolsma begins the book with the Nazis executing a dozen freedom fighters and the story takes off from there. This is a story about how individuals can determine the course for the many, either for the bad or the good. Corrie and Gerrit are wonderfully crafted characters that we draw very close to and root for them to succeed. "Snow On The Tulips" is a wonderful, interesting story with power and depth that will keep you flipping pages. I recommend this book highly and I do look forward to the next book from this highly talented author.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." -
Stephanieupstate NYAge: 35-44Gender: female5 Stars Out Of 5Riveting historical fiction!November 1, 2013Stephanieupstate NYAge: 35-44Gender: femaleQuality: 5Value: 5Meets Expectations: 5This review was written for Snow on the Tulips.Wow. I could not put Snow on the Tulips down — I read it in just a few hours, finishing the book at 1 in the morning!
I can't ever resist a WWII story, and Liz's was impressive. She successfully portrayed the struggle between doing wrong...or obeying God. Or is some wrong right when it goes against evil? Is lying ever ok when it protects someone from a murderer? With God-fearing husbands and members of the Dutch Resistance, Liz artfully told both sides of the coin.
Snow on the Tulips was also a very emotional story. I had a hard time reading in several spots as my tears blurred the words on the page. I can't imagine going through the same difficulties many of those men and women had to endure. What choice would I make? Would I react passively...or would I get involved?
I most enjoyed that Liz was inspired to write her story from true accounts in her own family's history! I love historical fiction for that very reason!
If you enjoy riveting page-turners, Snow on the Tulips will not disappoint!
*I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given, and all thoughts are 100% mine.* -
lcjohnson1988IndianaAge: 45-54Gender: female5 Stars Out Of 5October 31, 2013lcjohnson1988IndianaAge: 45-54Gender: femaleQuality: 5Value: 5Meets Expectations: 5This review was written for Snow on the Tulips.Absolutely fantastic! Those were the first words I thought when I finished reading this excellent book by Liz Tolsma. The fictional story is set during WWII and centers on the Dutch Resistance Movement against the Germans and their occupation of the Netherlands. If this isn't one of your favorite time periods, please allow your dislike to be put aside for this story.
As the story begins, Gerrit Laninga is being marched to his execution as he has been captured by the German Gestapo and found guilty of sedition against Germany, which carries the death penalty. Gerrit has maintained his faith in God throughout the many difficult trials and circumstances he has found himself in over the last few years as a resistance worker. Will the Lord deliver him yet again?
Johan Kooistra is a young, 20-year-old, Dutch male who, until recently, had been hiding on his uncle's farm to escape the Germans, who are on the lookout for any able-bodied male between the ages of 17 and 45 to serve the Fatherland. Johan longs for adventure and thinks the Dutch Resistance can provide the adventure and he can serve his country at the same time. As the story progresses, Johan is constantly at odds with his sister, Cornelia, and others who don't want him to join the resistance, but want him to stay in hiding. Johan is out disobeying the German curfew one night and finds a wounded man. He takes the man home to be nursed by his sister.
Cornelia de Vries is 24 years old and has been a widow for four years. Her husband was killed the day after they were married. The Germans have occupied her country for so long, and they have defeated her spirit. They have taken so much from her, but she will not allow them to take her brother. She fiercely defends him. She wants nothing to do with the wounded man Johan brings home, but knows it her Christian duty to care for him. Without her care, he will die. She reluctantly agrees to take him in, but as soon as he is better he must go. As time goes by, she discovers she cares for this man, but she can never give her heart to another, right?
This story has got romance, drama, suspense and so much more. I was just awed by the author's "Story Behind the Story" that tells of her book being based on a member of her own family's life. Some of what happens in the story happened in real life. I was just humbled by how much various people in the story risked to help others be free. I am so very thankful for the armed men and women who serve the United States so that I can enjoy being free. Thank you, Liz for writing this touching and heartwarming story. I learned about a subject I didn't know anything about and was reminded that God can be trusted with all my fears as he holds me in the palms of His hands. I highly recommend this novel, and am looking forward to her next book, Daisies Last Forever, due to be released in May 2014.
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