Historical fiction at its best! At first Claire was not very likeable but after reading her background I could sympathize with her. Reading about her growth in both character and spirituality was encouraging. The portrayal of the Jewish children coping after being sent away for their safety was heartbreaking. I'm glad the author allowed the children to be children with their mischievous ways. This was an interesting book written about a very difficult time. Highly recommended!

I am one of those readers who must finish a book no matter how hard I’m struggling with it. Whether that be the plot, the main character, or something else entirely, I will put in the time to get that final page. Because, sometimes, sticking with a story pays off.
In Until We Find Home, Cathy Gohlke’s newest release, I had an issue liking the main character. Claire Stewart is so wrapped up in herself, in living her life the way she’s dreamed it to go, she doesn’t connect with those around her who are starving for her love and attention.
From her Aunt Miranda to the French Jewish children she helped rescue and the German Jewish children who join their circle, Claire is surrounded by people who can give her a more abundant and full life than she could ever dream of. A patchwork family filled with love, hope, and care even during the worst of times. If she would only open her eyes, her heart, and her arms.
Another American turns the tide of this story. David Campbell’s graciousness, his understanding of what the little ones need mores, and his generosity are a picture of God’s love for His children.
While the different points of view were a bit much at times, including those of the refugee children made this book a richer, fuller expression of life in England’s Lake District during World War II.
Reads like this one are what cause me to continue to that final page when I’m not as into it as I want to be. If I’d given up on Claire’s story, I would have missed her change of heart as well as the hope and beauty of the end.
Disclosure statement:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

I have read and loved several of Cathy Gohlke's previous historical novels. I've been impressed by the writing, the research and the way she takes flawed characters and shows the redemptive power of Christianity.

Unfortunately, I thought Until We Find Home fell far short of the quality of her earlier books. The writing was solid, but not of the standard I've become used to from Gohlke. The characters were hard to like and there were too many points of view, which diluted the focus of the story.

In particular, I found Claire difficult to relate to or like. I know she was placed in a difficult situation but I found her self-centred behaviour and lack of concern for the fact other people might have problems annoying, to the point where I found it only too easy to find an excuse to put the book down. After all, I had toilets to clean.

The scene which annoyed me most was the scene where Claire was asked to prepare a meal. It was cringe-inducing enough to realise she couldn't even cook bacon without burning it (really. How hard is that?) What bothered me at first was Claire's incompetence, not to mention the sheer wastefulness of burning a week's bacon ration for the entire household. It was only a few chapters later that I realised what had really been wrong with the scene:

Claire had been cooking bacon. Bacon. Dead pig. For Jewish refugees. Who don't eat pork or pork products.

In fact, one of the Jewish children was in the kitchen with Claire, and didn't say anything about them not eating bacon. Why not? These children were devout. I'm sure they knew better than to eat bacon. So why didn't they say anything?

I am still struggling with this. It's bad enough that the author wrote it, but worse that the scene made it though I don't know how many editors before publication.

Anyway, it was at this point I stopped reading. Have Christian publishers learned nothing from the online firestorm surrounding For Such a Time by Kate Breslin? Or do we not care? Either way, I do not recommend this title is entered in any general market writing contests such as the RITAs.

Having said that, I look forward to seeing a return to Cathy Gohlke's previous high standard of writing and editing in her next book.

Thanks to Tyndale House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

Until I read this book, I had one favorite WWII era author, Sarah Sundin. Now I have another one on equal footing with Sarah. Her name is Cathy Gohlke and the book I just read is Until We Find Home. Claire is an American in Paris, wanting to become a writer, until she is charged with helping five Jewish children to escape the coming Nazi invasion. She is ferried with her children to England and then to the countryside where she has an aunt that she hopes will take in the children.

Her aunt will take in the children as long as Claire stays to take care of them, but Claire wants to get back to Paris as soon as possible to continue her writing. Her aunt explains that her American heritage will not protect her in France. Soon after Claire comes, another contingent of children are dropped on her aunt---these children are from Germany.

David Campbell is another American working in England and has been billeted with Claire and her ersatz family. She sometimes doesn't know how to take him and sometimes wants to throw a vase at his head, but as she comes to know him, she begins to love him.

My favorite part of the book is the look into the cultural lives of the Jewish children. The German children didn't get along with the French at first, and vice versa. The only exceptions are two rapscallions named Gaston and Josef. They created an alliance of mischief and chaos. But Josef becomes key in helping to re-capture an escaped German prisoner of war.

Cathy has done her research in preparing this manuscript and clearly described her characters, her settings, and the era she was writing about. The characters are believable and real, the setting is easily imagined, and the era fascinates me because my father served in the Coast Guard during WWII.

This is a five star book, two thumbs up, and a secret garden for your creativity.

My thanks to Tyndale House for allowing me to read and review this book.

I have really enjoyed Cathy's past books. I also love anything set in WWII. So, I jumped at the chance to read the story of Claire and her little French refugees.

Any avid reader knows that not all books written by a favorite author or set in a favorite era 'hit the spot.' Unfortunately, that was the case for me with Until We Find Home. That's not to say there weren't parts I enjoyed. The end accelerated into some excitement with the escaped Nazi soldier and some of the children. It was interesting to learn aspects of the Britain homefront I had not previously known.

But for me, the problem was Claire. I just couldn't relate or connect with her. And, again, any reader knows that if you don't like the main character...well, that makes it pretty difficult to like the book. I tried to like her. I tried by restarting the book three different times!! I got 1/3 of the way through the book, and just did not like her. Even Aunt Miranda didn't endear herself to me.

Ack!

So, the book is definitely worth a try. Just because Claire wasn't easy for me to understand, doesn't mean you won't love her. ;-) Especially if you already enjoy Cathy's books or WWII settings.

This was a great read about World War 2 about those who lived in England and helped hold the home front down. I loved how this book was told from various characters perspectives and how engaging and heartwarming it was. I could have used a bit more romance at times and some of the characters were a bit annoying at times but overall it was a well written.,engaging read that kept me interested until the very end.

Until We Find Home

This was a very sweet WW2 home front novel that dealt really well with the displacement of European Jewish children at the time. The main character Claire had a lot of growing up to do, and could be a rather difficult character to like. Fortunately, her character matures throughout the story. I enjoyed all the literary references that were sprinkled throughout the book. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy small town, British settings and refugee stories.

I received this book for free for the purpose of review.

The story made me think of Mrs. Miniver, taking place on the British homefront and dealing with the dangers there--air raids, escaped POWs, prejudice. It hadn't occurred to me that the English would resent the foreign children taking refuge on their shore, but antisemitism was widespread, not just in Germany, and certainly not limited to adults. Nor did it occur to me that many would resent all Americans for the USA's neutral stance early in the war--even the Americans who were actually helping them. But I can also see many of the prejudicial attitudes in the story reflected today here in America, but with refugees of Muslim nations and Mexican families trying to find a better life. We can only hope that like Claire and her family, we learn to love and respect them, not fear and dismiss them.

I had trouble liking Claire for a long time. She's rather self-centered and incompetent (regarding most skills necessary for her situation--dealing with children, cooking, making friends). Granted, it was also frustrating that people constantly scold her about her faults, rather than help her. If no one shows her a better way, how can they expect her to improve? She does come a long way through the story, learning how to love and be loved, and her companions also learn more grace.

I appreciated how the children and adults in the story were able to help each other, though I think the adults [surprisingly] had a harder time helping the kids than vice versa. But in the growing process, I loved that they call in a Rabbi to educate the children; it shows a growing respect for their charges. I also enjoyed the myriad of literary references in this story, and they aren't the usual ones--here we have Peter Pan, The Secret Garden, Beatrix Potter, CS Lewis, and more. As always with a Cathy Gohlke novel, this is full of not only detailed history, but many things to ponder on, some of which hit pretty close to home.

Thank you Tyndale and NetGalley for providing a free e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

Until We Found Home by Cathy Gohlke is a heart-wrenching novel set during World War II in the lake district in England. With a fast moving plot and a little suspense toward the end, I became wrapped in the novel and couldn't wait to send time with the characters. Gohlke's favorite book of mine is Secrets She Kept. I'm still suggesting this book to people when they want to read a book about forgiveness. With Until We Found Home, I was familiar with Gohlke's style of writing, so I knew I would be in for a treat.

The writing is clear and concise. I had no problem seeing the Lake District and the massive home belonging to Lady Miranda. I really enjoyed the secret garden in the backyard. Gohlke draws the connection to the story of The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, which I loved as a child. I enjoyed The Little Princess by Burnett too. Some of my favorite childhood stories. So the connection was not lost on me when Gohlke brought moments of nostalgia as I read the book.

The characters were complete and unique. Claire changes a lot in this book. When I met her in the beginning, she wanted to help the war effort, but she was more focused on the man she loved and being with. Helping was something he wanted, and it made her feel better if she could help him. But Golke had something better planned for her. She had to sacrifice a lot to keep the children safe. Claire's journey to transformation was enjoyable to watch. Lady Miranda also changed through the whole story. In the beginning, she is consumed by grief and has allowed it to keep her locked in her massive estate with no encounter with anyone else. She also changes by the end of the novel.

The plot shows refugees who made it to England. Most stories I encounter during World War II show the characters trying to escape Hitler's rule, but they usually stay in the lower part of Europe. Most don't show the problems after they escape to England. This was a different perspective, and I enjoyed the story. It moved pretty quickly and captured my World War II loving mind. Being a huge C. S. Lewis fan and have written two research papers on him in graduate school, I really enjoyed seeing the characters interact with Lewis through letters and his books. He means a lot to me and was a nice touch to the story.

In conclusion, Until We Find Home by Cathy Gohlke is a wonderful World War II novel. Gohlke created a story with the power of transformation and showing how important it is to enjoy every moment with your loved ones and to treasure the moments God has gifted you with. I greatly treasure this book, and it will go on my keeper shelf alongside her other wonderful writings. Highly recommend to fans of Sarah Sundin, Kate Breslin, Kristy Cambron, and other World War II writers.

I received a complimentary copy of Until We Find Home by Cathy Gohlke from Tyndale Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

I love reading books by Cathy Gohlke. “Until We Find Home” is her latest novel and again is set during WW II. Claire Stewart, an American, has joined the French Resistance and helps transport French Jewish children to England. This is a clandestine enterprise, as smuggling refugees into Britain is illegal. Planning to join the man she loves, who is also in the Resistance, before sailing to England, she is terrified to learn that he is not coming and that she is in charge of the five children during the channel crossing and in England. She knows no one in Britain, but does remember an estranged aunt who may help her. She and the children find their way to the estate in the Lake District, and she persuades her Aunt Miranda to take them in. However her aunt agrees only if Claire stays to help with them. Because most Brits have been pressed into service to billet war workers and refugee children, a fellow American border, David Campbell also stays at the estate. He becomes the voice of reason in a tumultuous time.

I recommend this book highly. I loved reading about the life of the citizens of Britain before the Americans stepped up to join the war. Americans were not looked upon with favor during this time because the British thought that the United States was deserting them. My only criticism of this book is the character of Claire. I was ready to smack her a few times because she seemed to be self-absorbed. During the course of the novel, however, I saw her growth in spirit and compassion and that was her redeeming quality.

NetGalley.com and Tyndale publishers provided me a complimentary Kindle advance reading copy in return for my honest review of this book.