A powerful story of two couples during a horrific time in history. Your heart will be broken and changed.

This book takes many events that happened in Poland and Lithuania and ties them all together in this well-written, emotional, heart-grabbing story. Even as I try to put into words how The Medallion made me feel, I find it difficult. Author Cathy Gohlke, has created unforgettable characters in unthinkable circumstances that broke my heart many times over. I can not imagine living in those circumstances, but so many had to, and that to me says more about humanity, both good and evil, than anything.

The story is set in Poland during WWII as we follow two couples' struggles to survive the German invasion. One couple is Jewish, the other a Polish/British combination, where the husband is a pilot fighting the Germans. It's a powerful story of one woman's ultimate sacrifice to save her child and another woman who risked everything to take care of her during one of our history's darkest times. The story does not end with the end of the the war, but continues in Britain, coming to an unbelievable finish.

I have read many stories of WWII and learned a lot about the atrocities of the war and the strength and courage of everyday humans. This story is hard to read; the atrocities were real, the carnage was real, the inhumanities were real, yet there is a light and the love shown by some gives us a beacon for the future. In the discussion questions at the end of the book, there is a quote from Irena Sendler, "After World War II, it seemed that humanity understood something, and nothing like that would happen again. Humanity has understood nothing. Religious, tribal, national wars continue. The world continues to be in a sea of blood. The world can be better if there's love, tolerance, and humility." I believe this is the important message from this story. We need to learn from the past. We need to trust our God, whichever one you believe in, we need to value all human life. I will think about this book for a long time to come.

I don't know if anyone can read about the Holocaust without feeling heartbroken. Such a sad time and so much pain endured. For that reason alone, I nearly passed on reading The Medallion. I'm so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone.
Sophie and Janek, Rosa and Itzhak showed so much heart, courage, and love. They trapped me in their story. It was all I could do to stop myself from reading straight through without pause.
Cathy Gohkle's ability to weave the storyline of two entirely different couples, starting out no where near one another, and bring them full circle created a masterpiece of world-building. While the main characters are fictional, some of the situations and circumstances were real and that was enough to make me believe in the depth of this story.
Reading through the characters' transformations, Sophie's especially, showed the love, care, and attention to detail in The Medallion. Nothing was wasted. Every move, every word, had purpose and a strong intent. I could not find any strings left untied.
God's presence makes itself known in big and little ways throughout the book, giving honor to the knowledge 'He will never leave us, nor forsake us'. Each character will have to make the decision whether to trust God or let the acts of the world consume them.
I requested a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

The Medallion is a beautifully written historical book. I enjoyed the World War II plot, the believable characters and the writing. I highly recommend this book to fans of inspirational fiction. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for for my arc. This is my unbiased review.

The Medallion is inspired by the true stories of Isaac Dogim and Irena Sendler. As the Nazi decrees against the Jews in Poland became ever more restrictive, Jolanta (Irena) smuggles children out of the ghetto. One of them is Ania, Itzhak Dunovich’s (Isaac) daughter. Itzhak’s wife Rosa broke in half the Tree of Life medallion given to her by Itzhak on their wedding day, and put half of it on Ania.
Sophie is an Englishwoman married to a Pole, Janek, a pilot. When the Germans bomb Poland in September, 1939, she doesn’t know if he’s alive or dead. Throughout the war, she helps where she can: finding hiding places for Jewish friends, bringing food, taking in Ania. Friends are killed, food is scarce, and treachery is everywhere.
Late in the war, an American approaches Sophie in Warsaw. He’s been sent by Janek to get her out of Poland. She claims Ania is their daughter and won’t leave without her. She’s convinced herself that Ania’s family is dead.
But Itzhak is still alive, and he wants his daughter back.
The conditions in wartime Poland are well-known. Reading the stories of Sophie, Itzhak and Rosa are difficult as I imagine being in their shoes. The Jews’ experience in the Ponary Forest is horrifying.
Rosa and Itzhak are easy to love. Sophie was easy to cheer for while she was in Poland, but not so much after she returned to England, although her mindset is understandable.
This story will draw you in and not let go.

Though not without hope, this is a heavy and heart-breaking story, depicting the horrors of the war against the Polish people and Polish Jews, the slow strangling and starvation, and finally destruction. I did not anticipate part two of the story; for all the atrocities of war in part one, it was the post-war part that was the hardest for me to read, between the personal stories of the characters and the very real fact that for many in and from eastern Europe, the end of the war did not mean the end of oppression or a happy ending.

It's very good. For a story based on horrible atrocities, it does have a lot of hope, incredible courage, and wisdom--just don't expect a light and wholly happy read.

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

When I see a book by Cathy Gohlke, I know that I will be totally immersed in said book for however long it takes to read it. Her books are so impeccably researched and the depth is amazing. In this one, she takes us into 1939 Poland when the German blitzkrieg has turned the streets and homes into a war zone, and the citizens are completely in chaos. We meet Sophie Kumiega, a British woman working in the city library, whose husband, Janek, is with the Polish Air Force, deployed, and she has no idea if he is alive or dead. She has just lost her baby and feels compelled to help those around her. So she sets out to get food to, and rescue Jewish people as much as she can, even with the ghetto walls climbing higher each day.

Next we meet Rosa and Itzhak Dunovich who have left Lithuania to come to Poland to stay with her mother. Everything is scarce and life is bleak. Then Rosa discovers she is pregnant and they must go live in the Warsaw Ghetto. Their daughter is born and is a sickly toddler when Rosa realizes that the only hope for her child is if she allows her to be smuggled out of the ghetto and placed elsewhere. Her only hope of finding her after the war is to cut her medallion in half, the one her husband gave her on their wedding day, and place half around Ania and half on herself.

This book is inspired by actual events and wonderful heroes. It is a tremendous tale of self sacrifice, hope and the horror that was Nazism. My mind is completely boggled by these events in world history. No darker days there could not have been, nor could be to come. But God can and will allow light to shine in the darkest of days. Cathy Gholke has once again written a book for the keeper shelf. I was moved incredibly by this book and highly recommend it.

*My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book via Net Galley. The opinions here are my own.

I always look forward to Cathys' books and this is no exception.
I'm drawn into her books from the first page and I try not to put down unless I'm interrupted by my family for some reason or another.
Cathy is an excellent writer. She knows how to bring the 1930's into the 40's alive and she makes u feel like you are in the book with Sophea Rosa and Itzach. Struggling right along with them.
The Germans were ruthless. They didn't care about anyone but themselves and pleasing Hitler to take over the world ( or try to).
Starvation was real in those days. I can't imagine what it must've been like for these chosen people of God except through these historical novels.
Determination was a must for anyone who wanted to survive.
Fear was a reality. Everyday.
I even held my breath through some of this book. I waited to see what happened to the characters of this book.
Y'all just have to read this book!! Cathy has done excellent job in her research for this story. I'm not disappointed at all!! I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars!!
I received a complimentary copy and no compensations were received. All opinions are my own!!

Gohlke has done it again. Another WWII story that is both heartbreaking and also full of hope.

I deeply appreciate how much research she does to make sure her stories are realistic. I also love how she incorporates actual events and people. Irena Sendler was quite the hero in WWII and her fictional character was well written.

I cannot imagine living through the horrors of WWII or the concentration camps. I also cannot imagine giving up my child to save his or her life. The desperation during that time was horrifying. I. So thankful there were people that risked their lives to help as many as they could.

Gohlke's books drop you into the middle of this terrible world war and the Holocaust, but they also remind you of the humanity that existed. I'm thankful for authors that write these books that remind us to never forget.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This is my honest review.

"The Germans do their best to make us forget who we are, Whose we are. Not just today, but for all time. We must work that much harder so that we don’t forget. How can we hope that the world will not forget us if we forget ourselves?”

Powerful story, a recounting of true events and people, adding a fictional piece that illustrates and brings the time and people to life. What it may have been like to live during the time of Hitler and the those who destroyed so many other people, with such cruelty you would never believe possible. This was in Poland after it was taken over by the Germans, enslaved, crushed. Two main families who fought every day to live. Of few survivors, the torture they endured. Of people who did all they could to save as many people as possible, at their own risk. Yet their hearts wouldn't let them do anything less, always wishing they could have done more. ". . . when someone is drowning, you jump in to save them, whether or not you can swim." How this whole experience affected the minds of these persecuted people, trying to survive, witnessing so much inhumane suffering, losing their families. And the amazing foresight of many. This story also tells of the new families that came about as their own were torn apart. How love can continue, lives reformed. How much a difference even one person can make. And the heroes that were born.

It makes you realize how much love and family mean to you. What it is that makes you who you are, what holds you together. What is really most important to you in the life that you are living. It also makes you appreciate the victims of persecution from this time. Making you realize how quickly things like this can happen under the wrong leadership, and hope that it will never happen again.

"“Adonai makes a way when there appears no way. It is His specialty . Remember the Red Sea." The words of her old friend came back to her, just as they did so often when Sophie felt at her wits’ end."

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. 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.”
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The Medallion by Cathy Gohlke is a Christian historical novel set in Poland during World War II. The foundations of the story are factual. Using Cathy Gohlke’s creative imagination a fictional story has been woven around the facts. It is a powerful story that will consume the reader. It tears at your emotions as we see the very worst of humanity and the very best.
The story surrounds two couples – one couple are Polish Jews, the other is a Polish pilot and his English wife. The novel is set mainly in Poland and closely follows all of the characters.
The reader sees the terrible conditions faced by all Poles but especially the Polish Jews who are herded into the Warsaw ghetto. As “the noose tightens day by day”, the question was asked “where was the world?” It seemed that Poland had been abandoned and no one cared.
It was a time of great fear and mistrust as evil reigned. Neighbours spied on each other. A few brave souls did what they could to hide the Jewish people. With no thought for their own safety, homes were opened to strangers. When asked “ ‘Why does he do it?’… ‘Because that is what Jesus did, and what He wants us to do.’ “ With Jesus as their role model, some brave souls gave their all.
The reader ‘sees’ inside the Warsaw ghetto and the surrounding streets. Some of the most harrowing scenes in the novel were set in the forest and factually based. “Hope kept them going through each vile and gruesome workday.”
The novel is set in two parts – the war years and afterwards. Lives torn apart had to learn to live again.
As a modern reader we really have no idea just what the people went through in WWII in order to survive. We have no experience of hunger and terror and cold. Cathy Gohlke has tried to recreate the atmosphere – the terror, despair and the holding on to hope – and she has done a marvellous job.
The Medallion is not a pleasant or easy read but it is a necessary one. We owe it to the six million innocents who perished to keep their memory alive and to tell subsequent generations of the evil and the horrors faced daily. Thank you Cathy Gohlke for writing such a powerful story.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

How could a book based on fact and telling about true events have even happened, a world gone mad? Hate so very evil, and then I think, all these years later that hate is still there.
We are putting faces on those that lived in, mostly Poland, during that horrible time in history.
The author does a wonderful job bringing this time alive, and we need not forget. We also get a twist with a survivor child and the emotions of all that has happened come to a head. You will see how broken hearts mend, and who is there in the end having survived, but how?
A don’t miss read, and it is that good!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Tyndale House, and was not required to give a positive review.

Powerful historical drama set in Poland during the years before and during WWII. Based on true events and people, this novel speaks volumes about the inhumane treatment of the Jewish and Polish people. The characters and their circumstances are heartbreaking. I love the way the author chose to conclude the story. Highly recommended!!

An epic story expertly crafted, based on real people and events. Set mainly during World War 2 in Nazi occupied Poland, the tragic events and experiences of two families show the power of sacrificial love--mother for a child in particular. The sacrifice for even a stranger is shown and challenged me to think about what I might do in a similar situation. The author does a good job of conveying a bit of hope in the midst of the horrors of war, and mans inhumanity to man. A thread of hope and faith binds the brokenhearted, with reminders that God ..."will make a way when it seems there is no way."
This is not an easy read, but an important tale that should be told, so as not to be forgotten. Not a book for the faint of heart, but one that will make readers think and feel deeply along with the characters, leaving a lasting impression. Recommend for WW2 fans who like books with more realistic people and events. The author's notes at the end are very interesting, filling in facts and her inspiration for the story. Keep the tissues handy.

This book was a heartbreaking look at life in Poland during Nazi occupation. I have read many books about this horrific period in history, but this story touched me deeply. Cathy Gohlke is a talented writer whose stories make you feel like you are living during the time period of the story. I highly recommend this book but have a box of tissues ready because this book will bring you to tears.

Before I even realized that The Medallion was written by Cathy Gohlke I was completely enthralled by the gorgeous cover. The Medallion is a heart wrenching story set during the Nazi occupation of Poland. I fell in love with these characters and then traveled with them into the pit of Hell. I've read war time novels before, but none have touched my soul as deeply as The Medallion. I found myself pausing in reading to pray that the depths of such evil not be repeated, tears ran down my face when Jewish men were made to do the unthinkable, my heart broke with Itzhak and Sophie a million times. Through all this horror, Cathy weaves a beautiful message: trusting God is the only path to peace. He CAN move mountains, and sometimes the moving is miraculous and other times He asks us to carry small pebbles at a time. Even when the way seems impossible, when the darkness is all consuming, God is there leading us through...we only need to keep our eyes on Him.

Cathy Gohlke: you can't see me....but I'm giving you a tear streaked standing ovation! Beautifully done!

The Medallion will be available for purchase from your local or online book retailer on June 4, 2019.

Thank you Tyndale House and Net Galley for the free copy of The Medallion. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This was not a happy book to read by any stretch of the imagination. So if you're looking for a weekend book to relax and escape, this probably isn't the one.

But if you dare to see the suffering of the Polish Jews during the Holocaust from a new angle, you will discover a gut-wrenching account, inspired by an unbelievable true story, and meet characters that work their way into your heart until it hurts. I thought I understood the horrors of the Holocaust. But Cathy Gohlke portrays the heartbreak of the times, specifically the gruesome atrocities of the Polish ghettos and the Ponary Forest, in a new way. I learned things about that part of history that I didn't know. And yet, it is not a hopeless book. It is a memorial to pain, but in the midst of despair, there is the exciting triumph of God's mercy.

As a new mother myself, Rosa and Sophia's experiences with pregnancy and child-bearing in the midst of war particularly pulled me into the story, and it hurt. As I think about my sleeping baby boy while I type, I can't even imagine the desperation that would force you to part from your child to save their life.

I believe the value of The Medallion lies in the true stories it showcases and the memorial it creates to the brave souls who defied the darkest of odds. As far as the crafting of the fictional aspects of the story, it was fairly predictable, but the end result outweighed that.

In THE MEDALLION, CATHY GOHLKE tells a story of courage, sacrifice and unconditional love, against the background of the horrors of World War II in Poland. She includes true stories of heroes who literally laid down their lives for others, by saving children, mostly Jewish, from being murdered by the Germans. It is an emotional story, which not only speaks of anti-Semitism and man's inhumanity towards man, but adds a strong thread of hope, as Christians work together to help their Jewish brothers and sisters, remembering that Jesus was a Jew and that they serve the same God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
The characters are beautifully portrayed and we feel their pain and the struggle that those who survive have in coming to grips with what they have experienced. There is a little girl in the story who brings new life into a painful situation.
The author obviously loves God's chosen people and has done a great deal of research into the history of that time. This is a novel that has really touched my heart, and is one of the best books I have read this year. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Tyndale House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

Cathy Gohlke does a fabulous job at creating stories that tug at the heart. My favorite novel of hers is Secrets She Kept. I keep recommending it to tons of people. Even you. As for The Medallion, first, I LOVE the cover. So pretty and mystical all in the same page. As for the plot, Gohlke does a fabulous job at creating and showing the horrors of World War II, but this time in Poland. I have heard of these mass graves where they lined the Jews up and shot them all, but Gohlke took a different twist and made it super personal. My heart ached as I watched one of the characters find his mother, wife, and three sisters. The plot is moving and heartbreaking all at the same time. The characters are brave, heroic, and wonderful to watch as they struggle to feed their family. They all do whatever it takes to survive. Overall, The Medallion is a well-crafted story of Poland during World War II with the heart of what makes a family. Fans of Gohlke's other works, Sarah Sundin, or Melanie Dobson might enjoy this novel too. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

I received a complimentary copy of The Medallion by Cathy Gohlke from Tyndale Publishing through the Celebrate Lit tours, but the opinions stated are all my own.