SOUL-STIRRING!

Using historical facts, author Melanie Dobson’s latest novel MEMORIES OF GLASS is SOUL-STIRRING! Dobson uses the time-slip method, traveling from WWII Holland to present day Uganda. The plot is built around the lives of two intertwined families who have amassed a fortune. However, how the fortune was gained is a closely guarded secret that is known to only a select few. This is a story built built on love and choices. In the past it shows a love that turns to greed and in the present day a love that grows in word and deed.

As you read this jewel of a novel, you may learn many new facts and be reminded of facts you’d rather forget. I know I am appalled to read that Americans were EVER involved in financially supporting Hitler! Even worse, as Dobson writes in this novel, they funneled money to the Holland Trade Bank that invested heavily in the research and proliferation of Zyklon, the poison that Nazi Germany used in their gas chambers! I personally have stood in “The Showers” (that’s what they told the unsuspecting prisoners) at Dachau and I can assure you I will forever be changed by the emotions I experienced. It was 40 years ago and I still remember it as though it were yesterday. Truly one of the most sobering experiences of my life!

Dobson approaches subjects that are difficult for any of us to face - the Holocaust - those who were forced to wear “The STAR”, those who hid their friends, those who did everything they could to protect innocent children, those who made choices purely for survival and those who made choices based purely on greed and leave you asking yourself, “What would you do to save the life of your child?”

I was provided an ARC of this novel by Tyndale House Publishers and NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.

Memories of Glass...has left me speechless. While this book covers only a small portion of WWII it does it very well.
This was a very well researched book. I felt as if I was reading an actual account of those rescuing and hiding Jewish children from the Nazi's. They were truly heroes of the war.
The significance of the colored glass in Oma's house and memories was very touching.
In the modern part of the story, I again felt as if I was reading a real-life accounting of events. I could see the lengths that Ava was going to in her quest to find the truth about her grandfathers. I felt her frustration with her so-called family. The only thing they cared about was money, at any cost.
The way some people built their wealth during and after the war was terrible. How they covered it up was worse.
I liked how the author connected Ava with Landon and his grandmother.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. Memories of Glass alternates between the second world war in occupied Poland and modern day USA. Two families intertwined throughout the war, only to fall apart and then a few generations later come back together. At times, I had difficulty keeping track of who was who and how they related to each other. Dobson puts an interesting spin on what it was like to live during this horrendous period of history. She shows that not all Germans were Nazis and were not in favor of the war. She also,showed what some Jews had to do to survive. I wasn’t sure if this was supposed to be a Christian themed book or not, but I did like how living a Christ following life seemed understated in words, but very apparent through deeds. The ending wrapped up many answers to questions that the reader will have throughout the book.

In 1997, the Seinfeld episode called The Yada Yada aired. While this installment is best known for coining the term “anti-dentite” and the use of yada, yada to skip details in conversation, it also takes an intriguing look at religious conversion and the confused feelings such an event creates in the people around the convert. For many this subject is still problematic, which is why I am opening this review with a warning: Memories of Glass, a dual timeline novel taking place in both WWII and the present day, talks a lot about evangelism and conversion.

Josie van Rees and Eliese Linden first meet in 1933. The girls become fast friends, enjoying carefree days playing in Holland’s countryside. Less than ten years later, their days are far less untroubled. Eliese has an illegitimate son by an American businessman whom she believes will soon be reunited with her and young Hein. Until that day she must worry and plan, for the Nazis are in Holland and have begun deporting Jewish families like her own to concentration camps. She understands herself to be protected from deportation by being listed on Puttkammer’s list, an elite account of rich Jews who have paid for a special stamp on their identity card, but at the urging of her father, she agrees to work with Walter Suskind at Hollandsche Schouwburg assisting with the registration of families being sent to the camps since working there provides another layer of protection.

Her first night on the job finds Eliese in a nightmarish situation. A young toddler begins crying, causing the other children to begin crying as well. An angry Nazi soldier shoots a bullet into the wall behind him, silencing the other children and warning that the next bullet will be for Eliese if she can’t silence the child. She is able to hustle the boy away to a nursery school across the street, where he spends that night and the following morning. When Eliese is sent to retrieve him the next day, she encounters a friend she hasn’t seen in years.

Josie is part of the Dutch resistance. Her cover is her daily life routine as a student and part-time worker at the local nursery school across from Hollandsche Schouwburg. She is at the school the morning Eliese comes in to pick up the young boy and is surprised to see her. Their friendship was broken by an event in their past but when Eliese pleads with Josie to help her rescue some of the children, including Hein, she agrees. It’s an alliance that will put both women in very grave danger.

It’s been seventy five years since WWII but Ava Drake’s family, now living in America, still has ties to Holland thanks to the charitable work of their Kingston Family Foundation. She has just finished opening the Kingston Bibliotheek, a research library in Amsterdam, and would have enjoyed spending more time in Holland, but her job as the foundation’s director means that immediately after the opening she must go Landon West’s Ugandan coffee plantation, a charity which provides a sustainable income for the people of the community as well as an orphanage and school for the local children. When she arrives, Landon doesn’t realize she is there about a grant but instead believes she is a volunteer and puts her to work in the nursery. Ava doesn’t mind, as it gives her the opportunity to learn whether the organization is worthy of a donation – as well as allowing her to spend the day with the most fascinating man she has ever met.

Memories of Glass is told in alternating points of view from the perspectives of Josie, Eliese and Ava. All three ladies make for fascinating heroines. They also all share one important trait which the author weaves throughout the tale as the moral of her story: All of them need to let go of the past in order to fully live their present and future. Eliese has made poor decisions in how she handles her love life. The people around her pay a heavy price for those choices but those are not the only mistakes she has made. It is her work registering Jews for the camps that has her truly feeling guilty, making her wonder if the handful of children she saves can ever atone for the thousands of people she is helping send to their deaths. Josie has held a grudge against Eliese for years since Eliese’s actions have caused a great deal of hurt to someone she loves. She isn’t sure she can fight successfully against the Nazis and work with her old friend to rescue the children unless she is able to let go of the anger she’s held on to for so long. Ava’s mother and brother died in a fire of which she was the sole survivor. Along with her survivor’s guilt, she also carries a concern about her extended family’s history. There is something about her Kingston great-grandfather’s tales of WWII heroism that doesn’t make sense and as she slowly begins to unlock the secrets of the past, she wonders if she will destroy the family’s present and future with the avalanche of facts she is about to reveal – or if the truth will finally set them free from whatever it is that causes them to be cruel and hateful to each other .

The emphasis here is on the journeys of our heroines as they wrestle with their demons, the growth and joy found in their triumphs and the horrors experienced by Eliese and Josie during the war. The history revolves around businessmen who profited from the pain and suffering created by Nazi atrocities. The author does an incredible job of bringing this often forgotten heinousness to light and showing its impact on real lives through its effect on the characters in our story. I was completely enthralled by this facet of the tale.

In fact, the entire novel had me riveted .My only quibble was that the inspirational portion of the story is handled very haphazardly. There was talk about evangelism, both through the work done by Landon’s Bishara Coffee & Cafe company and by someone Eliese meets in the resistance, but the language used is vague and the moments of conversion in the tale are completely glossed over. I appreciate the author not wanting to bore readers with sermons but once she had people making life changes based on accepting Jesus as savior, not fully exploring the reasons behind that choice, especially in the case of Eleise, left important parts of the tale unexplained. I do want to emphasize that Eleise does not convert from Judaism to Christianity; her family’s ethnicity was Jewish but they didn’t practice Judaism. In spite of that, I think her conversion deserved a more detailed explanation than it received.

Memories of Glass is a well written Inspirational women’s fiction tale which I think will please its target audience but whose evangelistic messages might be off putting to readers who don’t feel comfortable with such themes. It’s well worth a read, though, if you are untroubled by strong discussions of faith.

Melanie Dobson books always give me at least one shiver when something surprising is revealed, and I more often than not cry somewhere near the end. Her stories always capture me as she introduces her readers to heroes and heroines of history and modern day. You know when you pick up a Melanie Dobson book you are in for a treat.

All of this was true of her latest book, Memories of Glass. Josie, Ava, and Eliese are fantastically three-dimensional characters that leap off the page and into your heart. Josie and Eliese live in Amsterdam during the Nazi occupation. They make it their mission to save Jewish children who are bound for the camps, even at the cost of their own lives. Eliese must also protect the child she had with an American banker. When it becomes clear that her working for the Nazi’s and the money her father paid to purchase a stamp of protection simply won’t protect her, she makes difficult choices that could end in disaster.

Ava lives in the modern day and works for her grandmother’s foundation, trying to do some good in the world. But her life is darkened by the secrets surrounding the Kingston Foundation. Secrets that she is determined to uncover as she searches for family, truth, and love. Then she meets Landon West, a man who runs a coffee plantation in Uganda and coffee roasting and shops in Portland. He and his sister have a mission to provide jobs for families on both sides of the ocean, as well as a children’s home and clinic in Uganda. But when Ava’s grandmother falls ill, the truth about both the Kingston and West families comes out, threatening the Foundation, and perhaps even Ava’s life.

In both of the timelines, lives are at stake, and doing the right thing could come at a high cost.

I cannot recommend this book, or any of Melanie Dobson’s books, any more highly. If you enjoy timeslip novels, run to get this book today.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I loved this book - intrigue, history and strong characters woven through two different time periods, with a masterful weaving together of their stories. I look forward to reading other titles from Melanie Dodson!

I was able to finish this book. I had to put this book down several times because I could feel true hate coming out of this book. I could also feel the very real fear from the Jewish people too. Such a sad and dark time for them!
I love Melody Dobson. I have followed her for a very long time. Her work is so wonderful and she does her research so well that this book leaves u thinking about it long after it's done. I have read few books that can leave my soul feeling full long after it's done.
I also love reading the authors note at the end because that will tell you everything about the story and how it came about.
Be ready for secrets and glass bottles to come popping out at you since there is a little mystery mixed in. Actually, just be ready for anything! It's what makes a good story!
Melody I can't wait to see what you come out with next. You have done an excellent job in writing this novel and bringing the characters to life. This is why I like historical novels because authors like you bring us readers great joy in learning about the past.
My thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book. NO compensations were received and all opinions are my own.

This time-slip novel draws from Holland darkest period of history to create a stunning true story novel that captured my attention from start to finish. It's 1942, and Josie Van Reese and her best friend Eliese Linden partner to rescue hundreds of Jewish children who were set for deportation to Nazi death camps. In current time, Ava Drake begins to suspect that her great-grandfather, William Kingston, was not the wonderful philanthropist he seemed to be but instead had hidden secrets that would blow their family apart.

Heartbreaking, yet uplifting, both Josie and Eliese played a critical role in saving hundreds of Jewish children from extermination. Multi-layered with its time slip threads each revealing roles that the main and secondary characters played during this atrocious time period. Choices were made that would affect not only their own lives but the lives of those that surrounded them. It also highlighted the fact that these choices have consequences that can affect further generations. Friendship and faith were what allowed the Dutch people to help one another throughout this devastating period. Written with a pace that gained momentum with each page carrying me through til the very end. This is a book that will long stay in any reader's mind.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publisher through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.

Though it is a beautiful and heartfelt story, it was difficult to read, because chapters were stopping abruptly to move to a new chapter, that was completely disconnected in time, place and character. It happened over and over again. I did not understand why contemporary characters had to meet in Uganda, and that orphans there did not quite connect with the Jewish orphans of WWII. However, parts of the story had very deep parallels.

A few years ago, I read Chateau of Secrets, by Melanie Dobson, the story captivated me from the beginning and I became a fan of Melanie Dobson fiction.

My father was born in the Netherlands just after the end of the second World War, so I was immediately intrigued to read of the culture and perilous climate that my grandparents and uncles would have lived through during the occupation of Holland as well as the work of the Dutch resistance. Memories of Glass is a split-time novel and Melanie Dobson does a wonderful job of weaving the lives of her characters together. I found myself trying to figure out how all the characters were connected as I eagerly turned pages. The plotline is complex and it was a little difficult to keep track of the characters at the beginning. A list of characters and a short description of them (at the beginning of the book) would have been helpful to keep them straight. Themes of faith and courage leap from the pages of this story as the characters of 1942 fight to save children from the growing, evil Nazi regime. I also enjoyed the mystery of the glass bottles mentioned in the preface and how the glass tied everything up in the end.

If you enjoy reading fiction set during WWII or if you read Chateau of Secrets and enjoyed it, then you will enjoy reading Memories of Glass.

Memories of Glass, by Melanie Dobson will be available for purchase from your local or online book retailer September 3, 2019


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

Once again I am reminded it only takes one ordinary person to do one extraordinary thing to make a difference.

A wonderful split time book about a group of woman who set out to change their area of the world. The echoes of what they did carry through to their grandchildren and how that effects even their lives. Well written and so worth the time.

Dobson (Catching the Wind) enthralls with her latest, a historically-accurate novel laced with the narrative of Dutch resistance to the Nazi occupation.

Twenty-seven-year-old Ava Drake is the director of her family’s Kingston Foundation. After a recent trip to the opening of the foundation’s library in Amsterdam, Ava starts to suspect that there may be some Kingston family secrets from World War II.

After leaving Amsterdam, Ava travels to Uganda. In Uganda, she meets Landon West, whose sister has applied to the Kingston Foundation for grant funding for Landon’s coffee company based in Portland, Oregon. Ava and Landon share a special connection as together they care for Faith, a Ugandan child who has become ill with malaria.

When Ava returns to the US, she questions her grandmother Marcella about William’s past, but her grandmother refuses to answer her questions.

In an alternate story-line, Josie van Rees is working for the resistance in 1942 Holland. She assists her brother Samuel in whatever tasks are necessary to help combat the Nazi roundup of Jewish people. Josie also works in a children’s creche. At the creche, she cares for Jewish children separated from their families by the German soldiers.

Josie’s friend, Eliese Linden, is Jewish but has been able to avoid being transported by the Germans thus far. She assists the German soldiers by registering the Jewish families they have rounded up. She begins fearing for the welfare of her young son Hein and considers sending him away to safety. Eliese also tries to hide as many children she can without risking detection from the occupying soldiers.

Dobson’s plotline builds and moves swiftly forwards as she cleverly intertwines the present and the past in this fascinating book filled with faith, sacrifice, love, and suspense. Fans of historical fiction will likely devour this novel in one sitting as they search for other books by this engaging author.

https://sherimelnick.wordpress.com/2019/08/18/memories-of-glass-by-melanie-dobson-makes-a-seamless-transition-from-present-day-to-world-war-ii-holland/

I loved the history in this book but I often felt confused during this story. It would have helped to have labeled the chapters at little more than was done. Many characters, some name changes, and various locations will keep readers on their toes. The story was very interesting and I loved the author's note at the end. The Dutch resistance during the holocaust is admirable.

I enjoy books about WWII, and I enjoy Melanie Dobson’s books, so I’m not surprised that I loved this book. It's a story that will stick with me for some time, and it should, as this is about a part of history that shouldn't be forgotten.

Dobson has crafted a powerful time-slip novel with well-developed characters who show strength and determination when faced with unbelievable circumstances. This book is a testament to the numerous men and women who risked their lives during WWII to help save others (in the case of Memories of Glass, children). While many people have heard horrific details about the Holocaust, this side of the Holocaust is not as widely known.

The story weaves together Ava Drake’s present-day story, as director of the Kingston Family Foundation, with the historical angle, where she uncovers secrets about her family’s history in Holland during WWII. The conclusion is one that will likely leave the reader feeling a bit more hopeful.

Themes of forgiveness and resilience are key, as well as the message that God’s grace is always present. Faith is woven throughout. It’s obvious that Dobson did an extensive amount of research for this book. I also enjoyed the Author’s Note, which gave some insight on how the story came to be written.

Some of my favorite quotes:

“God is going to use you to bring people together instead of tear them apart.”
“We’ll never be satisfied in here … by relying on someone other than God to heal us.”
“Hatred stops at nothing to destroy, but love can break through the root of evil.”


Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy, but I wasn’t required to leave a positive review.

Beautiful writing, drawing the reader in from the first page. I am now a huge fan of Melanie Dobson and her works, and I look forward to reading future books of hers. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to review this incredible book!

Another keeper by Melanie Dobson. I love the time periods, the history, and the thread of hope. A powerful and emotional read. Time-slip novels are so popular - and for a reason. (imo) Because you get two stories in one and a wonderful connection that brings them solidly together.

I've not read a book by Ms. Dobson that I haven't enjoyed. If you enjoy WWII novels, time-slips, historical, and emotional reads, pick this book.

I received this book from Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review.

Wow! Melanie Dobson has done it again - combining present with the past and weaving the stories seamlessly into one fantastic book. Memories of Glass tells the story of two friends from Holland in the 1940s in the middle of the Holocaust and fast-forwards to a main character and her extended family today. There are many twists and unexpected turns in this book which keeps you guessing about relationships until the very end. The stories from the Holocaust are heart-wrenching. FANTASTIC book!

"Memories of Glass " by Melanie Dobson is an historical fiction book that takes place during World War II in Amsterdam,Holland. This book unfolds the difficult memories of World War II . The people in Holland are in shock when the Germans enter their cities. There is a theatre in Amsterdam that the Jews are transported to before they are taken to the labor camps. Josie van Rees and Eliese Linden are friends and work together to get the Jewish children out of the path of being transported to the labor camps. They hide the children but is a risky and dangerous work. They do everything possible to prevent these children from entering the labor camps. It is so difficult to hide the children because the Germans are fighting for their cause to kill the Jewish people. Their work is considered a resistance movement against what the Nazis are trying to accomplish. When the Jewish people are checked into the theatre Eliese hides cards and then sneaks the children out to safety. The story goes back and forth with Ava Drake's story with the Kingston Family Foundation. 75 years later.The Kingston Foundation is a prestigious organization. She is the director. She wonders if William Kingston, who is her great grandfather , really played a positive role during World War II. While she is working she runs into Landon West and his work with orphans in Uganda . He has a coffee plantation as well. The story keeps the reader wondering what will happen at the next turn with the resistance force to safe the Jewish children. The history has been carefully researched . The reader will get a good picture of what life was like during World War II. It is an excellent book and highly recommended! I thank the publisher, author and netgalley for allowing me to read and review this wonderful book. I am not obligated to give a positive review. I will be posting my review on Goodreads, Amazon, facebook and my blog.

“The past often has a way of creeping into our present.”

With a powerful and compelling style, award-winning author Melanie Dobson creates an extraordinary time-slip novel that demonstrates the strength and determination of the human spirit. In Memories of Glass, Melanie Dobson shares the courageous story of the heroic men and women who risked their lives during World War II to rescue countless Jewish children from the Nazis. During this time of extreme evil in the world, countless lives were lost as the Nazis began to carry out Hitler’s Final Solution, while many brave Dutch citizens joined together in the resistance. Memories of Glass weaves the historical and contemporary storylines together as Ava Drake’s present-day work as director of the Kingston Family Foundation leads her to a coffee plantation in Uganda and, ultimately, the dangerous search for answers about her family’s history during World War II in Holland. The stunning conclusion to this novel leaves the readers filled with compassion and hope for the future.

Memories of Glass is a story of forgiveness, resilience, and the silent heroes who fought against the Nazis. The author shares the message of God’s forgiveness and grace and the “reminder of God’s love no matter the wickedness of man.” Melanie Dobson is a favorite author of many World War II historical fiction readers because of the incredible way she ties her contemporary and historical storylines together, her strong and courageous heroes and heroines, and her ability to weave the characters’ faith seamlessly into her novels. Memories of Glass is highly recommended for fans of World War II fiction, and readers who enjoy time-slip novels by authors such as Heidi Chiavaroli, Rachel Hauck, and Sarah Monzon.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are mine.


Additional Quotes:
“Books, she once said, are the best legacy. They outlast one’s life and shed light on the past when truth is hard to find.”

“God is going to use you to bring people together instead of tear them apart.”

“He desires redemption, not pain, for His children.”

A compelling, complex story based on real people and events of WW2. Amid the onslaught of Nazi occupation, the brave Dutch people shine as stars as they use their resources to quietly fight the Jewish Holocaust. Digging into the past reveals a mystery that might just unravel more than one prominent family's reputation.

"The truth will set us free."
This book had me holding my breath sometimes, and brought me to tears more than once. It was very well done, bringing all the characters' stories together and creating a moving drama with some suspense, and a complicated mystery. The dual timeline worked well in bringing Ava's family history to light, and in telling the story of Dutch heroes who bravely worked in the resistance, saving children especially. They used their gifts for good instead of evil. It was quite inspirational! The legacy of love and faith, self-sacrifice and courage was a direct contrast to the evil and greed in both past and present. It all came together perfectly in the end, leaving a hopeful message.
"The darker the evil, I think, the more brilliant are the flickers of light."

If readers like stories that are well researched historicals with complex characters, they should enjoy this tale. Highly recommend! 5 stars!