It took me a few chapters to get interested in this book but once I had made it a few chapters into the book I was so glad that I didn't give up. All three of the main characters (Lena, Ans, and Miriam) were women. Each of them were moving and inspiring in their own way. Each one gave me new perspective and moved me. The story followed all three women in great detail but not to the point that it was too much and boring. This book did so well with details relating to the Nazi invasion and giving us a historical fiction encounter of what the people in the midst of that invasion must have faced.

"This book was provided to me by NetGalley and Tyndale House. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. All opinions are my own.”

A wonderful historical fiction about two women and how Nazi invasion affected their lives.
This is not about the concentration camps but people trying to help people in the terrible war time.

I'm not sure how I have never put my hands on a Lynn Austin book until this one - but now I can't get enough! Absolutely vivid and fully-encompassing feel to the scenery, characters, and situations. I felt like I was watching a movie playing out right in front of me. All of my senses were engaged, participating in every moment. It will cause tears and heartache while also reinforcing feelings of hope, faith, and love. Overall, I felt one of the key themes - resilience - and enjoyed the aspects of different ways to approach their predicament.

Another wonderful book from Lynn Austin! She is one of my favorite authors. This story touched my heart from the very beginning! Even though the characters are fictional they seem so real. The trials, the strength and the perseverance of each woman were so inspirational. Their faith in God is encouraging for readers. I know it encourages me to read how people can come thru so many trials and end up even stronger sometimes. I loved that music played a part in calming Miriam because I can listen to beautiful songs and music and it just seems to bring me closer to my creator and helps calm my soul.
This was such a beautiful story that you certainly don’t want to miss reading this book. Read it and be encouraged!
I received a complimentary paper copy of this book from the publisher and through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own

This WWII story, set in The Netherlands, follows the family of Lena and Pieter as they risk their safety by harboring Jewish people during the war. Their oldest daughter, Ans, takes a caretaker job in Leiden just before the war begins and finds herself working with Resistance as times goes on. That is complicated by her relationship with Erik, who starts to work for the Nazi party as a local police officer. Ans loyalties and purpose are threatened by her love of Erik. We also meet Eloise who seems to be bipolar. And, that condition was a result of her family’s experiences during WWI. When things hit close to home in WWII, Eloise feels threatened and old memories surface. Miriam, a Jewish refugee from Germany, is a young mother who must choose how to keep her family safe.

Reading this story of persecuted persons was challenging as it is early 2022 and Russia’s war on Ukraine is top news. It makes you think about how we are to react and participate when innocent persons are in danger and targeted.

Stars: 4

Synopsis: When Hitler rises to seduce The Netherlands and destroy the Jews, three women—Lena, a Dutch farmer’s wife, her restless daughter Ans, and young German Jewess Miriam—are swept away into a sea of tragedy, heartache, lost love, betrayal, deception...and beautiful, tenuous hope.


There is literally only one way for me to begin this review.

I teared up.

Which is a rarity when it comes to me reading (reading is basically the only thing I can do without blubbering), so that in and of itself is...tremendous, to say the least.

But that’s not all.

I didn’t just tear up once or even twice.

I teared up four. whole. times.

Y’all, this book is legit a tearjerker. (You know it is when it nearly jerked ‘em out of me, the girl who’s only full-out cried over a book twice in her life.)

And this is crazy, because for the first half of Chasing Shadows, I was bored slap to death. Okay...not that bad, but the beginning did crawl by, and I had a lot of difficulty connecting to the characters since the writing is so detached and distant. Just gonna go ahead and be honest here...yeah, there wasn’t a lot of emotion in Austin’s actual prose, nor were her characters very immersive. Like, I didn’t start liking Ans until halfway through, and really the only reason I liked Miriam for most of the time was because she wasn’t a whiny teenager (like Ans).

But I digress.

Even though the first 50% left a lot to be desired, in my opinion, you have to admit that the setting was so vibrant and alive, that the perspective of the Dutch people was so amazing to have, that the overall concept was amazing because you rarely ever get WWII stories that aren’t (1) high-stakes and suspenseful, (2) about Americans, (3) set in Germany, or (4) entirely from the perspective of a Jew. Even though those are all spectacular WWII stories, Chasing Shadows stood out among the crowd by capturing an almost slice-of-life aspect of this time. There was suspense and the Jewish perspective...but at the same time, there was this quiet stillness of the farm even in the middle of a war. There were the sweet refrains of Miriam’s violin. There were long strolls through Leiden with Ans and Erik.

Even in the chaos, there was peace.

And I loved that.

Yes, even when I was bored, I still loved it.

I grew to love Ans and Miriam, Lena and Eloise (I adore Eloise), Pieter and Opa and Herman and Avi. I began to feel for these characters in a soul-deep way, and, yes, the pain and suffering they experienced made me cry.

But so did the hope they found and the faith they stood on.

Y’all, it was those moments of profound beauty and love that made me cry. Not really the heartache and the tragedy, but the hope they found in it. (Hate to be a spoil-sport...but SPOILER ALERT! When Opa sacrificed himself and when Lena hugged that young Nazi solider...those were the moments that pulled at my heartstrings.)

Above all, my favorite part of Chasing Shadows were the themes and the happy ending. I know people hate on happy endings all the time, but when it comes to Christian fiction (especially romance, of course), there is nothing more beautiful. The happy endings we read and watch are poignant reminders of how happy our endings will be when we are held in God’s arms in Heaven.

I don’t know about you, but that’s what I find entertaining—the reflections of the hope we have in Christ, the symbols of His love and sacrifice, the remembrance of His grace and mercy.

And can I just mention the faith? the arcs? Y’all, I loved how the faith in this book, the faith of the characters, was so genuine, so authentic! It strengthened and matured through the moments of doubt, it permeated every aspect of the characters’ lives, it directed their thoughts and actions. The way their personal arcs entwined with their faith arcs...the way they grew as Christians instead of just as people...was so inspiring, so well-done.

So even though the writing didn’t pull me in, the themes did. The story did. The beauty of it all did. And that’s what kept my attention until the end. I think, had the beginning been faster-paced just a bit and had the writing been more showy rather than telly (more immersive, I mean), I would’ve gotten into this story way sooner (and thereby finished it within a month instead of six). As it were, the story itself stands out so well, and once you make it in...you’re in.

Disclaimer: A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Lynn Austin is the best. Her stories just keep getting better and better and I loved this one. The writing is perfect, the charcaters original and relatable- highly recommed it.

Chasing Shadows is an incredible book about the persecuted Jews in the Netherlands during World War 2. In it you meet Lena and Pieter and their children Ans, Wim and Maaike; the Professor and his wife Eloise, Ans' friend Miriam and her husband Avi and their daughter Elisheva. Each family has a compelling story to tell that is beautiful yet haunting. It shows the strength of these people along with all that they endured at the hands of the Nazis.

Chasing Shadows will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Published 8 June 2021.

This story drew me back into this time period and completely held my attention all throughout the book. Great characters made this story seem believable. This author’s storytelling ability is amazing and I highly recommend this one. It’s a story you won’t soon forget.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Lynn Austin is a queen at historical worldbuilding. I enjoyed learning about a part of WWII that I was not familiar with. Through loss and despair, Austin weaves in hope and courage to persevere in this story that quickly captures your heart.

An excellent read!
This was my first time reading about world war 2 from this perspective, the story has stuck with me, the characters are likable and enduring. Unique and gripping. Recommended!

This is a powerful story. As I read through it, I was struck over and over by the battle of good versus evil, love versus hate, truth versus lies. I was also struck with the amazing similarity of what happened when the Nazis conquered Holland, and what is happening right now in my country over a certain sickness and a medical procedure that supposedly helps to fight it. The same sequence of events that saw the Jewish teachers banned from teaching and the schools closed is playing out in this country at the present moment, but over whether the teachers have submitted to that medical procedure instead.
Lynn Austin has done a wonderful job of showing the bravery and love of those who helped the Jews. She also clearly showed what happens to a person who decided to go along with the Nazis and do what they said, so that he could keep his job. The slippery slope was so real!
One thought that really stood out to me was something that Pieter said to Lena: “You're wound so tightly, worying about every little thing, trying so hard to hang on to control, but you never were in control to begin with. It's an illusion. The sooner you relaize that, the sooner you'll put everything into God's hands and find some peace and maybe even get some sleep at night.”
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.
I received a review copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

I've 'lived through' WWII at least 2 dozen times with different characters and authors. In different countries and professions, from nurses to pilots to the American home front. Chasing Shadows is in the top 2. Maybe first place, but I need a little more distance to be a good judge.

This is the most powerful and emotionally effective story that I have read in a really long time. I was there, with Ans and Eloise and Lena and Miriam every moment of the story. I hurt with them and cheered them on.

These ladies show how to bring faith to life in the worst of circumstances and put Jesus' commands before their own safety. Even if some of them didn't have much faith to begin with.

The fear and danger are real, and that's what makes the faith and compassion and sacrifice shine bright.
Especially when it comes to forgiving the 'enemy'.

There's several great examples of people who go along to get along, intent on not rocking the boat. Once you have justified or 'overlooked' one wrong, the next one is easier to swallow, unfortunately.

The protests on behalf of the mistreatment of the Jewish community, and the active hiding and care of those who were targeted gave me hope. It is a very good reminder that we need to be active in speaking up for the oppressed. Unfortunately many of the strategies used in WWII will not work anymore, with the technology available today.

Reading it in 2021, several times I was reminded of current events, not that that was the authors intent, but still. There were pre-war and early rules that were startlingly familiar.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who would like a taste of what WWII was like, for a German Jew, a Dutch farmer's family, or a survivor of WWI. It's not an easy read, though you won't be able to put it down.

I would say age 14+, but I wouldn't like a high schooler reading it alone. Since it's based on so much real history, it covers some awful things. Nothing graphic, just tragically real.

Received a copy of the book from @netgalley and chose to review it here. All thoughts are my own.

A Lynn Austin book never disappoints. I felt like she had a good sense of the Netherlands from that time period. Characters you're always cheering for. A great read.

Cover:

Auf den ersten Blick wirkt das Cover ruhig und erst auf den zweiten Blick sieht man die Flieger am Himmel, die die Idylle zerstören. Das junge Paar im Vordergrund hält sich aneinander fest und sieht in Richtung des Horizonts. Sehr passend finde ich das Zusammenspiel zwischen Titel und Cover. Die beiden ergänzen sich wirklich gut.

Inhalt:

Im Mittelpunkt dieses Romans stehen drei Frauen, die von den Geschehnissen des zweiten Weltkriegs bedroht werden. Lena möchte den Juden helfen und gegen den Einfall der Nazis in den Niederlanden kämpfen, jedoch muss sie dabei das Leben ihrer Kinder und ihres Ehemannes in die Hände Gottes übergeben. Ans, die Tochter von Lena, tritt kurz vor Beginn des Kriegs eine neue Stellung in Leiden an und lernt dort einen jungen Mann kennen, in den sie sich verliebt. Als der Krieg beginnt sieht sie sich ganz neuen Bedrohungen und lebensverändernden Entscheidungen gegenüber. Miriam ist mit ihrem Vater aus Deutschland geflohen und möchte in den Niederlanden ein neues Leben beginnen. Nun hat der Krieg sie auch dort eingeholt und erneut ist ihre Leben und ihr ganzes Volk von den Schreckenstaten der Nazis bedroht.

Meinung:

Mir fiel es bei diesem Buch wirklich schwer eine Inhaltsangabe zu schreiben, da es so viele unterschiedliche Handlungsstränge gibt, die sich trotzdem immer wieder kreuzen.

Außerdem wird die Geschichte aus der Sicht, der drei Frauen Lena, Ans und Miriam geschildert. Dadurch ist der Roman abwechslungsreich und vielseitig. Man bekommt Einblicke in sehr unterschiedliche Schicksale, sodass einem die Schrecken des zweiten Weltkriegs nochmal neu bewusst werden.

Der Schreibstil ist flüssig und obwohl man auf einigen Seiten sehr bewegt wird, liest sich das Buch schnell weg und fesselt.

Die Charaktere machen eine enorme Charakterentwicklung durch und sind sehr authentisch. Vor allem ihr Glaubensleben ist beeindruckend. Besonders ist auch, dass ihre Beziehung zu Gott jeweils einzigartig ist.

Man fiebert das ganze Buch über mit den Charakteren mit und hofft, dass es für sie alle gut ausgeht. Auf manchen Seiten sind mir die Tränen gekommen, auf anderen habe ich mich mit den Charakteren gefreut und wieder auf anderen war ich unglaublich sauer über die ganzen Ungerechtigkeiten von den Nazis.

Mir sind die Schrecken dieser Zeit nochmal sehr deutlich bewusst geworden und vor allem die Arbeit im niederländischen Widerstand hat mich beeindruckt. Die Atmosphäre und die Ängste dieser Zeit wurden wirklich authentisch dargestellt.

Fazit:

Ein berührender Roman, bei dem man sich viel für sein eigenes Glaubensleben mitnehmen kann und durch den man die Einzelschicksale des zweiten Weltkriegs nochmal näher vor Augen geführt bekommt. Für mich ist es ein sehr guter christlicher Roman, der einen tiefgängigen Inhalt hat.

Oh, how I loved this one! Reading each of the different POV's kept my nose deep into the pages of this one because I couldn't seem to rest until I knew what would happen next for each of them. The danger that loomed around every corner and the suspense that kept my heartrate going as if I were working out instead of sitting down and reading a book made this quite the experience to read. As soon as I finished reading I handed this over to a friend I was staying with and she read it almost as fast as I did, so I am apparently not the only one who found themselves helplessly trapped in the pages. I know that some people struggle when there are too many POV's in a novel but even though I'm typically someone who likes them anyways, I felt the cast of characters and their interweaving stories made it work really well for this story and it wasn't difficult to keep them straight. I always say a good book is one that can make me FEEL something, and this one was certainly able to achieve that. I highly, highly recommend this one!

*I received a copy of this one from Tyndale House. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.

What good is a chest filled with gold that never gets spent? What good is my life if I selfishly keep it to myself and don't spend it to others.
- Eloise


The story is set during the WWII, at the time the Nazis are invading a lot of countries and persecuting Jews.
3 women, Lena, Ans, and Miriam, are the lead characters here and their faith will be tested (and strengthened) in this story.

I cannot tell you just how many times my heart broke!
I would literally put my phone down (reading digitally), and not pick it up for days. Sometimes, I read it so fast, just to get past the troubles that the characters are facing and hope nothing bad happens in the next chapter.
I discussed this book with my husband and we had a long conversation about what happened during the war.

I liked how Lynn writes and even though there are 3 main leads, the story is not confusing.

I would like to give a more full review but I feel I will be giving spoilers if I continue.
This is my first @lynnaustinbooks and I would rate it a 4.7 stars out of 5.


I received a physical copy from @tyndalehouse and a digital one through @netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.
Can't wait to read her other books!

3.5 stars

I love Lynn Austin books! She is fantastic with telling stories that are meaningful.

Though I enjoyed this book, I didn't feel it was as good as most of her other books. It is obvious that she knows a lot about the history of the Netherlands. But the book covered so much history and follows three characters. Between the two, the book lost some depth of character development.

Still a great read and recommended.

It’s been a while since I read a Lynn Austin novel, and I’d forgotten what a brilliant writer she is. In Chasing Shadows, she takes on what I think is a new time period for her: World War II.

She also introduces a setting that I haven’t seen before in WWII Christian fiction: the Netherlands.
The story stars at the end of the war, as the Allies finally free the Netherlands from the tyranny of the Nazis. We are introduced to Lena, a farmer’s wife, and to her (mostly absent) family, and to the shadow people … the people she hides in her barn and cellar.

The novel then slips back in time by six years, to June 1939, shortly before the war started. There are three main characters in the novel: Lena, a farmer’s wife; Ans, her rebellious eighteen-year-old daughter; and Miriam, a Jewish musician from Germany. Chasing Shadows follows each of them through the war – escaping from Germany, the outbreak of war, the invasion of the neutral Netherlands. Each woman is faced with hard, almost impossible choices, choices which challenge and refine their faith. They have to choose to do the hard thing over and over because it’s the only right thing.

In many ways, Chasing Shadows was a difficult novel to read. While Lena, Ans, and Marian are all fictional characters, history has already taught us that these things happened, and that normal women like these had to make impossible choices to survive themselves and protect those they loved. And while we know the end of the story (the Allies were victorious and the Netherlands was freed), we don’t know what is going to happen to the characters in the story. At times, that tension was almost unbearable.

Chasing Shadows is a brilliant World War II novel that shows how the Dutch people reacted to the Nazi occupation, the choices they made, and the trials they faced. It highlights the oustanding yet dangerous work of the Dutch Resistance movement.

Most of all, it shows how much of this work was done by everyday Christians working to protect the Jews and other enemies of the Nazis. As such, it is both encouraging and challenging as it shows Dutch Christians loving their neighbours—Jewish and otherwise—as the Bible commands.

Overall, Chasing Shadows by Lynn Austin is a powerful novel about the trials and triumphs faced by the Dutch in World War II, shown through the eyes of three very different women. Recommended.

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

I don't know what it is about Historical Fiction and especially stories set during WWII but I'm a big sucker for them. I always think I'll find a lot of repetitiveness among the books but I haven't. I always find something new to learn, and because this book was set in the Netherlands and Germany and it touched on Belgium, I acquired new knowledge.

As any WWII story set during WWII and the holocaust, everyone knows there were so many atrocities that occurred at that time, especially acts of violence, theft of Jewish people's properties and wealth, murders and rapes, and the most vile things one can think of that are pure evil. Perhaps the one difference in this book is that it has people of faith. People of faith look to God for deliverance and to alleviate their fears but at the same time they are human. There were Bible verses and some talk about looking to God and trusting him as well as come Bible verses. There was also some discussion on religion, whether or not one prayed and why/why not.

The human spirit is a beautiful thing. People selflessly protected others in absolute danger of having their own lives and families killed because of it. Yet, even with a real threat that anyone would be naïve to think they would go unscathed if caught, people still helped out those in danger, shared food even when they didn't really have it to share, and other acts of kindness.

I love this one and I highly recommend it to others. It is a beautiful story and I must say a very inspiring book about human beings in the most difficult of times.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Tyndale House Publishers for giving me an e-ARC of this book for my honest opinion, which I have given.<

#ChasingShadows #NetGalley