I discovered Liz Tolsma’s writings a few years ago and quickly decided I liked her historical mysteries. Then, she started writing the Echoes of the Past series, with dual timelines—and I loved those! So, when I had the chance to read What I Left for You, I didn’t even stop to think, but requested it immediately.
Both timelines drew me in and kept my interest. Helena felt very real to me, and I loved her devotion to her closest friend and to her mother. Her journey was absolutely heartbreaking. In McKenna’s story, I was immediately drawn in by the stresses she was enduring. I loved the way her friend supported her. I also loved that this book was not a romance! There wasn’t even a hint of a new love interest till about 70% of the way through; the focus in this book was the journeys to freedom and healing that both Helena and McKenna traveled.
My main quibble with What I Left You was the convenient coincidences that McKenna and her friend encountered during their trip to Poland. Their search flowed much more smoothly than it normally would in real life! I did love the way the story switched from one time line to the other at the perfect times to tell the story. There was one thing that confused me, relating to DNA testing, which actually turned out not to be a problem—but I had to go way back in the story to find the one line I missed on the first go through, which cleared up the mystery for me!
I liked the spiritual journey that Helena traveled. She began the story with no idea of a personal relationship with God—and ended up learning about the possibility of that. Her faith ended up being passed along to her descendents.
I enjoyed learning about the Lemko people of Eastern Europe. I had never heard of them before, but what an interesting group! I loved reading about the Polish countryside, as well. I would not rate What I Left You as highly as What I Promise You, my favorite in this series, but it is not far behind.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.
WARNING: Chapter 1: Someone dies. Chapter 2: Someone is forced to lie. Chapter 4: A baby is beaten to death. Chapter 5: “Dodging bloated bodies.” Chapter 7: Description of the baby’s death. Chapter 9: Woman thinks about the physical side of marriage, mention of the marriage bed. Chapter 13: “Murdering and arresting innocent men, women and children.” Chapter 14: Man eyes the bed he shares with his wife. Chapter 21: Smells of human excrement, blood and decay. Chapter 22: Man hit in the head with rifle, gunshots rang out. Chapter 26: Girl violated by prison guard. Chapter 29: Girl dies. Chapter 32: “Bloated bodies,” gee.

Deeply heartfelt story from WW2 with timeslip to 2023, Great-great Grandmother to Great-great Granddaughter of Lemko/Rusyns heritage.

You can feel through them their strength - and hope - through the tears. The Polish people had been taken over or relocated many times over the years - they seem to have been regarded as a lesser race. Who can understand the need for Ethnic Cleansing? To wipe out a nationality of people? Or the sheer cruelty of starvation, no sanitation, separation of families, taking their means of living and property? Even the little things that mean something to them of love and family. It more than breaks your heart. Today we have the means to stay in touch or research people and areas so much easier. It also shows us the resilience and perseverance that allow a person and a people to survive and leave descendants to carry on a family line. Very interesting and informative, profoundly moving - it should be a classic. You leave a piece of your heart with the characters.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

This story is one of tragedy and heartbreak that occurred during WWII. The heroine, Helena, is a strong, intelligent woman who is determined to rescue her friend’s baby from the Jewish ghettos and raise her as her own. While she successful in doing so, they end up getting separated. I can’t even begin to imagine the horror of not knowing what has happened to your child, but it is also a story of hope and faith in God that all will work out. While I usually enjoy dual timeline stories, this one was more frustrating than most because it often left one time period on a cliffhanger for a chapter or several, not knowing what happened until returning to that time. The second timeline tells of Helena’s great granddaughter who finally finds out what happened to this child. I had never heard of the Lemko people before this book and enjoyed learning about them in spite of all the hardships and atrocities they faced. Thanks to Barbour Publishing and NetGalley, I received a complimentary ARC copy with no obligation to post a positive review.

What I Left for You is a dual timeline story centered around the history of the Lemko people.
At the time of WWII, Lemkovyna may have been within the border of Poland, but its people had a history, language, and traditions all of their own. In telling the story of Helena Kostyszak, a strong, educated Lemko woman, who rescued her friend's baby from Poland's ghetto intending to raise her as her own, and Helena's descendant's quest to locate this daughter decades later, Tolsma is able to tenderly tell the story of the Lemko people. Learning about a culture of which I was totally unfamiliar both within the story and the author's notes was very engaging. Within the historical and contemporary storylines, Tolsma leads two of her main characters into an understanding of what it means to have a personal relationship with God, that while not preventing one from experiencing hard times, allows Him to walk through those times with you, supporting you as you surrender to His will and timing.

While the storylines are intertwined, and both are well-written, the characters in the WWII era story are by far my favorite. While reading, I wondered if they might also be the author's favorites. It would be most difficult to not both sympathize and empathize with Helena and her immediate family, where as her great granddaughter, McKenna, sounds self-absorbed one minute and compassionate the next. Fortunately, her best friend, Taylor, goes with the flow and pulls McKenna from the brink on a regular basis. The contemporary story lacks a bit of realism as it is doubtful that Taylor's job as a social worker would pay for a month in Poland and hiring someone to assist in the search for her grandmother's sister, but as harrowing as it was, the historical storyline felt very real.

I recommend What I Left for You and am grateful to have received a complimentary copy from Barbour Publishing via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

"No matter what, God"
This was a difficult book to read. It had me almost weeping in places, sometimes in sorrow at how evil people can be, and yet, by chapters 44-45, I was smiling through tears,
This is a dual-time story, set during WW2 and 2003 Poland.
In 1942 Helena Kostyszak is an educated female ethnic minority called Lemkos. Lemkos were largely poor and lacking advanced education. Helena was an exception having gone on to college and worked as a college lecturer. When her Jewish best friend, Risa, is sent to the ghetto, Helena is able to get her infant daughter Teena out safely, after which she flees to her Lemkos village. It will take all of her strength and God’s intervention for both of them to survive the war and the ethnic cleansing to come.
In 2003 social worker McKenna Muir has suffered a devastating loss of a client's child. She takes a break from her job and travels to Poland to learn more about her grandmother's family. But what McKenna discovers about her family shocks everyone, including one long-lost family member.

This is the third in the Echoes of the Past series; the first set in Greece, and the second in France. I have found all three books to be very enlightening and terrifying about the atrocities that were happening to ordinary citizens during that time in history. Unfortunately, even in these times they are still happening.
"No matter what, God"
I received an Advanced Reader Copy from NetGalley with no obligation to post a positive review.

Once again Tolsma weaves a world of characters that immerses the reader into a different time and place. You will quickly find yourself rooting for Helena as well as McKenna as they face hurdles and struggles that (fortunately) most people will never know. You will quickly develop a view of the Polish ghettoes and concentration camps that is unique and chilling. On the flip side you are given a glimpse of the perils and challenges of a social worker that few see or consider. The ending leaves you missing the characters and yet oddly satisfied.

Christian fiction readers will love this dual timeline story set in Poland. With every WWII story, something new is uncovered about the atrocities during that time period. Having never heard of the Lemkos, this story was especially interesting. The heartbreaking decisions that Helena had to make were so difficult but she was so strong in body and faith. KcKenna looking for her great-grandmother through the DNA and research was amazing. Loved the author’s note. Highly recommended!

Ever since reading Liz Tolsma’s previous two books in the Echoes of the Past Series, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the next installment! Let me tell you, when I finally was able to read it, the book was worth it’s wait to me! What I Left For You: Echoes of the Past Book 3 is a beautifully written novel set in eras of World War II and present day. Alternating between the two time periods, readers meet Helena, a woman starting out a career in 1930s Poland as a university professor, and McKenna, a woman in modern day working as a social worker. As World War II unfolds in Poland, Helena makes a promise to her best friend to take care of infant daughter, Teena. who is Jewish. Helena risks her life to take care of Teena–marrying dear friend, Jerzy and moving back home to Dubne. Helena, Jerzy, and Teena quickly become a happy family in Dubne, helping rescue people from Nazi occupation. On one such rescuing mission, Helena is separated from all that she holds dear and Helena makes it her life’s mission to get back to Teena because a true mother’s heart knows no bounds, including an adoptive mother’s heart. In 2023, McKenna’s life is coming apart at the seams when she calls off her engagement after her fiancé cheated on her and a child she’s been helping gets murdered. Deciding to take a sabbatical, McKenna heads to Poland to research her Family’s history firsthand–especially when McKenna’s Baba (Grandmother) tells McKenna she has a sister she has never met in Poland. In Poland, God miraculously puts pieces together in both Helena’s and McKenna’s lives, showing them, “No matter what, God.”

Liz Tolsma is a masterful storyteller that puts all her all into a story, and this is true of What I Left For You. Ms. Tolsma has a gift of telling a story introducing readers to parts of history and Peoples that many may not know about, without shying away from the harsh realities of history. I love how Ms. Tolsma painted the story of What I Left For You and meeting it’s characters. I was amazed at the places where Ms. Tolsma took the plot and was thankful that the story went where it did–both good and bad. I love how Ms. Tolsma was able to craft two different storylines and have them intertwine into one beautiful story. Helena’s character shows that a true Mother does not have to be blood related and can still show a selfless love. I admire Helena and those of her time–their resilience and boldness to stand up for what is right no matter the cost. I love learning about the Lemko people! My heart continues to break over injustices that human beings do to fellow human beings, especially since we all have the same Creator. I sympathized with McKenna and what she went through with, especially McKenna’s job. I understood on some level how Helena and McKenna felt, struggling to look on the bright side and barely being able to hold onto Hope, because I have had my own version of that myself. I love the Christian Message and theme of the book that was woven through out the story. (Especially the Message of “No matter what, God.” Trust me, read this book.) I love how people in both time periods pointed Helena and McKenna to Christ and encouraged them to keep going. If you are looking for an uplifting escape, that reminds you that God is seeing you through, then I highly recommend What I Left For You by Liz Tolsma!

Have you read What I Left For You? What did you think of the book?

Thank you to Liz Tolsma for giving me a copy of What I Left For You (as well as NetGalley and The Publisher) to review and for letting me be on the Launch Team. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My review is also on Goodreads, Amazon, and my blog Leslie's Library Escape.

Book 3 of the Echoes of the Past series.
Split time, Historical Fiction, WWII

I want to thank Liz Tolsma for allowing me to be on the Launch team.
I have learned so much history I didn't know about through your books (echoes of the past series)
A great storyteller. I have never heard of the Lemkos. Hardworking, Courageous, and Religious people are proud of where they come from and how they were persecuted for who they were. The author's notes at the end are a must-read!!
Another best seller!! You will not be disappointed!!

Have you heard of the Lemko people? You won't want to miss this dual time book as modern day McKenna goes to Poland to learn more about her ancestors. Before the leaves on the trip, her grandmother tells her to "find my sister". What sister? No one knew she had a sister! McKenna learns much more than she ever expected.
1939: Helena Kostyszak is lecturing at a university in Krakow, Poland and sneaks to the country of Lemko with a dying Jewish friend's baby when Jews are forced into the ghetto. Helena is certainly a brave woman as she faces so many dangers but she never gives up on protecting the child.
I was born at the end of World War II but have learned so much about what Europeans faced through reading the Echoes of the Past series. It makes me have a new appreciation of living in the United States. I encourage everyone to read What I Left for You and the entire series. I received a complimentary e-book through Barbour and NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.

“ No matter what, God.” “My peace comes from the assurance that God overseas all things.”
In this dual time book, we see McKenna search for her roots and the missing parts of her ancestral story. It is steeped in the chaos of World War II in Poland, and a little known people group known as the Lemkos who got lumped in with another group and targeted for annihilation. What was fascinating was that the author drew on her own background and researched her own family origins. This was yet another story in the complex and gut-wrenching history of World War II. This tale showcased not only hardship, but also resiliency, remarkable courage and resolve in seemingly desperate situations. The writing style was eloquent, persuasive, and powerful depicting people of great faith.
What I Left For You brought the story of Helena to a new generation, when McKenna found the links to her great grandmother.
Ms. Tolsma is a distinctive voice in World War II fiction. I am always glad to read her perspective.
* A complementary copy of this book was provided by Barbour Publishing on behalf of the author and through NetGalley. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are mine alone.*

4.5 stars

This emotional dual timeline novel (1939 Poland during WWII and 2023 Pittsburgh and Poland) is the third installment in the Echoes of the Past series, but it could be read as a standalone novel.

I have read numerous books in the genre, but I have never read one about the Lemko Jews. As is standard for this author, Tolsma writes about a difficult time in history with sensitivity, shedding light on the hardships, but also showing the light of God's hope through those situations. She weaves historical facts with fiction to create a compelling story that quickly pulls the reader in. The author also includes a note about how she has a personal connection to the Lemko people, a group that is often overlooked. Characters in both storylines are realistic and well-developed, and you can't help but connect with them. While this is a story that is quite heavy at times, it is also very uplifting with a strong faith element woven throughout.

1938-1949 Poland & 2023 Pennsylvania & Poland

This third in a series shines a light on a Polish subset I had never heard of...Lemkos. Lemkos were largely poor and lacking advanced education. Helena Kostyszak was an exception having gone on to college and worked as a college lecturer.

In the current day thread, McKenna Muir goes through a devastating loss in her work as social worker and questions her profession and her fit for it. Taking a sabbatical to research her family history works out to be a blessing in addition to a break.

While most of the novel is heavy, there are glimpses of light throughout. I love the way the author unfolds the story through the neatly woven timelines that complement each other so well.

I hope I can do justice to this poignant tale that rather reads like an opera on suffering, of love won, lost, nearly regained, but lost again.

It's also the story of a little known ethnic group of people called the Lemkos who inhabited the tiny region of Lemkovyna for centuries. Located in the Carpathian mountains near the borders between southern Poland, northern Slovakia and the western parts of Ukraine, the Lemko are a proud race with a rich Greek Catholic Orthodox heritage, their own language, customs, culture, dress.

Helena Kostyszak, a Lemko is highly educated and teaches at Jagiellonian University at Krakow, Poland when the Nazis goose-step into Poland. The intellectuals are herded to a camp, Helena escaping because a fellow professor Jerzy Bielski swore she was not a professor. The only other female professor, a Jewess- Risa - is imprisoned in the ghetto. Helena saves Risa's child as she lies dying and spirits her away to Lemkovyna along with Jerzy whom she marries.

You get an insight into the hard lives of the simple, largely uneducated Lemkos where Helena and her husband are the educated oddities. But Jerzy, a Pole, takes the Lemko to his heart and becomes one of them. His activities land them in a Nazi work camp, torn from each other and from Teena, their adopted daughter. Does Helena ever reunite with her husband and daughter?

Half a world away both in time and space, McKenna Muir is struggling to come to terms with her broken engagement, her boyfriend's perfidy and a horrific murder. To help her heal, her family and friend, suggest she visit Poland to discover her ancestry - she is part Lemko. As she's readying to depart, her grandmother throws a bombshell. What will McKenna discover?

The novel swings between war torn Lemko lives and the present. Almost every chapter begins with hauntingly beautiful Lemko poetry, hailing Lemkovyna, its beauties, bemoaning their suffering before and during World War II, their love for their land, their families and the final, ethnic cleansing they face. Is there any end to the sufferings these little known people group face?

The novel ends on a note of optimism and triumph in the midst of so much loss, tragedy, sorrow and unimaginable hardships, all by the grace of God who has never forsaken or failed the Lemko, even though they were forsaken and failed by man.

I loved the characters of Helena, Jerzy and Paul Dudiak. You can see them grow visibly in their faith in the midst of the worst atrocities man can inflict on his fellow human beings. You see the same resilience in McKenna as she navigates life in midst of the harsh realities she faces as a social worker faced by personal loss and tragedy. You see the growth in her faith arc and her healing springing forth with each discovery she makes while in Poland.

A beautifully written, evocative, haunting novel - a mini opera, you will carry it in your heart for days to come.

I was given an e-ARC for my reading pleasure. The opinions expressed herein are my own.

I absolutely love this book. I’ve always enjoyed books by Liz Tolsma, but this is her best. She weaves back and forth between World War II period and present day. McKenna lives in western PA and works as a social worker. She is of Polish heritage and was very interested in finding out more about where her family came from as well as finding out more about a long-lost sister of her great grandmother. So, she along with a friend head for Poland.

There is so much tragedy in the book as the family goes through imprisonment, loss and starvation throughout the war. McKenna finds out that one of the reasons her descendants located in western PA was because it reminded them of the countryside they lived in before coming to the US.

If you enjoy historical fiction, you will like this book. I received a complimentary copy from Barbour Publishing and Net Galley and was under no obligation to post a review.

"What I Left For You" by Liz Tolsma is a phenomenal novel. It's a dual timeline, set mostly in Poland and is so well written and researched! In the present timeline, a woman experiences a horrible loss and at the same time is looking for information on what may have happened to her grandma's sister during and after WWII. In the past timeline set in WWII, we hear her great-grandmother's story of what happened to her and the Lemko people of Poland.

This book brought out so many feelings and I was so invested in it I actually cried (in a good way). The descriptions of food made me, who is of Polish descent myself, crave pierogi and paczki which I never great to eat much anymore.. The book is also filled with so much encouraging and thought provoking faith content (mostly towards the end).

I felt a connection to this story through what I heard from my grandpa of Polish descent and while I don't believe he was Lemko, some of what happened to Helena in the story happened to his family. I do think anyone that reads this story will learn a lot about Polish WWII history. So much of what is written here in a fictional book is based on true history and Tolsma's epilogue explains fact from fiction very well.

Thank you to Barbour Publishing for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

"No matter what, God"

I have just finished reading the last sentence and the author's notes on this book. As I try to write this review my eyes are filled with tears. What a powerful story. Liz Tolsma has hit me right in the heart with Helena's story. It is so much more than the heartrending story of a fictional character who suffered atrocities of World War II Dubne, Poland. This is the story of the Lemko people who were nearly wiped from the earth and taken from their homeland during the war and the days of occupation afterward. This was a reality that Lemko descendant Liz Tolsma has deeply researched in her own quest to know her background, ancestry and the incredible story of her people. This is a sad story but one that shows the strength, faith, love and devotion to God and community of the Lemko people.
To me Helena Kostyszak, one character, is representative of a very poor people who are rich in love, bravery, intelligence and character. Over the decades she knows intense sorrow and enduring friendship. There are precious characters and men who love her that add intensity to the suffering, sorrow and endless love in the story. Jerzy Bielski is one of them. I want you, the reader to experience them yourself.
I received an e-copy of this beautiful, heartbreaking story from Barbour Publishing via NetGalley. This is my heartfelt personal reaction and opinion of this story, a masterpiece in honor of the people of Lemkovnya, past and present.
There is also the story of modern-day character McKenna Muir, who after the shocking murder of a toddler, breaks away and travels to Poland in a search of her ancestry. This journey is reflective of Liz Tolsma's own research trip with her daughter.
I rate this story a five out of five. I recommend it for readers who enjoy learning more about history, World War II, faith-based fiction, and incredibly strong women. There is a vein of sadness throughout which is what the time period and world has given us in all reality. It is a terrible part of history that we need to be aware of. We can learn from the strength that was drawn upon with a drive and faith to survive.
Thank you, Liz Tolsma.
Triggers, while written in good taste there is, of course, violence, death and an 'unseen' rape in the story.
This book deserves to be an award winner.

In 1939 WWII, Helena rescues her dearest friend's daughter from the ghetto and certain death. She does all she can to protect her new daughter and her own mother, but it may not be enough.

In 2023, McKenna is devastated when one of children on her caseload is murdered. To try to assuage her own guilty feelings, she travels with her best friend to Poland to try to discover her family's hidden past.

When the past and the present collide with what McKenna learns, will all be well in her world now, or is the past too much to bear?

I highly recommend this book to anyone who love dual timeline, WWII, suspense, and a surprise HEA!

I received an early copy of this novel from the author. However, my review is my opinion and done of my own volition.

This dual-timeline story is heartbreaking. Full of the sorrows and brutality of man in both timelines; but also full of hope and peace. It reveals the ugliness of WWII and the suffering of the Lemko people. Helena and McKenna are both fantastic characters.
I loved that even after all the evil Helena saw and endured she could still say, “No matter what, God.” Such a beautiful reminder to us all.

This ARC was provided through NetGalley by the publisher. I was not required to give a positive review, rating and opinions are my own.

Echoes of the Past, Book 3, entitled "What I Left For You" by Liz Tolsma has got to be her best book yet. I have read several of her books, but this one really pulls at your heartstrings. This dual timeline of WW2 Poland & the present day begins with Helena & the terrifying events that take her through WW2 & the invasion of Poland. She suffers so much loss & almost loses her faith as well. In the present day, her granddaughter McKenna goes to Poland in search of family history. What she discovers will change all their lives. When you read about the present day Poland, it is so descriptive, its hard to believe what had happened there. It is truly a story of human endurance, forgiveness & faith. I couldn't put the book down, it is that good. "No Matter What, God." I was given a complimentary copy of this book by Barbour Publishing & was under no obligation to post a review.