Tag Archives: Tracy Groot

Tales From The TBR Pile: Madman

11 Feb

My book club read Tracy Groot‘s novel, Flame of Resistance, for our January discussion. A great book, it generated interesting conversation. Another of her novels is on my shelf: Madman. I have been eyeing this one for a while, but not sure when it will reach the top of the TBR Pile. Here is some info. on that book. Have you read it? Leave me your comments.

I63627_w185f there is a way into madness, logic says there is a way out. Logic says. Tallis, a philosopher’s servant, is sent to a Greek academy in Palestine only to discover that it has silently, ominously, disappeared. No one will tell him what happened, but he learns what has become of four of its scholars. One was murdered. One committed suicide. One worships in the temple of Dionysus. And one … one is a madman. From the author of The Brother’s Keeper comes a tale of mystery, horror, and hope in the midst of unimaginable darkness, the story behind the Geresene demoniac of the gospels of Mark and Luke.

 

 

To purchase this novel, click on the image below.

pic_lg_groot_tracyTracy Groot is the critically acclaimed and Christy Award–winning author of several novels. Her most recent books exemplify her unique style of storytelling—reimagining biblical stories within other historical contexts. Tracy’s novels have received starred Booklist and Publishers Weekly reviews and have been called “beautifully written” and “page-turning” by Publishers Weekly and “gripping” with “exquisitely drawn” characters by Library Journal. Tracy and her husband have three boys and together run a coffee shop in Holland, Michigan.

(I purchased Madman for my personal library.)

Tags: ,

Book Review: Flame of Resistance

17 Jan

359472Years of Nazi occupation have stolen much from Brigitte Durand. Family. Freedom. Hope for a future, especially for a woman with a past like hers. But that changes the day American fighter pilot Tom Jaeger is shot down over occupied France. Picked up by the Resistance, Tom becomes the linchpin in their plan to infiltrate a Germans-only brothel and get critical intel out through Brigitte, a prostitute rumored to be sympathetic to the Allied cause.D-day looms and everyone knows that invasion is imminent. But so is treachery, and the life of one American pilot unexpectedly jeopardizes everything. He becomes more important than the mission to a man who cannot bear to lose another agent and to a woman who is more than just a prostitute, who finally realizes that her actions could change the course of history.

Excerpt

pic_lg_groot_tracyTracy Groot is the critically acclaimed and Christy Award–winning author of several novels. Her most recent books exemplify her unique style of storytelling—reimagining biblical stories within other historical contexts. Tracy’s novels have received starred Booklist and Publishers Weekly reviews and have been called “beautifully written” and “page-turning” by Publishers Weekly and “gripping” with “exquisitely drawn” characters by Library Journal. Tracy and her husband have three boys and together run a coffee shop in Holland, Michigan.

My Impressions:

Tracy Groot’s novel, Flame of Resistance, won a Christy Award last year and there is no wondering why. This gritty portrayal of occupied France during the last days of WWII has it all — realistic and well-developed characters, a great sense of place, historical accuracy and a faith message that is not preachy, but resonates with one’s spirit. The January selection for my church’s book club, Page Turners, it was also a big winner with our members. We highly recommend this novel.

Flame of Resistance takes place in Normandy just months before the D-Day Invasion. There is a sense of desperation that four long years of enemy occupation can produce. With the rescue of Tom, a downed American pilot, a new sense of purpose and hope energize the resistant workers. Brigitte, a prostitute in a Germans-only brothel, also feels the change and is determined to finish the war as something other than a pariah in her community. Her glimpse of freedom embodied in Tom gives her hope of a future.

Groot wrote Flame of Resistance as an impressionistic retelling of the story of Rahab. And while there are many similarities, her novel is a work unto itself. We had a wonderful discussion about the hardships of war, the terrible choices it forces on people and the need for resistance against evil. This is a great book for a book discussion group.

So if you are a fan of historical novels set during WWII, or are just a fan of great writing, pick up Tracy Groot’s Flame of Resistance.

Highly Recommended.

(I purchased this book for my Kindle. All opinions are mine alone.)

To purchase a copy of this book, click on the image below.

Tags: , ,

Page Turners’ January Selection

31 Dec

359472Flame of Resistance by Tracy Groot. Years of Nazi occupation have stolen much from Brigitte Durand. Family. Freedom. Hope for a future, especially for a woman with a past like hers. But that changes the day American fighter pilot Tom Jaeger is shot down over occupied France. Picked up by the Resistance, Tom becomes the linchpin in their plan to infiltrate a Germans-only brothel and get critical intel out through Brigitte, a prostitute rumored to be sympathetic to the Allied cause.D-day looms and everyone knows that invasion is imminent. But so is treachery, and the life of one American pilot unexpectedly jeopardizes everything. He becomes more important than the mission to a man who cannot bear to lose another agent and to a woman who is more than just a prostitute, who finally realizes that her actions could change the course of history.

To purchase a copy of this book, click on the image below.

Tags: ,

Newer Entries →