"The Melody of the Soul" by Liz Tolsma ... and a GIVEAWAY!

Liz Tolsma has graciously offered to give away a copy of her new release. The book can be winner's choice of an ebook or hard copy (US ONLY for hard copy). You can enter by using the Rafflecopter link at the end of the post. (Giveaway ends January 12, 2018. If you are the randomly chosen winner, I'll contact you and pass on your information.) 

Back cover blurb...

By 1943, Anna Zadok, a Jewish Christian living in Prague, has lost everything, including her career as a concert violinist and almost her entire family. The only person she has left is her beloved grandmother, and she's determined to keep her safe. Protecting Grandmother won't be easy — not with a Nazi officer billeted below them.

Anna must keep a low profile. There's one thing she refuses to give up, though. Despite instruments being declared illegal, Anna defiantly continues to practice her violin. She has to believe that the war will end someday and her career will be waiting. Fortunately for Anna, the officer, Horst Engel, enjoys her soothing music. It distracts him from his dissatisfaction with Nazi ideology and reminds him that beauty still exists in an increasingly world.

When his neighbors face deportation, Horst is moved to risk everything to hide them. Anna finds herself falling in love with the handsome officer and his brave heart. But what he reveals to her might break her trust and stop the music forever…

Link to my review on the RT Bookreviews website...

(I rated it 4.5 stars - TOP PICK!)

My thoughts in a nutshell...

If you only have time to read a few books this year, be sure Tolsma's latest is on your list! Yes, it's that good! It's really setting a high standard for the other books I review this year. It is such an emotional read and hard to put down. It's sad to see the story come to an end, and I can't wait for the sequel. It's amazing to see how the author can weave together the beauty and evil in such a way that you can still see God's love in the middle of it all.

Some of my favorite quotes...

• "Cling to your memories, yes. They are good, a blessing from the Lord. But if you allow the past to weigh you down, you cannot move forward. You have to deal with the present and reach for the future."
• "Don't judge him by the uniform he wears, but by the kind of person he is underneath."
• "You're dwelling on things you can't change. Focus on what you can."

About Liz...

Passionate might best describe Liz Tolsma. She loves writing, research, and editing. Her passion shown through in her first novel which was a double award finalist. On any given day, you might find her pulling weeds in her perennial garden, walking her hyperactive dog, or curled up with a good book. Nothing means More to her than her family. She married her high-school sweetheart twenty-eight years ago. Get her talking about international adoption, and you might never get her to stop. She and her husband adopted three children, including a son who is a U.S. Marine, and two daughters.

a Rafflecopter giveaway