Camille has agreed to give away an electronic copy of this book to one lucky blog reader. You can enter by using the Rafflecopter link at the end of the post. (Giveaway ends January 14, 2020. If you are the randomly chosen winner, I'll contact you.)
The story behind the story...
The idea for Anna’s story came on the heels of my previous novel, The
Memoir of Johnny Devine. I wanted to try my hand again at setting a story during
an era with a prominent social issue that could trickle down into the individual
lives of the characters. Wings Like a Dove was birthed by a much
different process than my other novels. The idea for Johnny Devine came from a
dream—one simple, heart-wrenching scene—and an entire novel sprang from that. Wings
came from a “What If” brainstorm. What if an unmarried immigrant found herself
pregnant, in a time in America that would make her predicament more of a
challenge?
After the central story took shape, the characters took on lives
and stories of their own, as often happens in fiction writing. Most of the supporting
characters inherited traits from real life, personal experience, and from
people I’ve known. Thomas speaks reverently of the man who raised him. This
man, Gabriel Johansen, is fashioned after my late father in law. And in small
part, so were most of the orphan boys, who are the same age my father in law
would have been in 1933. Some of details in this story come from stories of his
boyhood.
I didn’t intend for the story to be a difficult read; I wanted to
tell a heart-warming story of redemption. And I hope I have. But as I researched the era, the discovery of
the Women’s Ku Klux Klan and their agenda to “cleanse” their communities of
certain people, including Jews, meant that I had no choice but to include it. The
presence of the Klan in middle America fit all too well with the string of challenges
that Anna would face in 1933. And as a side note, when I was plotting this
story several years ago, before delays kept interfering with its completion, I
had no idea what the future held, what conversations about immigration, racism,
and unity would be taking place now, as the story is released. I can only
wonder if God had a plan for this story, for such a time as this.
Excerpt...
Anna
studied him, the sincerity of his expression, the patient way he waited, the
strong, pleasing angles of his face. “How?”
“You
can help me work on being more connected, and…I can help you search for what
you’ve lost.” He was no longer jovial, but suddenly very attentive, the hope in
his eyes entreating, tender. Tempting. It was not difficult to see herself
spending time with Thomas. It was quite easy. So easy, in fact, that she
suddenly saw the two of them, in her mind’s eye, making a home, working
together and sharing a life, loving these boys, loving…
A
small gasp escaped her.
“Anna?”
His voice was breathless with wonder. He dipped his head closer and peered into
her eyes, studying her carefully.
As
clearly as if in a waking dream, she saw herself married to Thomas, saw herself
loving him with all of her heart and soul. Which, of course, was impossible.
Painfully so.
Quickly,
she dropped her gaze, blocking his scrutiny. Surely her eyes would give away
both her foolish feelings and her dirtiness.
He
reached up with his fingertips and gently tilted her chin upward, forcing her
to look him in the eye. “Forgive me, but … I need to see if that was just my
imagination.”
She
swallowed hard. Look away, Anna ...
My review...
Eide’s latest rivets the reader and has a little bit of
something for just about everyone: romance, history (Great Depression), and
real-world challenges (such as discrimination). (Sadly, some issues addressed
in this book are still alive in today’s society, as well.) It’s a beautifully
written powerful tale that will likely stick with the reader long after the
final page. Grace, love, healing, and forgiveness are key takeaways. It was one
of my favorite books from 2019. Wings Like A Dove is historical fiction
at its finest.
Anna finds herself on her own and pregnant in a world that is intolerant of Jews. Yet through it all, she is courageous and perseveres,
overcoming obstacles no one should have to face. Along the way, she encounters
a group of orphans, and together they’ll each learn from each other things they’d
never considered before. They will all discover that God is always in control.
Aside from Anna, Thomas and Samuel steal the show … and the
readers’ hearts. This is the first book I’ve read by Eide, but it won’t be my
last!
Some of my favorite quotes:
“What if we choose instead to be blind to people’s flaws and
shortcomings and the differences we do not understand?”
“Will we not all need mercy at some time in our lives? Mercy
we do not deserve? It is a precious gift, and yet it is free. Everyone has the
power to give it.”
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy, but I wasn’t
required to leave a positive review.
Purchase link
About Camille...
Camille Eide is the award-winning author of inspirational romantic
fiction including The Memoir of Johnny Devine. Camille lives near the
Oregon Cascades with her husband and is Mom to three, Grammy to five, and
enjoys the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. She also loves the
liberating truth and wisdom of God’s word, and hopes that her stories will stir
your heart, strengthen your faith, and encourage you on your journey.
Other titles include: Savanna’s Gift (Christmas), Like
There’s No Tomorrow, Like a Love Song, The Memoir of Johnny
Devine, and The Healer (exclusive to newsletter subscribers).
Where you can find her online...
a Rafflecopter giveaway
