From Dust and Ashes: A Story of Liberation

I couldn't put this book down. As horrific as it is to read of the atrocities of the holocaust, this book has an important role in telling of how the survivors coped with their awful memories, both victims, captors and those who did nothing to stop it. In telling the stories of some of the prisoners and a wife of a prison guard, it shows the mighty power that forgiveness has in lives. Though this is a fictional book, I've read enough to know that the stories within occurred with variations. It is a well written saga which will cause you to ponder the story from all sides.

Overall, it was an okay book. I have issues with Christian fiction set in this particular time period; using the Holocaust to promote your religion just seems tacky to me, especially when many of the perpetrators of the Holocaust professed to be Christians (whether they were "True Christians (tm)" or not, well, I suppose only they know the answer to that). But, I tried not to judge the book by that.

Instead, I tried to judge the book on its merits. Historically, I found it to be rather well-grounded. There were a few times that phrases were used that just weren't quite right for either the time period or the characters saying them, but it's hard to write consistently, and our modern-day slang tends to creep in once in a while. I know show more little about Mauthausen-Gusen except that most of the Gusen sub-camps were cleared and suburbs are now situated upon them, so I can't comment about that.

I do have an issue with the characterization in the book, which often happens in Christian fiction. While Helene and Peter were both fleshed out rather nicely, some of the other characters were just ridiculously bad. In particular, Friedrich and Arno were two-dimensional cardboard cutout villains. I expected Arno to have a penciled mustache and to waggle his eyebrows! Really, all of the Nazis in the book were. While Friedrich did have a little redeeming side to him in his love for his children, he was plain bad. Sure, it's easy (or perhaps the right word is lazy) to paint every Nazi soldier as diabolically evil, but it's not good characterization. People can do evil, evil things and yet still not be dime novel villains. People are much more complex creatures than that. I'd recommend "Into That Darkness" by Gitta Sereny or "Ordinary Men" by Christopher Browning for a better examination of the complexities of human behavior.

I also had an issue with the fact that the Jewish characters (Josef and Leah, who still went by her Christianized "Lelia" name at the end of the book, ugh) were only secondary at best and felt like token characters. At least no one tried to convert them, which was rather surprising considering that this was a Christian novel.

Plus, the whole "I was raised in a heavily Christian nation but I have absolutely no idea what True Christianity (tm) is about" theme was silly. I was raised in a nation where Christianity is the dominant religion, and I know a heck of a lot about it even though it's not my religion. Come on.

And, as I do in many fiction novels, particularly Christian, I had an issue with the plot. There are just too many coincidences to make the story believable: photographs surface at the wrong (or right) moments, a handy character we met earlier in the story shows up at just the right time, instafriends appear when you need them, etc, etc. Of course, Christian fiction can blame these as the workings of god, but I just find such "coincidences" distracting.

I did like the one character's chilly reception once she returned to Poland. That was very realistic.

Altogether, I found this book to be mediocre. The author can write fairly well, but there wasn't much drawing me to the novel. Perhaps it's because I'm a prickly Jew who is a 3G descendant, but whatever the case, I won't be re-reading this one. show less

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a beautifully written story about an Allied soldier, the wife of a Nazi SS guard, and a liberated camp prisoner. I loved how Tricia Goyer wove this story together and took the reader on the journeys these characters took to find hope, love and forgiveness. I didn't want it to end!

Interesting History

The plot was interesting but choppy. The historical aspects I would have liked to have more of throughout. The Christian conversion plot was unexpected.

As the back cover states: Austria, 1945 "Nazis flee under cover of darkness as American troops near the town of St. Georgen. A terrible surprise awaits the unsuspecting GIs. And three people - the wife of an SS guard, an American soldier, and a concentration camp survivor - will never be the same. Inspired by actual events surrounding the liberation of a Nazi concentration camp, 'From Dust and Ashes' shows the healing power of forgiveness."

This was another well told story about a horrible time during World War II, and how people faced it and got through it. The whole series was very good, but each story is a stand alone book and although they are all written during the same time period, the characters are not inter-related in these show more stories. I am so appreciative to those who fought for the freedom from Germany's tyranny at that time. show less

Wife of an SS guard at a notorious prison copes with the aftermath of her husband's "job" and her failure to do anything when the allies come into the town and release the Jewish prisoners. Nothing remarkable about this book. A MUCH better choice woud be The Book Thief.

Very moving. The characters are well developed, except Freidrich...because you can't really tell what he feels for his family. Otherwise, a vrey original plot!