Brodie and Brock Thoene - The Gathering Storm

The Gathering Storm

Brodie and Brock Thoene

Summerside Press, Aug 1 2010, $14.99

www.summersidepress.com

ISBN: 9781609360337

In years, Lorelei is a youngster, but with Hitler's rise to power, she is forced to grow up fast. She is an American citizen living in Berlin; born to a Texas mother and Austrian Protestant missionary. Her mom died a few years ago, but she and her dad reside in Germany when they are forced to see by the mysterious Ebon Golah that a shadow will soon lay across the world. She marries German Jew Varrick Kepler so can he can obtain papers to escape Germany.

Having lived through Kristallnacht, Lora and her family move to Brussels where she is reunited with her husband. Hitler doesn't give them very much time together as his troops blitzkrieg across Belgium. Varrick dies on the front line forcing Lora, her father and her sister to flee to England. They stop at Tyne Cott where they meet Captain Judah Blood who along with other soldiers tries to get them across the Channel. Judith helps them get to England where she works with Jewish and other refugees from the continent and reunites with Eben who obviously conceals a secret that the war widow plans to uncover.

The first book in the new B&B Thoene Zion Diaries series brings readers deep into the heart of Nazi Germany as Hitler fashions the expanding nation in his image. Readers will admire the courageous heroine who grows up rather fast as she does her best to help others escape the Hitler's insane wrath. With homage to Anne Frank and a touch of metaphysics and romance enhancing the war epic, The Gathering Storm is a terrific opening act as the Thoene tandem transports fans back to a period of horrific crimes against humanity with brave souls trying to rescue the unfortunate.

Harriet Klausner