Description from the publisher:In 1944, blonde and blue-eyed Jewess Hadassah Benjamin feels abandoned by God when she is saved from a firing squad only to be handed over to a new enemy. Pressed into service by SS-Kommandant Colonel Aric von Schmidt at the transit camp of Theresienstadt in Czechoslovakia, she is able to hide behind the false identity of Stella Muller. However, in order to survive and maintain her cover as Aric's secretary, she is forced to stand by as her own people are sent to Auschwitz. Suspecting her employer is a man of hidden depths and sympathies, Stella cautiously appeals to him on behalf of those in the camp. Aric's compassion gives her hope, and she finds herself battling a growing attraction for this man she knows she should despise as an enemy. Stella pours herself into her efforts to keep even some of the camp's prisoners safe, but she risks the revelation of her true identity with every attempt. When her bravery brings her to the point of the ultimate sacrifice, she has only her faith to lean upon. Perhaps God has placed her there for such a time as this, but how can she save her people when she is unable to save herself?This book is a very creative comparison between the story of Esther of the Bible and this story of a Jewish girl living amongst Nazis. If you're familiar with the story of Esther it's easy to pick out who the main characters are and what their outcomes will be. Also, a verse from Esther is written at the beginning of each chapter which hints at what is going to happen next. Even though the story follows a similar storyline to Esther, Breslin's suspenseful writing and unexpected twists at the end kept me quickly turning pages and not wanting to put the book down.
In exchange for my honest opinion, Bethany House Publishers provided a copy of this novel for my review.
