This does a wonderful job of placing you in the center of Holland during the Holocaust. The personal story alongside this event is good but very predictable. It also became highly religious which I did not expect. Reading of a character's beliefs and culture is great, but adding the arrival of "a kind man" to carry a dying woman "home" [heaven] was going way overboard. To be honest that really devalued the story overall; I'm just glad it was at the end. ( )

A captivating and inspirational read! This book was truly amazing. I had a hard time putting it down.
A story encompassing the lives of women affected by the war with Germany. Heartbreaking yet inspiring. A must read!

I really enjoyed this dual timeline book. It was set during WW2. The timeline from WW2 was told from the point of view of two different women who dealt with the war in two very different ways. At times this book was a bit difficult to read as it is dealing with the Holocaust and trying to save the Jewish children. Overall though I thought it was well written and I even liked that in the present day there was some danger which I found very unexpected. Usually a dual timeline book has the present day character just telling their story but this was a bit different and I liked that. Sometimes it's good to be surprised by a book.
This book was reviewed on The Literary Club Podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/1984185/episodes/11834517 ( )

Memories of Glass was inspired by the heroics of the Dutch resistance in WWII. Because of their sacrifice, many Jewish children were saved from the Nazi death camps. The story is told from three points of view — Eliese, a young, privileged Jewish woman put in an impossible situation, Josie, a young Dutch woman who could not stand by and let children perish, and Ava, a young American woman who wants desperately to find her place in a family, but won’t compromise the faith shared by her mother. All three must make choices that will impact not just their own futures. I found each of their stories compelling. Ordinary women who have to face extraordinary circumstances. Each of their stories are intertwined and develop a complete whole.

The rich historical detail of Memories of Glass shows diligent research on the part of Dobson. She injects historical figures into the narrative, while also using inspiration of real figures to create her fictional characters. The contrast between those who are working for good and those who are working for evil is chilling. There really is no fence-sitting in the stories — all make their choices. The complex construction of the story and the vividly-drawn characters make this an unputdownable book. There were many anonymous heroes during WWII, and Memories of Glass pays homage to them. While we may never know their names, their actions count towards eternity.

My book club chose Memories of Glass, and I cannot wait to discuss it with them. I anticipate a great conversation about the historical detail, the choices characters made, and the implications in our own lives. If you can, I recommend you read it with a friend or two — you are going to want to talk about this book!

Very Highly Recommended.

Audience: adults.

(I purchased this book from Amazon. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) ( )

I was enthralled by the stories from the past and the present that were woven together in this book.
The past story involved childhood friends from Holland who get swept up in the events of the second world war. Eliese is a Jew who must make incredible sacrifices to save her son. She is helped by her friend Josie, who becomes involved with the underground network that is saving Jewish children. But they must be on their guard, there are other childhood friends who may betray them.
In the present Ava is a troubled young woman who becomes interested in the past of her wealthy adopted family. She feels driven to uncover past secrets that may tell her more about her own origins - but her family members are bent on stopping her at every turn. Along the way she meets some unlikely allies, and her journey may include finding love and a renewed faith.
I couldn't put this book down as I was reading it, it was compelling and full of suspense as well as history. I would highly recommend it to fans of Christian historical fiction. ( )