Wow! This book was amazing! I was captivated from beginning to end. ( )

"The Winter Rose" is the third novel I've read by Melanie Dobson and it was my least favourite to date. The story went on for too long and the plot was sluggish in more than one place. I felt the second half of the book was almost unnecessary and it was difficult to follow at times.

Neither Grace's nor Addie's stories really captured my attention although I found it interesting learning about the American Quakers' involvement in rescuing Jewish children from the Nazis.

A story of family ties, survival, love and forgiveness, "The Winter Rose" was a rather laborious read. ( )

Melanie Dobson has penned yet another poignant and touching story based on historical happenings during WWII. As an American Quaker, Grace Tonquin is in France helping to rescue Jewish children and taking them to safety in Spain. When she returns to Oregon with two of the rescued children, she and her husband take in the children as their own. The trauma of the war, along with the actions of Grace’s mother, Ruby, cause a rift in the family.

In a parallel timeline more than 50 years later, Addie Hoult travels to Oregon hoping to find a bone marrow donor for her friend and mentor, Charlie Tonquin. As the search for Charlie’s sister proceeds, secrets and memories are revealed. Dobson masterfully melds the two stories together with many twists and turns that kept me engaged in the tale. Filled with redemption, hope, forgiveness, and the power of love, this story is a beautiful example of why I love this author’s writing. 4.5 stars

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from the publishers through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. ( )

The Winter Rose by Melanie Dobson takes readers to France in WWII and Tonquin Lake in the Pacific Northwest to experience the world alongside spirited characters in past and present timelines.

This book was full of surprises, but the one that stood out to me the most was how the Tintin stories inspired one of the characters. Just today, at the library, I was asking someone whether they’d like to look through the Tintin books, and a girl popped into our row and eagerly asked where they were. Tintin has a cross-generational appeal, as that encounter beautifully shows, but I had yet to see that intrepid reporter and his dog mentioned within a book, until now. That deserves a standing ovation or something.

I loved how Grace’s determination, with her desire to save the children from the Nazis and her attempts to escape the negative influence of her mother, came through. It was a team effort, for all of them, and she did her part the way only she could.

The part of the story that dealt with the parents and children, and the suffering there, ended up disrupting my reading experience. The individual in question (trying to avoid spoilers here) was allowed to do pretty much whatever he liked without being shown the right way or disciplined by his parents, so it wasn’t a surprise that he caused so much damage. But that aspect of it wasn’t addressed, and the parents were left very hurt and confused without identifying the deeper issues. It left that story on a discordant note as the author moved on to the next timeline, though I think I can decipher the author’s reasons.

With the modern timeline, Addie was probably my favorite character to follow as she worked to protect the person who gave her a home and a future when she had none. Her motivations were real to me, and the ways she cared for others added much to her character.

The relationship between Addie and the LI didn’t measure up for me, nonetheless, because I felt as though their exchanges were intended to be short and quote-worthy, without giving the reader something to chew on and without giving deeper insight into the characters and how they related to each other. I did like how the author fused together the timelines and brought together the characters, but I would have liked to have had more depth there.

As a whole, the book shows the strength and fragility of familial bonds and offers hope through the path of reconciliation. Recommended for those with a penchant for wartime historical fiction, split-time narratives, and spirited characters.

I received a complimentary of this book from Tyndale House Publishers through NetGalley for review purposes. A positive review was not required. ( )

The Winter Rose by Melanie Dobson takes readers to France in WWII and Tonquin Lake in the Pacific Northwest to experience the world alongside spirited characters in past and present timelines.

This book was full of surprises, but the one that stood out to me the most was how Tintin stories inspired one of the characters. Just today, at the library, I was asking someone whether they’d like to look through the Tintin books, and a girl popped into our row and eagerly asked where they were. Tintin has a cross-generational appeal, as that encounter beautifully shows, but I had yet to see that intrepid reporter and his dog mentioned within a book, until now. That deserves a standing ovation or something.

I loved how Grace’s determination, with her desire to save the children from the Nazis and her attempts to escape the negative influence of her mother, came through. It was a team effort, for all of them, and she did her part the way only she could.

The part of the story that dealt with the parents and children, and the suffering there, ended up disrupting my reading experience. The individual in question (trying to avoid spoilers here) was allowed to do pretty much whatever he liked without being shown the right way or disciplined by his parents, so it wasn’t a surprise that he caused so much damage. But that aspect of it wasn’t addressed, and the parents were left very hurt and confused without identifying the deeper issues. It left that story on a discordant note as the author moved on to the next timeline, though I think I can decipher the author’s reasons.

With the modern timeline, Addie was probably my favorite character to follow as she worked to protect the person who gave her a home and a future when she had none. Her motivations were real to me, and the ways she cared for others added much to her character.

The relationship between Addie and the LI didn’t measure up for me, nonetheless, because I felt as though their exchanges were intended to be short and quote-worthy, without giving the reader something to chew on and without giving deeper insight into the characters and how they related to each other. I did like how the author fused together the timelines and brought together the characters, but I would have liked to have had more depth there.

As a whole, the book shows the strength and fragility of familial bonds and offers hope through the path of reconciliation. Recommended for those with a penchant for wartime historical fiction, split-time narratives, and spirited characters.

I received a complimentary of this book from Tyndale House Publishers through NetGalley for review purposes. A positive review was not required. ( )