Have you ever been involved in something that just took your breath away?
For my late husband, it was working for a hockey team the year that it won the Stanley Cup. In Canada, that is HUGE!!! Bobby even got to be in a parade, and the Stanley Cup ring that he wore on occasion—well, people would stop him at 7-11 just to ask if they could try it on! For me, it was fun just watching him.
As a former teacher, the moments for me came when the light went on for the student when they finally got it. Their eyes lit up and a smile spread over their face, and suddenly, learning became fun again. Teachers don’t get to see that often, but when they do, it makes the struggle so worth it.
Now that I’m an author, those breathtaking moments come from the written page. A Song for Her Enemies is one book that took on a life of its own. I’ve written many books, but this one has my heart. Why? Because I love the Jews, and I hate what happened to them during the holocaust. And I am afraid that if we don’t learn from the past, the holocaust could easily happen again.
We might think that would never happen in our country. We would never let a man like Adolph Hitler rise to power. Really? I’m sure a lot of Germans and Austrians and Poles and Dutch people felt the same way. It’s sad but a country is known by its leader. And we have only to look at what we did to African American slaves and to the Native Americans to know that we are not immune from creating a holocaust here in our country.
Notice I said, we. How often do I hear people say, “I didn’t live back then, so why should I take on the guilt for something that happened before I was even born?” True, but like good parents, we teach our kids how to be socially responsible. It’s the little things that help to heal hurt and build trust. Like saying I’m sorry for what happened before I was born; like not dodging an issue because it doesn’t make us happy but hitting it squarely. We must not put our heads in the sand, but there are things we can do, like reading a book or visiting a holocaust museum or praying for God to prompt us to do something. For a daily guide to pray around the world, check out Operation World.
After Nazi soldiers close the opera and destroy Tamar Kaplan’s dream of becoming a professional singer, she joins the Dutch Resistance, her fair coloring concealing her Jewish heritage. Tamar partners with Dr. Daniel Feldman, and they risk their lives to help escaping refugees. When they are forced to flee themselves, violinist Neelie Visser takes them into hiding.
Tamar’s love for Daniel flowers in hardship, but she struggles with the paradox that a loving God would allow the atrocities around her. When Tamar resists the advances of a Third Reich officer, he exacts his revenge by betraying the secrets hidden behind the walls of Neelie’s house. From a prison hospital to a Nazi celebration to a concentration camp, will the three of them survive to tell the world the secrets behind barbed wire?
A Song for Her Enemies is the story of a talented young opera singer and the bittersweet love that grows amid the tyranny and fear of World War II. Set against the backdrop of neighbors willing to risk their lives in the German-occupied, war-torn Netherlands, A Song for Her Enemies is an inspiring and beautiful novel celebrating the resilience of the human spirit and the determination of Christians in the face of persecution. It is a novel for everyone seeking to understand the pain of the past and be inspired to embrace hope for the future.
Sherri Stewart loves a clean novel, sprinkled with romance and a strong message that challenges her faith. She spends her working hours with books—either editing others’ manuscripts or writing her own. Her passion is traveling to the settings of her books, sampling the food, and visiting the sites. She loves the Netherlands, and she’s still learning Dutch, although she doesn’t need to since everyone seems to speak perfect English. A recent widow, Sherri lives in the Orlando area with her lazy dog, Lily, and her son, Joshua, who can fix anything. She shares recipes, tidbits of the book’s locations, and pix in her newsletter. Subscribe at http://eepurl.com/gZ-mv9