What I Promise You

 

Liz Tolsma is one of my favorite World War II era novelists.  She writes with a depth of understanding that makes it clear to her readers where she is going in the plot lines of her book. In What I Promise You, she writes a triple time-line book that bounces from World War II, post war, and modern times.  

The first timeline starts when Noemi and her husband, Levi, are arrested in southern France and taken to an internment camp. While there Noemi is spirited away to a maternity hospital with two children whose parents have been transferred to another camp. 

At the maternity hospital, Noemi is charged with making new papers for all the mothers and children, including herself. When they get the word that the Germans are coming to clear out the hospital, Noemi and Aime, the owner of the land where the hospital sits, load up the women and children and move them to safe places.  Noemi and Aime are given the charge of taking an infant to safety and caring for him. 

The second timeline takes place in modern times and includes Caitlyn trying to find out what her grandfather's history is.  She knows he was born in the maternity hospital, but not much else.  His memory is slipping and he doesn't remember as much as Caitlyn would like. While studying abroad in Spain, she goes to France several times to research her great-grandmother and her role in the maternity hospital.  Another student who is studying abroad at the same location, Aiden, becomes intrigued by Caitlyn's search. 

The third timeline takes place thirteen years later and includes a mystery character who is truly integral to the narrative. At times clues are dropped as to who this character is, but then something else happens that changes the reader's mind about who the character truly is.  When all is revealed, it is surprising to see this character reenter the story after she was reported to be dead--executed in one of the death camps. 

The way Liz has woven this novel together really makes it an interesting read for fans of World War II fiction.  There is just enough truth in the novel to be historically accurate and to be instructive for the reader.  This is a five star book with two thumbs up and an illuminating trip to France.

Barbour Publishing provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.