If World War II history interests you at all, this book is a must-read. It was such a privilege to read this book, and I will do my best to tell you how amazing it is without giving it away!
First, I appreciate that this book was written from a Christian perspective. While books not written from a Christian perspective can be informative, it’s refreshing to read books from the same worldview I have.
Second, this book is very well-researched. Having read The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom, The Return to the Hiding Place by Hans Poley, and Things We Couldn’t Say by Diet Eman — I saw numerous ideas from actual accounts.
Third, what I appreciated is that there were more than a couple main characters, and yet the author did an outstanding job of helping me to keep them all straight.
It was a blessing to read about the power of prayer in Trains and Tulips. Furthermore, I enjoyed the aspect of trust in the book. When Dutch people agreed to hide the Jews, they were hiding strangers in their own homes and jeopardizing their own lives for doing so. You will need to read the book to learn the creative ways they hid them and how they managed to feed them all.
Another aspect I appreciated was the wholesome language used and the appropriateness of the relationship of the engaged couple. While the relationship was a natural part of the book, it was not the main part of the book.
I appreciated the fact that Trains and Tulips continued through the end of the war and clearly presented the challenges that Jewish people, those who hid them, and the overall population faced when the war ended.
Although I have read a decent number of books about World War II, it was still a blessing to read this book and to learn some things I had not known about it before.
In addition, the explanations and notes at the end of the book were more than helpful, and the beautiful illustrations added much to the enjoyment of the book!
Here are three of my favorite quotes from the book:
“David,” Gerrit whispered, a smile lighting his face as he turned to his friend. “The Nazis can’t stop spring from coming. They can’t stop the birds from singing.”
I highly recommend this book of trust in God, courage, hope, and resilience. This was the first book I read by this author, and I look forward to read her other books as well as her future books.