Wildflowers of Terezin by Robert Elmer
Reviewed by Caryn Schulenberg, Guest Blogger
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Publication Dates: April, 2010

We have all heard about the Holocaust, studied about it even, and know full well the level of hate that lived in heart of Adolf Hitler, but there is a gripping anguish that comes from being introduced to the characters, one by one, and then to witness in excruciating detail the horror of what the Nazis put them through.

Adolf Hitler tried to turn people into animals, with no rights and no value. The Jewish people bravely did the things they had to in order to survive in a world where dignity was cruelly ripped away from them, and yet they showed a dignity that so excelled that of their captors, that the difference is striking. So many of the Nazi people bought into the cruelty and made it their own. They agreed with the treatment given to the Jewish people, and to a large degree, enjoyed dishing out the torment and pain.

I was moved to tears by the Danish people who, at risk of their own lives, did what they could to save as many Jewish people as possible before the raid. The methods used to snatch the Jewish people out of the Nazi jaws of death were amazingly well thought out and clever. I also have to believe that God did blind the eyes of the Nazis in order to save his children, and their protectors.

While much of this book is fiction, it is based on fact and some of the characters and situations were real. All of it was kept carefully aligned with the true history.

This book was terribly hard to read, but it is a book that I highly recommend. This kind of tyranny cannot be allowed to remain hidden, for in allowing things like this to be covered up, we are in fact condoning them…and that must never happen!

Caryn Schulenberg has been married to her best friend, Bob since 1975. They have two beautiful daughters, Corrie and Amy; two wonderful sons-in-law, Kevin and Travis; and 4 beautiful grandchildren. She’s thankful that God so richly blessed her and her family. She loves to hike and take long walks outside. The mountains are her place of peace. She loves to see what is just around the next turn in the trail. She blogs daily about family stories on her blog, Caryn’s Thoughts (link to http://carynschulenberg.com).

Rated PG 13: Due to the mature subject matter this book may not be suitable for young readers.