Title: War Bride
Author: Becky McGurrin
Major Themes: Germany, Mennonites
Synopsis: Paula’s eventful life led her from post-war Germany to Seattle and a surprising resolution of her lifelong search for fulfillment.
I have been enjoying Becky McGurrin’s books for a few years now. She has a way of taking facts about a person’s life and making them into an interesting story. A couple of months ago I was perusing the books available on the website from which we buy a lot of our school books, trying to decide what storybooks to get. I got a lot for the children—and War Bride for myself. Then, I discovered that it fit well with a prompt for a reading challenge I decided to do this month! Perfect!
Publisher’s description:
“Have you lost your mind?” Mama shouted. “An American soldier!”
Grandpa stepped in. “Paula assures me that he is a polite young man. She’s always shown good judgment.”
“That makes this even more shocking.” Mama turned toward Paula. “Why can’t you find a nice German boy to date?”
This true story follows Paula and Jack Thomas from post-war Germany to the United States where they filled their lives with work, travel, and a longing for a baby who would never come. Paula knew Jack loved his German war bride, but his care for her could not take away her ache—or her bitterness. But there was Someone who could.
My thoughts:
I enjoyed following Paula’s life as she survived World War II, and then moved with her new husband to his home in America. She lived through many disappointments, but kept searching for healing. I found the story told in War Bride interesting, as Jack and Paula moved from one home and job to another across the United States, always searching for something better. I also found it encouraging to see how God kept working in their lives, bringing them to Himself little by little.
My favorite part of War Bride was the first several chapters. Here, Paula and her brother are seen hiding from planes in the woods, as the Allies bombed Germany. Then, after the Allies liberated Germany, I enjoyed reading about how Paula’s friend worked to set her up with a man. That part read like a romance story—but it was true!
No warnings!
Age levels:
Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults
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