Title: What I Left for You
Author: Liz Tolsma
Series: Echoes of the Past, book 3
Major Themes: Poland, Abuse, Genealogy, World War II
Synopsis: Two women separated by 80 years who both had to deal with tragedy—how were they connected?
I discovered Liz Tolsma’s writings a few years ago and quickly decided I liked her historical mysteries. Then, she started writing the Echoes of the Past series, with dual timelines—and I loved those! So, when I had the chance to read What I Left for You, I didn’t even stop to think, but requested it immediately.
Publisher’s description:
1939: Helena Kostyszak is an oddity—an educated female ethnic minority lecturing at a university in Krakow at the outbreak of WWII. When the Germans close the university and force Jews into the ghetto, she spirits out a friend’s infant daughter and flees to her small village in the southern hills. Helena does everything in her power to protect her family, but it may not be enough. It will take all of her strength and God’s intervention for both of them to survive the war and the ethnic cleansing to come.
2023: Recently unengaged social worker McKenna Muir is dealt an awful blow when a two-year-old she’s been working with is murdered. It’s all too much to take, so her friend suggests she dive into her family’s past like she’s always wanted. Putting distance between herself and her problems might help her heal, so she and her friend head on Sabbatical to Poland. But what McKenna discovers about her family shocks everyone, including one long-lost family member.
My thoughts:
Both timelines drew me in and kept my interest. Helena felt very real to me, and I loved her devotion to her closest friend and to her mother. Her journey was absolutely heartbreaking. In McKenna’s story, I was immediately drawn in by the stresses she was enduring. I loved the way her friend supported her. I also loved that this book was not a romance! There wasn’t even a hint of a new love interest till about 70% of the way through; the focus in this book was the journeys to freedom and healing that both Helena and McKenna traveled.
My main quibble with What I Left You was the convenient coincidences that McKenna and her friend encountered during their trip to Poland. Their search flowed much more smoothly than it normally would in real life! I did love the way the story switched from one timeline to the other at the perfect times to tell the story. There was one thing that confused me, relating to DNA testing, which actually turned out not to be a problem—but I had to go way back in the story to find the one line I missed on the first go-through, which cleared up the mystery for me!
I liked the spiritual journey that Helena traveled. She began the story with no idea of a personal relationship with God—and ended up learning about the possibility of that. Her faith ended up being passed along to her descendants.
I enjoyed learning about the Lemko people of Eastern Europe. I had never heard of them before, but what an interesting group! I loved reading about the Polish countryside, as well. I would not rate What I Left You as highly as What I Promise You, my favorite in this series, but it is not far behind.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.
WARNING: Chapter 1: Someone dies. Chapter 2: Someone is forced to lie. Chapter 4: A baby is beaten to death. Chapter 5: “Dodging bloated bodies.” Chapter 7: Description of the baby’s death. Chapter 9: Woman thinks about the physical side of marriage, mention of the marriage bed. Chapter 13: “Murdering and arresting innocent men, women and children.” Chapter 14: Man eyes the bed he shares with his wife. Chapter 21: Smells of human excrement, blood and decay. Chapter 22: Man hit in the head with rifle, gunshots rang out. Chapter 26: Girl violated by prison guard. Chapter 29: Girl dies. Chapter 32: “Bloated bodies,” gee.
Age levels:
Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Audible Audiobook (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
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