I’ve been waiting for this book since before it was ever announced. For real. Tricia Goyer’s World War 2 novels are some that I always know I can pick up and adore. They are creative, thought-provoking, heart-stirring, and thoroughly researched. This one was no different. And it was completely worth the wait.
A Secret Courage made me smile for this reason and so many others.
I loved the history in this book. I loved the research that went into it. Photographic reconnaissance wasn’t an aspect of WW2 that I’d read about before, and it intrigued me. One mark of a good historical read for me is that I find myself wanting to know more… I do this frequently; I begin googling pictures of the area, the landmarks/settings described, potential real people, etc. What I discovered this time just fascinated me, although I can’t say that it surprised me, due to the research that I know goes into Tricia Goyer’s writing — not only was Danesfield House a real life high security place during the war, Grace Darling, Emma’s lifelong inspiration, was a real life British young woman who lived in the 1800s. And investigating photos.. well, that is right up my alley.
The storyline, the spies, the trust in Jesus, the characters, the surprises… I loved everything about this book. The romance that was sweetly there but not overpowering was a beautiful touch to the story. The friendship that sprouted and bloomed between two young people who were determined to find the lovely even in the midst of such an ugly war brought a smile to my lips. The courage to put others’ needs ahead of their own and to trust God in everything… Yeah. I really, really liked this book.
What food can I relate this one to? A cup of tea. Probably because I’ve been reading Tricia Goyer’s work since her first novel was newly published in 2003 (?!), and probably also due to the fact that I saw some of myself in Emma, this book felt like home to me. Just right for a nice big cup of tea.
fragments of an underdone potato 