{Guest Post} Saving Annie By Cathy Gohlke

Behind Saving Amelie–The Passion of Christ and the Third Reich

Nestled in a quaint Bavarian Village in the pristine Ammer Valley, surrounded by towering snow-capped Alps, lies Oberammergau, home of the world’s longest running Passion Play. Based on a vow the Alpine Village made to the Lord if He would spare them from bubonic plague, the town has faithfully performed the Passion of Christ for the last 380 years.

One rare exception came during WWII, due to rationing, poor relations with other countries, and most of all Hitler’s conscription of adult males:  The village’s “disciples” and most of their “Israelites”–as part of the German army, were busily rampaging Poland at Hitler’s command.

Today, the Passion Play cast is two thousand strong.  Nearly every family in the village takes part in the play either on stage or behind the scenes–and has done for generations.  Some roles have even been passed from generation to generation.My husband and I attended The Passion in 2010 and were captivated by the villagers’ commitment to and enthusiasm for the Passion and all it means.  Certainly, it is a tourist industry.  But, we could see that it is also much, much more and the residents take their vow seriously.  After experiencing Oberammergau’s portrayal of Christ’s sacrifice for the world, I wondered how they had responded to the cruelties of Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich, which represented anything but the love of Jesus Christ.

I was astonished to learn that this lavish production had been endorsed by Hitler in 1934 when he attended a special 300th anniversary year production.   How was that possible when Hitler was so opposed to Christianity that he’d ordered the removal of crucifixes and pictures of Jesus from classrooms and churches–only to be replaced by pictures of himself?  What about the portrayal appealed to Hitler? 

About the same time, I learned that the scheme to create a master race by eliminating blood lines deemed “unworthy” and by promoting others was not confined to the Nazis. All my questions intersected, and I wondered how we can prevent stepping onto such slippery moral slopes today.  

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a WWII dissident German pastor and author of The Cost of Discipleship, gave me new insights into those questions.  Those insights and Bonhoeffer’s writings became key components of Saving Amelie.

From history, and a deep awareness that we all walk the conflicting line of doing what’s right versus what’s easiest or “best” for ourselves, Saving Amelie was born.

Saving Amelie is the story of Rachel Kramer, daughter of an eminent Long Island Eugenics scientist, who must confront her own pride and sense of superiority to rescue a deaf child–daughter of an estranged friend and of an SS officer–from “elimination” at the hands of the Nazis.  Jason Young, a driven American journalist–and most unlikely ally–connects Rachel to the German resistance and to the work of controversial theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  Together, they risk their lives–and ask others to do the same–for those they barely know but come to love. Saving Amelie is available in bookstores and on line.

Blog Tour: Band of Sisters

          Seeing she had no choice Maureen hurried after the plump gray-haired woman who had introduced herself and then walked off with the girl's bag, full of her only possessions in the world.
Mrs. Melkford watched the young girl at her side looking for clues to her past. What would make such a slip of a girl pack up, take her 13 year old sister, and try to cross the Atlantic ocean to America, ALONE? Maureen's nerves calmed as she listened to the chatter of the older woman beside her. They were here. She and Katie-Rose had made it. Maybe now she could put her past to rest, maybe she would finally be free from the slander and torments that seemed to hound her. If only that Joshua Keeton hadn't come over too. But arriving was only the first step and Maureen knew it. So much depended on finding a job. And quick.
Only when it was to late to turn back did Maureen realize the dark, tangled, web of secrets she had unwittingly uncovered, surrounding the fancy department store. Wholesome and respectable on the outside, horrific under the surface.

After reading Promise Me This, one of Mrs. Gohlke's other titles I wanted to read more of her books. Thats when I saw Tyndale's invitation to participate in the Band of Sisters Blog Tour as a reviewer.

Set in 1910, Band of Sisters is a intriguing combination between Ellis Island, the bustling aristocracy of New York, and the sinister, hidden, all to real, but often unseen viper of human trafficking. Maureen seemed so real that at times I felt like I was there struggling through things with her.
Not only did I find this book inspiring but I found that Mrs. Gohlke herself is an absolute treasure.
If I could only commend one thing about this godly woman's approach to writing it would be that not one of her books I have read so far, has had the slightest leniency toward any type of romantically inappropriate and insinuating scenes. to be frank fiction today, yes even 'Christian' fiction generally includes suggestive scenes.
 Mrs. Gohlke on the other hand has held high the standard that all christian writers should strive for, asking like the heroines in Band of Sisters, "What would Jesus do?" and then doing likewise.

Human Trafficking is a serious problem, Mrs. Gohlke felt that Jesus would do His part to prevent it. Her part was to write Band of Sisters, awakening awareness. What are you doing? On Mrs. Gohlke's site there is a page that list resources and organizations that are working to end trafficking. We can all do our part. 

With all that said, I honestly I cant let my 14 and 12 year old sisters read this book right now for the reason that they are not aware of modern slavery in America.  At their age this is a good thing because that knowledge would tend to make them scared and self conscious when outside the home. I  recommend Band of Sisters strictly for readers 16 yrs. and older. 


Disclaimer:I received this book for free from the Publisher for this review, every opinion expressed here in is 100% my own.