"The elders could see nothing but smoke until they turned the corner onto the street where the fire was. And then, both of them stopped. "The synagogue!" Elder Thomas said. It had never occurred to him that anyone- even the Nazis- would do such a thing.
Elder Thomas got his camera out. He snapped the shot but then heard someone say, in German, "What are you doing there?"
He tucked the camera inside his coat, under his arm. He tried to appear natural, but his heart was suddenly beating hard. A man was crossing the narrow street and coming t oward them.
"Making pictures?" the man asked as he walked closer. Elder Thomas took a better look. He was what he feared: the black uniform with silver trim, the braided hat. Gestapo.
Elder Alex Thomas wants only to teach the gospel to the people of Germany. But it soon becomes obvious that he will never complete his mission. War is coming, and that will affect not only Elder Thomas but also his family back home in Salt Lake City.
In the family is Wally, Elder Thomas's younger brother, who usually just wants to have a good time but lately doesn't seem to care much about anything. There's his sister Bobbi, who is supposed to marry Phil Clark, the most eligible bachelor in the Salt Lake Valley. The problem is, she can't ignore her attraction to Dr. Stinson, a University of Utah professor who's not a member of the Church. And there are Elder Thomas's parents, D. Alexander Thomas, stake president, and his wife, Bea, who want their children to be true to the values and ideals they've taught them. But President and Sister Thomas are finding they can't just tell their children what to do anymore, and they're wrried about what will happen when the United States enters a war that no one seems able to stop.
In Rumors of War, the first of the series Children of the Promise, author Dean Hughes recreates the eara of World War II in stunning detail. But more than that, he shows how the war affects an ordinary family of Latter-day Saints. If you're interested in Church or world history, or if you're simply looking for a powerful LDS novel, you won't want to miss Rumors of War."
Jennifer's Review:
First off I want to say, YAY! My computer seems to be working right and I can again put up some reviews!
With that being said, I cannot say enough about how much I love this book. What an eye opener to the people at this time. I can honestly say I have a new love and respect for those who went through World War II. I enjoyed that this is a pretty much normal LDS family. (Not everyone has a stake president for a father.) There are quarrels so you know it is pretty darn true to life!
The chapters are mostly split up and about different members of the family and what they are going through. I sometimes don't like this approach because there are one or two specific characters I am interested in and none of the others. However, this book makes each character interesting and complete, making me excited for each and every chapter.
Dean Hughes is a great writer. Not one of his books has disappointed me so far. Keep up the great work!
I give Rumors of War five stars!
3 comments:
I love this book! But you're stuck now--there are four more, and then the second series of five books--Hearts of the Children, about the kids of the characters in these books. That series is wonderful, too, set in the turbulent 60s.
If Dean Hughes writes it, it's probably worth reading!
Great series! I'm so glad you wrote a review about it! Have you read other novels written by him besides this series?
I loved this series when I read it, what...like 13 years ago. SO good. I think I stopped when I was waiting for the last book to come out. Still haven't read it. Did you hear that? That was the sound of another book clunking onto my tbr pile. :) Thanks for the review!
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