Snow on the Tulips

by Andrea Renee Cox

What a journey! Based on true events, this story packs a wallop of an emotional punch while infusing the reader with hope and inspiration.

The only drawback for me was Piet. His motivation for his stubborn belief that God cannot ask anyone to hide people to save their lives (as Rahab did in the Old Testament, which was counted as righteousness) was unclear to me. I didn't understand why he disregarded Rahab's story or the entire New Testament, in which Jesus fulfilled the law and taught us to listen for God's personal guidance in our lives. Since Piet's motivation was unclear and his belief system didn't match up with the Bible (though he claimed to be a Christian), I found it difficult to sympathize with him.

However, the high points to this story definitely outweighed that single low point. The Resistance work was well written and inspirational. I hope if I'm ever in a similar position that I will be courageous and follow God's call, whatever that might be. The characters (other than Piet) were complex, intriguing, and relatable. The setting was amazing, the plot fantastic, and the pacing spot-on. The messages of hope, faith, and devotion in the midst of impossible situations saturated each scene, heightening the tension when twists and turns threatened those very values. Books like this one are the reason I love WWII stories so much.

This may be Liz Tolsma's debut (and a great one at that!), but I'm glad it isn't her last book. I want more!

Quick note of gratitude: Thank you to my friend Hannah, who lent me this book. I'm planning on reading Ms. Tolsma's next two books early in the new year (2018), since I so well enjoyed my time with this one.

Quick note on word choice: “Askance” was misused once. This pulled my attention away from the story long enough to double-check the definition in a dictionary. I was disappointed that it was incorrectly used, but this did not affect my rating. I hope the author will double-check terms before using them in the future, to prevent minor disturbances in the reading experience. Her book was really immersive, and I know fixing tiny mistakes like this one will further enhance her stories.

I was not compensated for my honest review.