Hidden Among The Stars

Author: Melanie Dobson
Genre: Christian, Historical Fiction
Type: e-book
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Tyndale House
First Published: September 4, 2018
First Line: "The blade of a shovel, cutting through frosted grass."

Book Description from GoodReads: From the award-winning author of Catching the Wind, which Publishers Weekly called “unforgettable” and a “must-read,” comes another gripping time-slip novel about hidden treasure, a castle, and ordinary people who resisted evil in their own extraordinary way.
The year is 1938, and as Hitler’s troops sweep into Vienna, Austrian Max Dornbach promises to help his Jewish friends hide their most valuable possessions from the Nazis, smuggling them to his family’s summer estate near the picturesque village of Hallstatt. He enlists the help of Annika Knopf, his childhood friend and the caretaker’s daughter, who is eager to help the man she’s loved her entire life. But when Max also brings Luzia Weiss, a young Jewish woman, to hide at the castle, it complicates Annika’s feelings and puts their entire plan―even their very lives―in jeopardy. Especially when the Nazis come to scour the estate and find both Luzia and the treasure gone.

Eighty years later, Callie Randall is mostly content with her quiet life, running a bookstore with her sister and reaching out into the world through her blog. Then she finds a cryptic list in an old edition of Bambi that connects her to Annika’s story . . . and maybe to the long-buried story of a dear friend. As she digs into the past, Callie must risk venturing outside the safe world she’s built for a chance at answers, adventure, and maybe even new love. 

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the publisher for providing me a complimentary digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 3 stars

My Review: I'm an avid WWII Historical Fiction reader and I was drawn to this book because it deals with lost Jewish relics that the Nazis stole during their occupation. 

There are two story lines, one during WWII and the other in modern day but I found the story during WWII much more compelling. Callie, in modern day, was a sweet main character but there wasn't much tension in her part of the book. There is a bit of romance that is dangled for the reader, but it mainly stays in the background which I appreciated. Callie is a book lover (yay!) who includes many quotes from her favourite childhood books in her dialogue. These were a cute addition and added tidbits of info but became so common that they began to interrupt the flow of her story line. 

This is also a Christian Fiction read, and while some religious issues are addressed in Max and Annika's story line, this element is much more apparent in Callie's side of the story. There are some good twists in the WWII plot which keep the story trucking along and readers will enjoy seeing the pieces of the puzzle fit together. But I wasn't a fan of one of the big final twists … it just didn't seem probable. When I read it I went  'Wha?! Why?!'. I suppose I didn't think the reasoning given for the sacrifice was enough to warrant such a big act. That said, I think it would also make a good discussion in books groups, so I'll leave it at that.

This is a romantic, historical story set in two different time frames and though it is set in a tumultuous time, Hidden Among the Stars is a lighter read and will appeal to readers who enjoy Christian fiction infused with a historical setting.