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Secret of the Rose #2
A Rose Remembered
The second book in the Secret of the Rose series by Michael Phillips is now available in this beautiful repackage. The gripping story of a Prussian family's struggles following World War II, this book finds Sabina continuing her relentless search for her father with the help of the Jewish underground while desperately trying to remain hidden from the man she almost married. Strong Christian content is the cornerstone of this series and is sure to continue to delight historical fiction fans.
528 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
62 people are currently reading
430 people want to read
About the author
Michael R. Phillips
250 books611 followersLibrarian Note: there is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.
Michael Phillips has been writing in the Christian marketplace for 30 years. All told, he has written, co-written, and edited some 110 books. Phillips and his wife live in the U.S., and make their second home in Scotland.
Michael Phillips has been writing in the Christian marketplace for 30 years. All told, he has written, co-written, and edited some 110 books. Phillips and his wife live in the U.S., and make their second home in Scotland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
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September 20, 2016Stayed up until 12:55 to finish this book. Loved it so much! I will admit, I was shocked at the huge age gap and was moaning, "They're so oollllddddd" ;P, but seriously, three-quarters of the time you wouldn't even remember how old they were. Sabina and Matthew acted so much like they were in their twenties, it was shocking when Sabina would say something like "How can a forty-year old woman. . . "
I would rave more about this book, but it's dinner time now and my family's waiting. Maybe I'll write more on this later ;)
I would rave more about this book, but it's dinner time now and my family's waiting. Maybe I'll write more on this later ;)
November 2, 2016
So I did enjoy this second part of this Michael Phillips trilogy. However, some of the history and reality of the story line got to be a bit swallowed up by a Cinderella fairy tale parallel. This often felt contrived, occasionally down right forced. Thankfully the realities of the political tensions of the day kept it from being a nicely wrapped up "Happily ever after" ending, which would have been a huge disappointment. Looking forward to seeing how Phillips wraps up the final installment.
November 25, 2015
While the Baron is growing weaker in prison, Sabina works for the underground in Berlin. She has now changed her name, not only to protect her because of her activity, but Gustav has still not given up on finding her and marrying her and eventually getting her father's estate, joining the two together. Sabina lives a quiet life, but one day she and Matthew run into each other close to his government office after 20 years of wondering where the other one was, what they were doing. The war had changed the world and Germany was torn. America was in the Kennedy years, full of hope, and Matthew worked with the President but stationed in Berlin. The had to get to know each other all over again, but inside they both knew their feelings had not changed. They spent hours talking. Matthew finally devised a plan to get her father away from the prison, risking his job and even his live. The do break him out, but are followed and Matthew gets injured when a helicopter lands almost on top of him and his carload of friends. Matthew is in the hospital, believing what the media says about Sabina and her father being killed in the accident. He moves with his father to recover when mysteriously he receives a pink rose in a package right before Christmas anonymously. He begins to realize that Sabina must still be alive. But now the iron curtain has been built and he knows it will be hard to penetrate. He visits with President Kennedy and decides to resign from his job to seek Sabina's whereabouts. He is elated to find her and her father still alive in Germany. The love between them is so strong they will marry as soon as possible. But will Gustave stay out of the way?
May 10, 2016
I am giving this the same review as the first novel - the story continued to be interesting and the principles challenging.
WOW! This book was a lesson in spiritual life set in an interesting historical story. Like with most of Phillips writing, I had to struggle through the first few chapters as I switched gears from the things I normally read to a deeper and I would say, older, style. I feel the same when I read George MacDonald or CS Lewis. This type of writing takes much more reader participation but the end is worth it. I enjoyed the story, learned a little more about the history of the time but most of all I found myself encouraged and challenged by the lessons and spiritual principles contained within this novel. I highly recommend the whole series!
WOW! This book was a lesson in spiritual life set in an interesting historical story. Like with most of Phillips writing, I had to struggle through the first few chapters as I switched gears from the things I normally read to a deeper and I would say, older, style. I feel the same when I read George MacDonald or CS Lewis. This type of writing takes much more reader participation but the end is worth it. I enjoyed the story, learned a little more about the history of the time but most of all I found myself encouraged and challenged by the lessons and spiritual principles contained within this novel. I highly recommend the whole series!
March 13, 2016
A Rose Remembered is the second book in the series The Secret of the Rose. It gives a fascinating picture of Germany in the 1960’s just prior to and then after the Berlin Wall was put up. It’s a time of spies, secrets and diminished hope in the regions of Germany controlled by Moscow. It’s also a story of faith in God in the midst of harsh circumstances, and a story of determination and commitment that drive people to put their lives on the line time and time again.
I recommend this book to readers who enjoy historical fiction of this time and place.
I recommend this book to readers who enjoy historical fiction of this time and place.
August 25, 2007
Book 2 of the series. While some things were still similar to the Heathersleigh Hall series, this second book became quite different. It showed the post-war difficulties that persisted for such a long time in a Germany divided by the iron curtain. This was a fascinating and eye-opening book that helped me to understand how hard it was to be an East Berliner after WWII.
March 3, 2008
Great Christian fiction with suspense, adventure, and romance set in Germany after World War II and when the Berlin Wall goes up. Continues to expound on the themes of growth as a Christian, God's Fatherhood, and how God draws new believers to Him. Also focuses on the issues of trust, keeping promises, and serving God in underground organizations.
March 31, 2010
I really enjoyed this book (series). They are interesting and well written. The books are thick, but the pace is wonderful. I didn't feel I was able to read it to fast for its size, but it also didnt' drag. I found myself wanting to read more and couldn't wait to go get the next book in the series! Wonderful historical fiction.
September 7, 2017
I wouldn't call this "action-packed" although there was mystery and tense-ness.
Scattered throughout the book were long sections of dialogue discussing philosophy and life. They could have been condensed to help the flow of the book. (Or skipped as I often tried, but felt like I should read them. Which added to my frustration.)
Some of the people seemed too perfect.
Scattered throughout the book were long sections of dialogue discussing philosophy and life. They could have been condensed to help the flow of the book. (Or skipped as I often tried, but felt like I should read them. Which added to my frustration.)
Some of the people seemed too perfect.
January 20, 2015
I thought it was overlong, and sometimes Sabina's tears and Matthew's exclamation points !!! were annoying, plus the whole rose thing was somewhat overdone.
That being said, the history was very interesting and I'm thankful for books that exalt the Lord Jesus. Of course I will soon read #3.
That being said, the history was very interesting and I'm thankful for books that exalt the Lord Jesus. Of course I will soon read #3.
December 27, 2010
good theology, exciting story, neat underground
August 7, 2011
My Review for this series is given on Book #4.
June 25, 2013
Good book but took a long time for me to finish it.
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February 9, 2013I found this easier to get into than the first book, and finished it much quicker. I'm so glad I persisted, I'm loving the series now! It's a great level of tension, just enough, not too much!
September 12, 2015
I love this author and this series.
July 14, 2016
Great World War II era series.
May 26, 2018
I actually couldn't finish this book. It started out interesting but slowed waaaay down and it just couldn't keep my interest.
August 27, 2018
More action
After reading book 1, this book moved along more quickly and definitely had more suspense, action and romance so I enjoyed it and it's Christian messages.
After reading book 1, this book moved along more quickly and definitely had more suspense, action and romance so I enjoyed it and it's Christian messages.
April 25, 2022
When it comes to such a large book, with a great plot structure and story elements, there are plenty of aspects that make it a good read. However, I can pick apart anything ... so I found a few things to complain about, as well. Hopefully I can convey a good balance.
Setting: Mainly West and East Germany, 1961. The threat of the Communists, President JFK's administration, and all of the intrigue surrounding it is a major part of the plot, and drives the action. Not much of it I can confirm, due to my lack of knowledge (except I don't believe for one second that the CIA was that good-hearted and set on executing righteousness in the 1960s). And I am always skeptical with portrayals of national leaders, and JFK is no exception. But it is an interesting (and different) time period to read about. Matthew's difficulties behind the Iron Curtain are not dismissed, though his governmental status gives him appropriately mild help.
Characters: Fairly well-developed, and continued from the first book. What I don't like--and this, I think stems mainly from Pillips' writing style--is the occasional "mystery character" that appears in various chapters (yes, in the beginning, but also occasionally smack dab in the middle, too)--as if I don't have the right to know who this character is--not a mysterious antagonist or a pivotal figure whom we don't know is alive or not, but the main characters. And Phillips obviously intentionally replaces proper nouns with the pronouns, causing me to hesitate and doubt something that should be clear.
For such a large book, the cast of characters is, I think, remarkably small. But it is probably a good size, as all the Russians/related officials occasionally jumbled up in my mind. Matthew's dad is one of the few badly-developed characters, about whom I care very little.
Plot: There's the adventure and suspense portion, which is done quite well--a bit slowly at first, but speeds up like an unstoppable train. The romance portion is also quite sweet, and is not overpowering (usually). Although Matthew is occasionally annoying about the whole thing. The romance itself is kind of the main point of the book, as that is where the conclusion lies.
Faith Content: A lot of narrative--and much dialogue, too--is devoted to philosophical musings and flowery language, which is a style with definite advantages, but in this case I quickly tired of it. Note I said "philosophical" instead of "spiritual" because these frequent conversations rely less on specific scripture and more on what the characters have discovered about God through their observations and experiences. Now, don't get me wrong, people can certainly discover truth about God through His creation; but Phillips seems to rely almost exclusively on this poetic version of God, instead of referencing scripture and the symbols therein. It's subtle, but the extensive flowery paragraphs sometimes grated on me. I don't recall reading anything that was outright unbiblical.
Setting: Mainly West and East Germany, 1961. The threat of the Communists, President JFK's administration, and all of the intrigue surrounding it is a major part of the plot, and drives the action. Not much of it I can confirm, due to my lack of knowledge (except I don't believe for one second that the CIA was that good-hearted and set on executing righteousness in the 1960s). And I am always skeptical with portrayals of national leaders, and JFK is no exception. But it is an interesting (and different) time period to read about. Matthew's difficulties behind the Iron Curtain are not dismissed, though his governmental status gives him appropriately mild help.
Characters: Fairly well-developed, and continued from the first book. What I don't like--and this, I think stems mainly from Pillips' writing style--is the occasional "mystery character" that appears in various chapters (yes, in the beginning, but also occasionally smack dab in the middle, too)--as if I don't have the right to know who this character is--not a mysterious antagonist or a pivotal figure whom we don't know is alive or not, but the main characters. And Phillips obviously intentionally replaces proper nouns with the pronouns, causing me to hesitate and doubt something that should be clear.
For such a large book, the cast of characters is, I think, remarkably small. But it is probably a good size, as all the Russians/related officials occasionally jumbled up in my mind. Matthew's dad is one of the few badly-developed characters, about whom I care very little.
Plot: There's the adventure and suspense portion, which is done quite well--a bit slowly at first, but speeds up like an unstoppable train. The romance portion is also quite sweet, and is not overpowering (usually). Although Matthew is occasionally annoying about the whole thing. The romance itself is kind of the main point of the book, as that is where the conclusion lies.
Faith Content: A lot of narrative--and much dialogue, too--is devoted to philosophical musings and flowery language, which is a style with definite advantages, but in this case I quickly tired of it. Note I said "philosophical" instead of "spiritual" because these frequent conversations rely less on specific scripture and more on what the characters have discovered about God through their observations and experiences. Now, don't get me wrong, people can certainly discover truth about God through His creation; but Phillips seems to rely almost exclusively on this poetic version of God, instead of referencing scripture and the symbols therein. It's subtle, but the extensive flowery paragraphs sometimes grated on me. I don't recall reading anything that was outright unbiblical.
May 19, 2019
The first book ( Secret of the Rose #1) was hard to read as the Holocost was a very dark era in time so I only got into about a third of that book and found it took depressing with the sinister characters and impending gloom. When my sister loan me the second book, I was able to read that more comfortably and appreciated all of the historical and background references to the previous book, as well as the continuance of the storyline. I appreciate historical fiction which illuminates pieces of history that I had either forgotten or never explored very thoroughly in my youth. Mr. Phillips is a strong author and I appreciate his style, though sometimes it gets a little lengthy, wordy, and possibly too in depth at times to hold my attention. Yet I love that he visits long ago authoridge and reference well-deserving revisitation. I have since searched for and ordered the third book in this series, which I sent to my sister to read first, since the first two Rose books were hers that she loaned to me to read. Thus, I am looking forward to reading the final book in this series when she finishes it. Thanks Big Sis for sharing all the books. Here's to continued great reading!
January 16, 2024
Very seldom do you pick up a book and find that it covers the years after WWII. So I appreciate some of the raw truths that this book brings out for the reader. The characters of course have aged, but Michael Phillips sprinkles the "between the years" throughout, and it is enough for you to understand where the new sobered maturity is developed in the characters.
Due to certain circumstances I had to put this book down a few times and pick up others, but it was not for lack of interest. It still has the style that Michael Phillips is known for. I enjoy classics and other older books written before my generation. I so appreciate the beautiful style that even in the intense moments does not take away from the character of the story.
I hope to read the third in the series before too much time passes.
Due to certain circumstances I had to put this book down a few times and pick up others, but it was not for lack of interest. It still has the style that Michael Phillips is known for. I enjoy classics and other older books written before my generation. I so appreciate the beautiful style that even in the intense moments does not take away from the character of the story.
I hope to read the third in the series before too much time passes.
July 10, 2022
This is a great story and Michael Phillips has a wonderful writer's voice. I love the story, but having read the first in the series and now this one (both 700+ pages), I still haven't learned the whole story. Two more books this long to finish Sabina and Matthew's story is more than I'm willing to engage in.
You will learn much of the history of Germany pre and during WWII in books 1 and 2. Book 1 gives a depth of insight into the Christian church during this time, and the length to which some went to help their fellow man no matter their religious affiliation.
You will learn much of the history of Germany pre and during WWII in books 1 and 2. Book 1 gives a depth of insight into the Christian church during this time, and the length to which some went to help their fellow man no matter their religious affiliation.
January 6, 2021
Fantastic read
A very great story, after finishing the first book it has taken me a while to get to this one. I could not put it down.Though it is about twenty years later the characters were just as real as in book one. Can't wait to get to book three and continue to follow Sabina and Matthew story.
A very great story, after finishing the first book it has taken me a while to get to this one. I could not put it down.Though it is about twenty years later the characters were just as real as in book one. Can't wait to get to book three and continue to follow Sabina and Matthew story.
July 30, 2019
Wasn't too fond of this one
May 30, 2020
This is a pretty good read, although it does drag on a bit. I enjoyed some of the religious discussions, which were actually refreshing to see in a thriller/adventure/spy book like this.
September 8, 2021
A lovely novel
This novel has everything, romance, excitement, history, a thorough and honest understanding of the horrors of Communism, and love of Jesus!
This novel has everything, romance, excitement, history, a thorough and honest understanding of the horrors of Communism, and love of Jesus!
March 18, 2022
Great read
March 11, 2023
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews