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Bright Valley of Love
Via Edna Hong's evocative word-pictures,
Bright Valley of Love
draws the reader into the soul-convulsing story of severely deformed Gunther who finds love and purpose at Bethel charitable institutes in Germany. This true-life tale follows Gunther from his destitute beginnings in 1914, the year WWI began, through the threats and terror of Nazi Germany and WWII. The universal truths of the value of the weakest and the obligation of the strong to defend them are especially relevant today, challenging the ideologies of our times.
154 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1976
36 people are currently reading
328 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
June 2, 2023
I would give this book 10 stars if I could. I had thoughts of reading it aloud to my boys, but I’m afraid I will not be able to hold it together…I cried multiple times as I was reading. And I’m not normally a cryer at all.
June 18, 2018
A friend of mine recommended this book to me and what a treasure it was! This book is no longer being published but it can still be purchased digitally through an ebook which is what I did.
This is a true story about a boy named Gunther who was born in Germany in 1914. He was born to a mother, who was not a good mother, and to a father who went off to fight in WW1. His father eventually rescues Gunther from his bad mother and takes him to Gunther’s grandmothers house to live, which was not much better. Gunther’s grandmother was a hardworking woman who believed that if you couldn’t work hard, you were “human junk”. You see, Gunther was deformed from head to toe, and therefore deemed worthless to most people in his family. He was deprived of love among other physical needs. That is until his father and grandmother decided to take him to a house called Patmos. The truth was that the grandmother no longer wanted to take care of Gunther as she saw him as a burden. His own father remarried and his new wife wanted nothing to do with Gunther. So at 6 year old, the only 2 people in Gunther’s life dropped him off at this home for children with physical deformities to live and completely abandoned him.
Even though this act was done in selfishness, it was the biggest blessing in Gunther’s life. This is a story of how Gunther found his miracle, loving nurses and pastors who fed him physically and spiritually. A story of how love transformed him. A truly beautiful story of how so many servants of Christ lived for others and saw value in these children when no one else did, and loved them as Christ loved them. This story will challenge you and inspire you to view others as Christ views them and to live for eternal rewards and not for ourselves or for treasures here on earth.
I read this to my 3 children...my daughter who is 12 and my 2 sons who are 8 and 10. I wanted to encourage them to live as these pastors and nurses lived and to have the wonderful attitude and great-full spirit that Gunther gained while living in Bethel. This is a perfect book to read to your children to show them the true joy that comes only through Christ!
This is a true story about a boy named Gunther who was born in Germany in 1914. He was born to a mother, who was not a good mother, and to a father who went off to fight in WW1. His father eventually rescues Gunther from his bad mother and takes him to Gunther’s grandmothers house to live, which was not much better. Gunther’s grandmother was a hardworking woman who believed that if you couldn’t work hard, you were “human junk”. You see, Gunther was deformed from head to toe, and therefore deemed worthless to most people in his family. He was deprived of love among other physical needs. That is until his father and grandmother decided to take him to a house called Patmos. The truth was that the grandmother no longer wanted to take care of Gunther as she saw him as a burden. His own father remarried and his new wife wanted nothing to do with Gunther. So at 6 year old, the only 2 people in Gunther’s life dropped him off at this home for children with physical deformities to live and completely abandoned him.
Even though this act was done in selfishness, it was the biggest blessing in Gunther’s life. This is a story of how Gunther found his miracle, loving nurses and pastors who fed him physically and spiritually. A story of how love transformed him. A truly beautiful story of how so many servants of Christ lived for others and saw value in these children when no one else did, and loved them as Christ loved them. This story will challenge you and inspire you to view others as Christ views them and to live for eternal rewards and not for ourselves or for treasures here on earth.
I read this to my 3 children...my daughter who is 12 and my 2 sons who are 8 and 10. I wanted to encourage them to live as these pastors and nurses lived and to have the wonderful attitude and great-full spirit that Gunther gained while living in Bethel. This is a perfect book to read to your children to show them the true joy that comes only through Christ!
May 20, 2025
Amazing story about the crippled and mentally challenged individuals in Germany during WW2.
It describes the spiritual battle that a brave pastor had to face when he was asked to “mercy kill” the mentally challenged, the crippled and the old that were under his care.
It describes the spiritual battle that a brave pastor had to face when he was asked to “mercy kill” the mentally challenged, the crippled and the old that were under his care.
October 3, 2022
This is a beautiful story, a beautiful picture of Christian community and love. It is largely the simple telling of one life story--that of Gunther, the little boy neglected, malnourished, deformed who is transformed by love that sees his humanity and embraces it. Yet woven into this simple life is deeply internalized faith that manifests itself in daily word and deed. For so many reasons it is a timely.book for these gray and latter days even more than it was when written nearly half a century ago.
There are direct correlations to how we as a society treat those with severe mental or physical disabilities, and there are obvious parallels to the discussion of abortion. There is also the issue of how we resist an evil and corrupt government, which feels ever more pertinent.
However, it also raises the issue of how Christians dwell as the body of Christ, truly caring for the least and lost. I wonder if we might learn some things from the model of Bethel. It made me long for more Lutheran deacons and deaconesses who would dedicate their lives to caring for those who will need help their whole lives.
Moreover, it models how a vigorous, rigorous piety.is not an unattainable ideal--not even for those who bear difficult mental and physical problems. again and again it demonstrates how memorized hymns and Scriptures uphold the Christian in time of trial and build fellowship among the believers.
Finally, while 5 stars is rounding up (my normal criterion being 5 = as inimitable and moving as the Iliad), some of Edna Hong's writing is remarkable for its insight and beauty. Beyond that, she writes a deeply pious book without the piety seeming inserted. Like Bo Giertz (but few others) her theological dialogue rings true, as though the characters are talking to one another from the depths of their being and not just serving as mouthpieces for the author's well-meaning didacticism.
I enjoyed this book, was moved by it, am still pondering it, and would recommend it. And let us all memorize and sing more hymns!
There are direct correlations to how we as a society treat those with severe mental or physical disabilities, and there are obvious parallels to the discussion of abortion. There is also the issue of how we resist an evil and corrupt government, which feels ever more pertinent.
However, it also raises the issue of how Christians dwell as the body of Christ, truly caring for the least and lost. I wonder if we might learn some things from the model of Bethel. It made me long for more Lutheran deacons and deaconesses who would dedicate their lives to caring for those who will need help their whole lives.
Moreover, it models how a vigorous, rigorous piety.is not an unattainable ideal--not even for those who bear difficult mental and physical problems. again and again it demonstrates how memorized hymns and Scriptures uphold the Christian in time of trial and build fellowship among the believers.
Finally, while 5 stars is rounding up (my normal criterion being 5 = as inimitable and moving as the Iliad), some of Edna Hong's writing is remarkable for its insight and beauty. Beyond that, she writes a deeply pious book without the piety seeming inserted. Like Bo Giertz (but few others) her theological dialogue rings true, as though the characters are talking to one another from the depths of their being and not just serving as mouthpieces for the author's well-meaning didacticism.
I enjoyed this book, was moved by it, am still pondering it, and would recommend it. And let us all memorize and sing more hymns!
May 6, 2024
Spring 2024 - the whole family enjoyed this as an audio book. It was nice to hear the hymns sung! Bonus: my son innocently started using the term "cripple" when referring to persons with disabilities. We took the opportunity to discuss how language changes over time, and how sometimes that's because hurtful usage can turn a word into one that many would consider impolite.
***
What a great book! It is always a good story when truth, goodness, and beauty win out over great evil and suffering, especially when the evil and suffering are so great. The style of this book made me picture an old German grandma writing me a letter to tell me a great, true story.
My favorite part about this book was the dialogue between Gunther and his best buddy at the end, while Pastor Fritz was busy persuading the guy in charge of the Nazi euthanasia program to leave Bethel alone. While those two men were having a life and death discussion about the earthly fate of at least 1,000 Bethel residents, two of Bethel's residents were also having a life and death conversation having eternal ramifications for one of them. It was a brilliant way to show how God is always working to keep his children safe from danger of all kinds, both physical and spiritual, both from without and from within.
"It is true, Gunther, there is a crack in everything. God sees the crack better than we do, and the crack is ever so much worse than we think it is. Therefore, God sent His Son from the heavenly home to our earthly home. Not to patch up the crack, but to make everything new."
***
What a great book! It is always a good story when truth, goodness, and beauty win out over great evil and suffering, especially when the evil and suffering are so great. The style of this book made me picture an old German grandma writing me a letter to tell me a great, true story.
My favorite part about this book was the dialogue between Gunther and his best buddy at the end, while Pastor Fritz was busy persuading the guy in charge of the Nazi euthanasia program to leave Bethel alone. While those two men were having a life and death discussion about the earthly fate of at least 1,000 Bethel residents, two of Bethel's residents were also having a life and death conversation having eternal ramifications for one of them. It was a brilliant way to show how God is always working to keep his children safe from danger of all kinds, both physical and spiritual, both from without and from within.
"It is true, Gunther, there is a crack in everything. God sees the crack better than we do, and the crack is ever so much worse than we think it is. Therefore, God sent His Son from the heavenly home to our earthly home. Not to patch up the crack, but to make everything new."
December 9, 2023
Who is my closest relative? Who is nearest and dearest to me? The one who suffers most!
~ ~ ~
This is a novel about love, compassion, and human dignity. To put it another way, it is a novel about the contrast between two ways of living and two ways of dying.
One way thinks that the dignity of a person, what makes them deserving of being called human, lies in their strength, productivity, and usefulness. A dignified life has no room for suffering, weakness, or dependency. Life is an exercise in meeting expectations and is led by the cares of this world. Death is a fearful weapon used as a final solution to end the problem of a life that has been deemed worthless. The novel shows us this way of living and dying in the Nazis, but it is also pervasive today.
The second way knows the Creator has given dignity to every creature, His power is made perfect in weakness, and He loves us first without requiring us to earn it. Life, with its surprises and trials, is led by Christ and received in faith and love knowing it is a precious gift from God. It also knows Christ has overcome death, so, as the Church sings in the Nunc Dimittis, we can face death in peace knowing we have a heavenly home.
The weak, the cast off, and the downtrodden of the world live at Bethel, but they are ready to embrace you, their friend, and love and be loved as you follow and praise Christ together.
~ ~ ~
Pastor Fritz raised his eyes from the coffin and searched the room until he found Gunther. "Kurt wished to go the heavenly home. I think he was homesick for the heavenly home because his home here on earth was so dear to him. You were his friends, and you saw that he had no fear at all about dying. And this is what is so great about Christmas. We need have no fear of dying when our Savior Jesus Christ has been born. Because Jesus left his heavenly home and came to us at Christmas, our friend Kurt could leave his earthly home without any fear. This is the priceless treasure of Christmas."
~ ~ ~
This is a novel about love, compassion, and human dignity. To put it another way, it is a novel about the contrast between two ways of living and two ways of dying.
One way thinks that the dignity of a person, what makes them deserving of being called human, lies in their strength, productivity, and usefulness. A dignified life has no room for suffering, weakness, or dependency. Life is an exercise in meeting expectations and is led by the cares of this world. Death is a fearful weapon used as a final solution to end the problem of a life that has been deemed worthless. The novel shows us this way of living and dying in the Nazis, but it is also pervasive today.
The second way knows the Creator has given dignity to every creature, His power is made perfect in weakness, and He loves us first without requiring us to earn it. Life, with its surprises and trials, is led by Christ and received in faith and love knowing it is a precious gift from God. It also knows Christ has overcome death, so, as the Church sings in the Nunc Dimittis, we can face death in peace knowing we have a heavenly home.
The weak, the cast off, and the downtrodden of the world live at Bethel, but they are ready to embrace you, their friend, and love and be loved as you follow and praise Christ together.
~ ~ ~
Pastor Fritz raised his eyes from the coffin and searched the room until he found Gunther. "Kurt wished to go the heavenly home. I think he was homesick for the heavenly home because his home here on earth was so dear to him. You were his friends, and you saw that he had no fear at all about dying. And this is what is so great about Christmas. We need have no fear of dying when our Savior Jesus Christ has been born. Because Jesus left his heavenly home and came to us at Christmas, our friend Kurt could leave his earthly home without any fear. This is the priceless treasure of Christmas."
Read
November 20, 2023I will gladly review this book, but not rate it, because my feelings about it were mixed.
One thing that I know is that the story itself was beautiful. 💕 It’s a story that needed to be told about a wonderful person who lived through the darkest of times. It’s about finding light in that darkness. These are messages that should be relayed! Christ’s love was so evident in Gunther’s life and I’m so glad that his story, and the story of Bethel, was recorded as such.
I had problems mainly with the writing of it. Much of it felt repetitive or was simply written poorly.
Also, everyone (outside of the Nazis) seemed so perfect. Of course the gospel story and the taking away of our sins by Jesus was mentioned frequently, but the inherent sins of the characters rarely if ever were shown. The pastors, deacons and deaconesses, and the patients were perfect, loving souls without a fault- and the patients seemed not to suffer any sort of trauma or other distress either from being separated from their families or from the hardships they went through every day. There was certainly darkness, but that darkness was mainly confined to outside forces (Nazis) and the suffering of their bodies, never inward sins or struggles.
Other than not being as realistic as it could have been, though, this book was really truly beautiful. Gunther was a living miracle, and a testament to God’s faithfulness to his people, even (or especially!) to those whom society views as outcasts. 🥰
One thing that I know is that the story itself was beautiful. 💕 It’s a story that needed to be told about a wonderful person who lived through the darkest of times. It’s about finding light in that darkness. These are messages that should be relayed! Christ’s love was so evident in Gunther’s life and I’m so glad that his story, and the story of Bethel, was recorded as such.
I had problems mainly with the writing of it. Much of it felt repetitive or was simply written poorly.
Also, everyone (outside of the Nazis) seemed so perfect. Of course the gospel story and the taking away of our sins by Jesus was mentioned frequently, but the inherent sins of the characters rarely if ever were shown. The pastors, deacons and deaconesses, and the patients were perfect, loving souls without a fault- and the patients seemed not to suffer any sort of trauma or other distress either from being separated from their families or from the hardships they went through every day. There was certainly darkness, but that darkness was mainly confined to outside forces (Nazis) and the suffering of their bodies, never inward sins or struggles.
Other than not being as realistic as it could have been, though, this book was really truly beautiful. Gunther was a living miracle, and a testament to God’s faithfulness to his people, even (or especially!) to those whom society views as outcasts. 🥰
October 29, 2024
A beautiful short story exemplifying God's goodness in using the weak and crippled to confound the proud and heady of this world. Gunther, whose life his own family thought was worse than useless, goes on to be loved by a saintly community of Christians in the valley of Bethel. This love transforms this numb, nearly dumb, and drugged cripple into a bright star of God's most precious constellation. Gunther works hard to please his loving patrons by diligently running tasks for them, and even singing songs of God's praise in the hardest of days for the community leader, pastor Franz, during his battle to save Bethels stars from the mass extermination of cripples and epileptics during the Nazi tyranny. The story is a triumph!
March 9, 2023
This book was delightful. An easy-to-read, yet full of things to ponder novel. A true story that teaches the importance of loving and caring for all of God's children, how teaching hymns strengthens the faith and comforts the believer, and how all of the Christian life is lived in faith toward Christ and love toward one another while bearing the burdens God in His wisdom sends.
May 24, 2024
Tears in every chapter, but the emotional tension is held with strong hope. Hope that is only found in surrendering our lives to the glory of God. An unexpected conviction from this book was the power of singing and learning hymns. Oh to live beyond ourselves and to see such great power beyond us- praise be to God.
July 12, 2025
There aren’t enough stars for this book. It was so wonderfully encouraging and full of the Love of God. Every Christian should read it. I actually mean that.
To quote the introduction:
“Imagined evil is fascinating and inviting, while real evil is deadening and repellant. But imagined good is dull and uninteresting, while real good is fascinating and inviting…I could never have imagined good as exciting and inviting as I found it for real in Bethel.”
Please read it and catch a glimpse of our God who loves those the world counts as unloveable, and uses His precious people to do it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
To quote the introduction:
“Imagined evil is fascinating and inviting, while real evil is deadening and repellant. But imagined good is dull and uninteresting, while real good is fascinating and inviting…I could never have imagined good as exciting and inviting as I found it for real in Bethel.”
Please read it and catch a glimpse of our God who loves those the world counts as unloveable, and uses His precious people to do it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
August 30, 2025
This is an incredible story about the love of God in Jesus Christ reaching out to the forgotten people among us!
March 3, 2023
Beautiful story.
The book paints a lovely picture of a life lived by grace through faith in the midst of suffering and illness -- but, it just didn't captivate my attention. Perhaps I was trying to read it like a novel instead of a biography/true story? I once heard the phrase "relentlessly charming" applied to another book, and I think that description fits well here.
We are going to try the audiobook as a family, and perhaps that format, shared with my children, will be even better.
The book paints a lovely picture of a life lived by grace through faith in the midst of suffering and illness -- but, it just didn't captivate my attention. Perhaps I was trying to read it like a novel instead of a biography/true story? I once heard the phrase "relentlessly charming" applied to another book, and I think that description fits well here.
We are going to try the audiobook as a family, and perhaps that format, shared with my children, will be even better.
May 19, 2025
This was a very beautiful and moving true story about a severely handicapped boy who is taken to Bethel, a haven for sick and handicapped people in Germany. Here, he is finally treated like a human, is shown the love of Christ, and goes on to fight for the thousands of handicapped people in Hitler’s Germany.
From the epilogue: “The war upon the severely handicapped in body and mind did not end with the defeat of Nazi Germany…It still goes on in the world, and it will go on as long as there are people who do not know what it is to be human, as long as there are people who think some lives are not worth being allowed to live. Or not worth being born! As long as there are people who think this way, there will be a battle between them and those that believe that euthanasia and abortion are murder.”
From the epilogue: “The war upon the severely handicapped in body and mind did not end with the defeat of Nazi Germany…It still goes on in the world, and it will go on as long as there are people who do not know what it is to be human, as long as there are people who think some lives are not worth being allowed to live. Or not worth being born! As long as there are people who think this way, there will be a battle between them and those that believe that euthanasia and abortion are murder.”
August 20, 2022
An easy read of a book that was long out of print - I'm torn between the audio version (which I read) and the print version, for this reason: hymn lyrics are important to the story but I loved hearing the hymns sung in the audio version.
This book, about a German village and ministry to disabled children and adults, is filled with Lutheran spirituality, a distinct flavor of Christianity. Like many of my generation and the generations of Lutherans before me, learning and singing hymns "by heart" was formative to my faith. This is not a story about music - it's a story about love, and the value of every life, and faith in the Lord. But the setting will be unbelievable to many, just as many ridicule protrayals of family life "Leave it to Beaver," "Andy Griffith Show" and "Father Knows Best." They were not unrealistic to me - I've been told by relatives that they were jealous because they felt my family was like the Cleavers! And the faith in this book is not unrealistic to me, either.
Growing up in America, I've always felt that freedom of religion is much preferred to having a state church. Part of that was the observation that the churches of Europe have been largely empty of worshipers, including in Lutheran countries such as Sweden, Norway, Finland and Germany. But now as American churches are emptying I see that there are more causes than just one when Christianity declines in an area. This book takes place in a German valley where -- because it has been the state church -- the culture is Lutheran (to this day, church festivals are German national holidays). People associate hymns with seasons of the year and occasions in life. I see some advantages to having a state church.
I've written several paragraphs of review without touching the heart of this story! Today we would summarize the question addressed in Bright Valley of Love this way: Do profoundly disabled children have a quality of life? Wouldn't it be better if they were not allowed to live?
No, this is not a book about abortion - it is a book about people with severe disabilities and how their lives are not what people think possible in our modern American culture (or many other cultures for that matter). And at the heart of the difference between what people expect and the reality for the children of Bethel (and other Christian ministries like it) is the love of the Lord and an understanding of vocation.
The facts of the story follow a disabled person named Gunther and the ministry for the disabled at Bethel in a period that spans from about 1914 to the end of World War II (although an epilogue brings the story up to the present). Although the climax, mentioned by all who recommend the book, happens while the Nazi's controlled Germany and tried to cleanse the land of people they regarded as a burden, that is such a small part of the book that the section felt almost anti-climactic to me.
I have lived long enough for English sensibilities regarding developmental disabilities to have changed. This book uses words like "retarded" and "cripple" which the disabilities community has protested, because those words used as nouns were cruel mockery. This book gets at the heart of the attitude behind such mockery and contempt. Instead of being a book of justice falling on name callers and cruel people, it is a book of love and valuing every life. If you want to look at life in a different way, read Bright Valley of Love
This book, about a German village and ministry to disabled children and adults, is filled with Lutheran spirituality, a distinct flavor of Christianity. Like many of my generation and the generations of Lutherans before me, learning and singing hymns "by heart" was formative to my faith. This is not a story about music - it's a story about love, and the value of every life, and faith in the Lord. But the setting will be unbelievable to many, just as many ridicule protrayals of family life "Leave it to Beaver," "Andy Griffith Show" and "Father Knows Best." They were not unrealistic to me - I've been told by relatives that they were jealous because they felt my family was like the Cleavers! And the faith in this book is not unrealistic to me, either.
Growing up in America, I've always felt that freedom of religion is much preferred to having a state church. Part of that was the observation that the churches of Europe have been largely empty of worshipers, including in Lutheran countries such as Sweden, Norway, Finland and Germany. But now as American churches are emptying I see that there are more causes than just one when Christianity declines in an area. This book takes place in a German valley where -- because it has been the state church -- the culture is Lutheran (to this day, church festivals are German national holidays). People associate hymns with seasons of the year and occasions in life. I see some advantages to having a state church.
I've written several paragraphs of review without touching the heart of this story! Today we would summarize the question addressed in Bright Valley of Love this way: Do profoundly disabled children have a quality of life? Wouldn't it be better if they were not allowed to live?
No, this is not a book about abortion - it is a book about people with severe disabilities and how their lives are not what people think possible in our modern American culture (or many other cultures for that matter). And at the heart of the difference between what people expect and the reality for the children of Bethel (and other Christian ministries like it) is the love of the Lord and an understanding of vocation.
The facts of the story follow a disabled person named Gunther and the ministry for the disabled at Bethel in a period that spans from about 1914 to the end of World War II (although an epilogue brings the story up to the present). Although the climax, mentioned by all who recommend the book, happens while the Nazi's controlled Germany and tried to cleanse the land of people they regarded as a burden, that is such a small part of the book that the section felt almost anti-climactic to me.
I have lived long enough for English sensibilities regarding developmental disabilities to have changed. This book uses words like "retarded" and "cripple" which the disabilities community has protested, because those words used as nouns were cruel mockery. This book gets at the heart of the attitude behind such mockery and contempt. Instead of being a book of justice falling on name callers and cruel people, it is a book of love and valuing every life. If you want to look at life in a different way, read Bright Valley of Love
December 2, 2025
Few stories come close to encompassing so many important topics: the sanctity of human life, good hymnody, the masculine character of the holy ministry, righteous resistance to tyranny—all in a short and heartwarming account of what Christ’s love through others could do for a crippled boy rejected by his family. Seriously, this will melt your heart. You can’t read this book and emerge unchanged.
May 6, 2023
I confess that I'm a cynical man--all to quick to roll my eyes when stories start effusing about things like goodness and love. I'll usually skip any story that might make it to the Hallmark channel. That said, goodness and love are worth effusing about, and a good story can feature them without having to mix in a dark edge to the plot and characters. For example, you have this book.
Bright Valley of Love is the true story of Gunther and the place where he grew up. Gunther was born in Germany in 1914. He was handicapped, due in part to neglect by his birth family. When Gunther was seven, his family brought him to Bethel, a community for the physically and mentally impaired. In a world where disdain and neglect was common for many handicapped people. Bethel offered a loving community dedicated to physical and spiritual care for its members. The book takes us through Gunther's childhood, as he finds a new family at Bethel and thrives despite his handicapped body. The tale then goes on as Hitler gains power in Germany and Gunther and his brothers and sisters are threatened by the Nazi's twisted plan to "purify" Germany.
I'm not sure how this tale pierced my cynical shell--maybe it was all the quoted hymn verses--but I'm sure glad it did. I may have to find a copy for my shelf.
Bright Valley of Love is the true story of Gunther and the place where he grew up. Gunther was born in Germany in 1914. He was handicapped, due in part to neglect by his birth family. When Gunther was seven, his family brought him to Bethel, a community for the physically and mentally impaired. In a world where disdain and neglect was common for many handicapped people. Bethel offered a loving community dedicated to physical and spiritual care for its members. The book takes us through Gunther's childhood, as he finds a new family at Bethel and thrives despite his handicapped body. The tale then goes on as Hitler gains power in Germany and Gunther and his brothers and sisters are threatened by the Nazi's twisted plan to "purify" Germany.
I'm not sure how this tale pierced my cynical shell--maybe it was all the quoted hymn verses--but I'm sure glad it did. I may have to find a copy for my shelf.
May 21, 2023
What a wonderful, charming book, written with compassion and emotion and love. I have read many WWII books but never this topic. Before the Jews were targeted, the mentally and emotionally disabled and the elderly were killed. This is a drama filled book of a young man who's life was destined to be short and unpleasant, but went to an institution who gave him nutrition, sunlight, and love and changed his life. But then WWII happens. Does he survive or is his institution wiped out. This book could have been twice as long and still too short. Maybe one of my favorites of the year.
"The war upon the severely handicapped in body and mind did not end with the defeat of Nazi Germany. ... It still goes on in the world, and it will go on as long as there are people who do not know what it is to be human, as long as there are people who think some lives are not worth being allowed to live. Or not worth being born!"
"The war upon the severely handicapped in body and mind did not end with the defeat of Nazi Germany. ... It still goes on in the world, and it will go on as long as there are people who do not know what it is to be human, as long as there are people who think some lives are not worth being allowed to live. Or not worth being born!"
September 5, 2017
A friend lent me this book. It tears at your heartstrings and compels you to take a serious look at your own Christian faith. Do I really love all people no matter their ability or physical limitations. Do I put God first and live with joy? This is what struck me the most, the pastors and deacons and deaconesses at Bethel lived with steadfast love and joy and Christ.
A couple of takeaways:
"When human thinking has come to a dead end and can see no way out of its problems, then faith is able to to spread it's wings. The climate has never been better--for faith." Pastor Fritz. pg. 80
And then, a description of Frau Julia: "For her, time was now. The past was past, all shiny and forgiven, the future had been given into GOd's hands. Now was always right now, this unique moment when she could share God's love--and she rejoiced in it." (p. 134)
What great examples to live by.
A couple of takeaways:
"When human thinking has come to a dead end and can see no way out of its problems, then faith is able to to spread it's wings. The climate has never been better--for faith." Pastor Fritz. pg. 80
And then, a description of Frau Julia: "For her, time was now. The past was past, all shiny and forgiven, the future had been given into GOd's hands. Now was always right now, this unique moment when she could share God's love--and she rejoiced in it." (p. 134)
What great examples to live by.
May 27, 2024
This is the best book I've read this year! It is a true story in the times before and during WWII about a German boy who suffered from rickets due to parental abuse and eventually sent to a Christian organization that served disabled and epileptics. The boy, Gunther, encountered love from Christians and knew the love of Christ. The Christian organization, called Bethel, was a group of absolutely phenomenal people. They loved God; they loved singing hymns; they loved all the children in need. The first part of the book is about how Gunther's life was transformed by the Bethel community. Then came the book's climax, when Hitler's regime came to power and sought to euthanize Bethel's "useless people." This book is short, but so beautiful. I've never loved hymns (I like contemporary worship songs better...), but I'm warming up to hymns because of this book.
August 15, 2022
Loaned to me by a church friend, this book has been on my “want to read” list ever since it was made available in print again in 2021. The true story is compelling all on its own, complete with both heart-wrenching and heartwarming treatment of those with atypical mental and physical abilities, and the threat against them from the Nazis. What makes this story complete is the way in which Bible stories, Bible verses, and hymn verses are woven seamlessly into the text, giving the reader a complete context for the way in which the marginalized (and all people!) can find true hope and peace in the midst of suffering and turmoil. I hope someday to buy the audiobook that actually has the hymns being sung!!
September 23, 2025
I struggled to “get into” the voice and style of writing, and it wasn’t until maybe 2/3 of the way through that I felt actual emotional depth in the story. It’s a beautiful story, but the description of Gunther’s childhood and first years as an adult felt awkward, and not because of his circumstances. However, I think stories like this are powerful, particularly today when the world is once again facing powerful men who seek to crush the lesser. A needed reminder that each one of us can contribute to seeking a better world, to sharing love, and to keep the light on even and perhaps especially when everything feels dark.
July 24, 2022
A beautiful defense of true Christian value for life. Caring for the weak with kindness and providing for their needs both physical and spiritual.
This quote at the end refuting the Nazi ideology of euthanizing people with epilepsy and other crippling disabilities expresses the simply profound love for all of God’s human creation. “It is inhuman to speak of helping some humans by murdering other humans.”
This quote at the end refuting the Nazi ideology of euthanizing people with epilepsy and other crippling disabilities expresses the simply profound love for all of God’s human creation. “It is inhuman to speak of helping some humans by murdering other humans.”
January 29, 2025
Inspirational true story about a safe haven in Germany called Bethel. Bethel is a place of love and faith where those who may not be considered “human” in this world because of physical and mental defects, find acceptance and family and faith. Gunther’s story also covers his life during WWII when Bethel was under scrutiny for destruction for its residents who were considered a waste of resources. Strongly recommend.
January 2, 2022
True story that reads like a romance novel but packs a punch of the war between good & evil. Everyone should read this, it should be made into a movie. I bought this to use for deaconess studies, but a bought a second copy because I want to loan it out to several individuals to read, it is that good.
May 31, 2025
A wonderful book for every age - it gripped nine year old to adult in our family. A story of Christian resistance to Nazi euthanasia, it lends a vivid perspective to current issues in Canada without veering into the political or didactic. This book is both personal and historical and presents big thoughts about the value of humanity made in God’s image in a very accessible, meaningful way.
January 26, 2022
Fascinating insight into the world of Bethel in Germany, an institution for people with epilepsy and other disabilities, through to the Nazi years. I deeply appreciate Edna Hong's heart and her writing style.
May 2, 2022
very moving
This was a can’t put down book. Started reading it for book club and instead of reading just the part for this week read the entire book. What an awesome testament to faith and love of God an Jesus.
This was a can’t put down book. Started reading it for book club and instead of reading just the part for this week read the entire book. What an awesome testament to faith and love of God an Jesus.
July 20, 2022
I listened to the audiobook version of this as recommended so the hymns are sung. It is such a sweet book. It shows the value of every God-given life and touches on the inhumanity of the eugenics movement and the evil Nazi implementation of those evil ideas.
December 11, 2023
A beautiful story, a convicting story. It’s full of hardship and grief, but mostly triumphant joy in the midst of it. 4.5 stars, only because the writing is slightly rudimentary and my version had some editing issues.
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