The Vow

by Felicity Goodrich

It happens in the chill of a September night, 1939: Their small Polish village is raided, burned to the ground. Anna, a devoutly Catholic teenager, watches as her friend is shot, as her father is dragged off for conscription in the German army.

Szymon, the young village priest, stands silently with his parishioners as their church is ransacked and torched. Anna clings to him—her dear friend and confidant—and by some luck, the Germans spare them.

Five Septembers later, Anna and Szymon still cling together, now amid the turmoil of war. Though Anna dreads her engagement to a local ruffian and Szymon fears for his father’s life back home, the two find solace in their friendship.

But when the Soviet army comes to “liberate” them, Anna endures an unspeakable atrocity and Szymon suffers his own tragedy. Now bound even more tightly by the sorrows they carry, they face a choice: honor the vows they’ve made to others or risk everything for the chance at salvation in each other.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Romance, World War II

272 pages, Paperback

First published April 12, 2016

About the author

Felicity Goodrich, a New Hampshire native, graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2008 with a BA in English, as well as with degrees in history and music. She went on to complete a graduate program in history at California State University in Sacramento and later worked as a librarian and as an archivist. She is active in animal rescue and currently lives in Northern California with her boyfriend and their two cats. Her debut novel The Vow came out on April 12, 2016.

www.facebook.com/AuthorFelicityGoodrich

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Reviews

[Ang Hornbeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is first and foremost a love story. It is a love story that is set during the turmoil of WWII Poland. It is a love story that will make you cry, hope, and wish for the best outcome for our 2 protaginists. The pain and anguish of war burdens a small town, and Anna turns to the church and her beloved Syzmon for comfort. Being the priest of such a small parish and his dedication to god, he tries with no avail to set aside his feelings for Anna. The story progresses in a way that is enjoyable to read but also filled with the pain of unrequited love.

I refuse to spoil the book for anyone wanting to read it. If you enjoy a simple, yet gut wrenching, love story, I highly recommend this book.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was privileged to receive an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Once in a while a debut author comes around that just knocks your socks off... Ms. Goodrich is one of those authors. Hooked, I plowed through this book in one sitting. I simply HAD to know what would happen next. It's that good.

Set in WWII, this achingly beautiful historical novel manages to tackle several familiar themes in an entertaining and unique way - Faith, God, Love, Pain, Good Vs. Evil, Friendship, Fate. From the first paragraph, the setting and characters absolutely leap off of the page. Masterfully crafted prose transports you there instantly, right in the middle of the horrors of war. The author has done her homework about what the era was like, it is all very historically accurate.

Many times in reading the book you, as the reader, are prompted to evaluate your own viewpoints, and how you feel about if you were at a similar crossroads in life. Self-reflection is part of the reading process here, this is not a book simply to be entertained. It goes deeper than that and makes a strong emotional connection.

In addition to that, the characters are well crafted enough that you are still able to be surprised by their behavior, just when you think you have it all "figured out" as to how the story line is playing out, which is always a wonderful surprise in fiction. The romance in here is beautifully written -no smut, for those of you sensitive to such things, it is all very tasteful. The roller coaster of emotions you go through upon reading it pays off, with a sublime feeling of satisfaction at the end.

I very much look forward to more from this author in the future!

[Michele Amedee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I started it yesterday afternoon and I couldn't put it down. I needed to clean my house this morning and I did the whole one-more-chapter thing until I had finished it. I typically do not gravitate to love stories, but I am glad I decided to give this one a try. Now that I've finished, I kind of see a Beauty and the Beast semblance only replace Beast with Priest. Lol. This story takes place in Poland during WWII and so there's tension throughout, and I got involved with all of the characters. Great story

[Ellie Midwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Vow” is a well-written and well-researched historical fiction with sweet, sympathetic characters but I admit, I did skip some parts because the plot was repeating itself. Bear with me and let me explain: at the beginning of the war, the Wehrmacht marches into a small town and turns Anna’s life upside down. Her father is taken away and she’s left with a mother (who doesn’t seem to care much for her) and a fiancé who constantly pesters her about getting married and whom she obviously… dislikes? Mistrusts? The only constant in Anna’s life is the town’s priest, Szymon, to whom she’s obviously attracted.
The plot revolves around the couple, for the most part, concentrating on their internal struggles a bit too much. Both keep going back and forth about their feelings “Oh, but I love her; oh, but I can’t leave the church” and “I love him but he’ll never marry me” and - *spoiler!* - “I need someone to marry me to take care of my child” (she was raped by Soviet soldiers stationed near her town) - *end of spoiler* - and I felt that the whole internal struggle thing was a little overdone. Maybe it’s just me, but I personally was more interested in parts where townspeople had to struggle with actual wartime experiences as those parts were indeed fascinating and showed the entire spectrum of humanity in those little snippets, from wartime profiteering to the Armia Krajowa heroic deeds.
Overall, it’s definitely a worthy read and the ending, which was super sweet and perfect for the story (as I felt) redeemed the sometimes repetitive plot. I’d definitely recommend it to fans of historical fiction genre.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished your fabulous book....I just loved it and am so glad that I was able to preview it. You are an amazing author and I look forward to your 2nd book. Your characters are so well written and each has their own depth and brings their own story. There is not a slow moment in the book.
Anna and Syzmon are the main characters that you are rooting for throughout the book. Tomek is an interesting person and not to give anything away but I was pleasantly surprised with him. Marta and Leon each have shocking and surprising story lines. Their were moments in the book that I was keeping tears from streaming down my face. Well done Felicity!

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. The Vow is set in a small hamlet village in Poland beginning in 1939 and then jumping forward to 1944. It revolves around 2 primary characters, Anna and the Catholic priest Syzmon. In 1939, the Germans invade the village and take away 16 year old Anna's father as well as other villagers. However, the priest is spared. Anna is a very devout Catholic girl and she and the young priest have formed a friendship. Anna has also been promised in marriage to a fellow villager, Tomek. Then the novel moves forward to 1944 and Russian soldiers have encamped around the village. Shortly after this happens, a horrific and life-changing event occurs in Anna's life. This event forces changes in her relationship with Syzmon.
This novel not only portrays the brutalities the people suffered under both the Germans and Russians during WWII but also the inner struggles of people as they became desperate. I especially liked the author's portrayal of Syzmon in his inner struggles as a priest both in his desperation to be able to provide spiritual comfort to his parishioners but also in his relationship with Anna. Eventually two men want and need Anna in their lives, one of whom will sacrifice everything for his love for her.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A love story from Poland during World War 2 that shows aspects of that horrible time that are less known.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given an advance copy of the book and asked to give an honest review.

The greatest accomplishment of this story is the portrayal of the characters. The wide range of emotions showed by the protagonists is palpable, and anyone will be able to empathize with their apprehension and uncertainty of what will happen to each other in the turbulent world that surrounds them.

More striking though is the depth of the cast of characters that surround them. Anyone who has lived in a small community will be able to recognize these characters -- the busybody gossip, the man who revels in making people uncomfortable in conversation, the man who fails to recognize that everyone knows about his secret crush. But even then, these characters don't feel like stereotypes; they get fleshed out through the plot, and you find reasons to both love and hate several of them. This results in a town that feels alive, where the supporting characters don't seem like they're entering on cue. Each of them feels like a protagonist in their own untold story.

I highly recommend this book to anyone would like to read a character-focused story that is both well-researched and accessible.

[Donna Pieron · Rating 2 out of 5]

I should have known when I first started this book that it was going to be long and drawn out, but I did finish it, although it was a struggle. This is about a young woman, Anna, and her relationship with her priest. The setting is Poland during WW ll with the Soviets and Germans invading Poland. Anna and her priest form a close, romantic relationship in spite of her engagement to a soldier of high standing who can provide her with a more comfortable lifestyle.
There was a lot of repetition, as though the reader didn't get it the first time, and a rather shallow plot with a predictable ending.

[Mollie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full Disclosure: Felicity is one of my favorite people. I love her and am completely biased and proud of her - so I will be succinct.

This book will serve anyone well as their quick vacation read.
A solid read for the rainy day of your beach vacation.
It is women's lit., but it's also a well researched historical novel.

Congratulations, Felicity. =) I enjoyed reading it.

[Cheryl Vorhauer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Controversial topic

I didn’t care for this book because I didn’t like the premise. It was a book that I read through quickly to see how it ended, but I didn’t want to know all the details in between. The characters were well developed and the book took place during WWII, which was interesting to read the author’s descriptions. It gave a sense of the times. Having said that, there are many other which I would recommend.

[Sheila Hoekstra · Rating 1 out of 5]

For many authors their first novel is often quite stellar. Unfortunately for The Vow this was not the case. The plot seemed plodding and predictable and the character's mental and emotional dialog was limiting and repetitive.

[Shena Vasko · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have never written a book, so it's easy to criticize. I found her characters to be annoying and inconsistent, and the dialogue was quite repetitive. The ending was good, but the writing lacked depth.

[Nana Goodson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is riveting and exciting. Not at all what I thought it would be. Surprising and suspense

filled. It was not predictable and I was captivated by the vulnerability of the characters. Man can be humane when least expected.

[Mary R. Potter · Rating 4 out of 5]

the vow is predictable but satisfying

An interesting reading experience which is enjoyable but at times predictable. Overall, I liked the novel.
Felicity Goodrich deals with World War II and it’s atrocities.

[Anna Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Predictable

Too many circles, hard to stay with story,disappointed with characters and ending. Never could get interested in the story itself.

[Val Diaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great love story

Loved this book! Its a great story of true love, and all they had to go through to be able to love each other.

[Jim Brown · Rating 1 out of 5]

I guess others have tried bringing a religious pastor together with a parishioner.This should have been a Lifetime Movie.

[tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The vow

Good read....keeps you interested in the story ..I Recommend this book to anyone ..a nice story line in a time when there was no good in the world

[toreadanovel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t know what first drew my attention to this novel but as I was scrolling through Netgalley searching for something to read, something about this novel jumped out at me. After I read the blurb, I wasn’t totally convinced that this novel would be for me due to it’s religious aspects but the historical part of the novel made me want to give it a chance.

Now I’ve finished the novel, I am glad I gave it a chance. I’m a big fan of novels relating to World War 2 anyway, but I think what really topped it off was the religious element to it. I thought reading about a priest would be quite boring, but if anything it made the whole novel more tense.

Although I enjoyed the novel, I did think parts of it were a little slow but I think it was to be expected – after all it never claimed to be an action or thriller. I’m a little torn when it comes to talking about the pace of the novel as I know in order for us to understand the backstory we needed to be told this information, but some of the chapters just dragged. Saying this, I would have probably liked to have been given a little more information about Anna and Szymon as when the novel started there was already a developed relationship between the two so I would have loved to hear more about their past together. I think if we had this insight, it would have been easier to picture in our heads too. I mean, the relationship was well written and convincing but personally I found it hard because of Anna’s age. When the novel begins she is sixteen, there is obviously a relationship between the two even if it hasn’t developed into anything yet, but Szymon is older than her. I know age gaps were more common back then but as we are shown there is already something between them in the first chapter, that makes me think they have been close for a while before the novel began which means she would have been younger than sixteen. I’m probably making it into a bigger deal than it is but personally it bothered me.

If I’m being honest, I wouldn’t rave about the novel. It was a good a read, but I wouldn’t say I was excited over it. At times the novel really struck me. It was a little emotional at times, however in hindsight I wonder if that was because of my own empathy for those stuck in these events in real life, rather than the actual author’s description of them.

I’d like to thank Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book to review. This has not affected my review in any way.

[Jennifer Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Vow by Felicity Goodrich is unlikely love story in a small Polish village during the heat of World War II. It is a story of love beyond measure and a love against all odds.
The story opens in September 1939 where Anna and her family are running to hide from the German soldiers who are raiding their village. The soldiers are looking for men to fight. Family is caught and huddled with the rest of the villagers. The villagers watch as men of all ages are forced into the army and carted off to fight in a war they didn’t believe in. Father Szymon Wielinski tries to minister to his parish as they fight fear and uncertainty. Rumors come in that the Russians are coming from the east and the German army is weakening. With the war raging around them, they have a battle among themselves. Anna and Szymon become good friends and they seek each other’s comfort as bad news comes from the world outside. Soon Anna and Szymon fall in love, not willing to acknowledge as Szymon is committed to his oath to the church. Rumors fly about their relationship that it forces them apart until they realize that they do not what to be apart. Will Anna and Szymon be able to be together? Will Szymon be able to put aside his commitment to the Church for his love of Anna?
To say that I loved this book is an understatement. I LOVED this book. I read this book in one day. Not because it was an easy read but because the story was so thrilling and exciting that I could not put in down. The story was beautifully written with a love story unlike I’ve read before. The struggles and conflicts are dealt with such reality that Anna and Szymon. The descriptions of the war, while in the background, give just enough to give the reader a sense of the atmosphere of the villager. One of my favorite quotes from the book is from Szymon when he says “I am not cast out of God’s love, only yours.” I love the truth behind this statement as men try to dictate the measure of God’s love. This book was heartwarming and romantic. Probably one of the most romantic love stories I’ve read in a long time. I highly recommend The Vow.

[June Kraff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I couldn't put it down

[S. B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was stunning. I've read many books, fiction and non-fiction about this time, and none of them have captured so many of the themes relating to the efforts of ordinary people to survive the horrors of war. While at its heart the book is a love story, the characters have to navigate their way through the horror that was Poland during World War II. It was refreshing that none of the principal characters were entirely saints or sinners but rather just people who reacted in different ways to the difficult circumstances in which they found themselves, Until I read this book I had never given much thought to the seemingly impossible task local priests had in trying to convince their congregations to remain faithful in the face of evil on such a scale, and the toll it took on them to do so. Even with the background of war, the book also depicted the ordinary truths of life in a small town, gossip, jealousy, friendship, families, and love, all magnified by the uncertainty of the future. The author's obvious mastery of the history of this area and time made it even more engrossing. Many books I read, enjoy, and forget as soon as I move on to something else. This is one I continued to think about for days after. I think it was so compelling because it touched on so many issues, all woven together in the story of an impossible relationship. The author told a huge and sweeping story in an intimate and riveting way.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

A different wartime story

This was a refreshing (as one can be) for a wartime story. We forget that love still happens and reading this was a beautiful take.

[Kati Berman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. When I read some of the glowing reviews on Goodreads, I was wondering if I read the same book. This is certainly not the first book written of the forbidden love between a priest and one of his congregants. Unfortunately, this one is not the best. The scene is World War II Poland towards the end of the war, when the Soviets are defeating the German Nazis and both subject the Poles to the horrors of war. I found especially the first half of the book, boring and repetitive, the action picked up towards the end. The priest, Symon had a hard time choosing between his priestly calling and his love for Anna. Anna is obviously in love with Symon and looks for every opportunity to be near him, in spite of the constant , malicious gossip in the town. After the first part dragging on, the end was somewhat rushed and predictable. I was glad to have finished the book, I wished I counted how many times the author wrote, " he (or she) ran fingers through his hair" when in a stressful situation. Overall, this book doesn't deserve more than three stars.
Thanks Netgalley, Lake Union Publishing and the author, Felicity Goodrich for an advance copy of this book.

[Marshunt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kinda left me flat.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Anna is a 16 year-old girl when the Nazis come to her village in 1939. Her father, along with many men in the community, are taken away to serve in the war. The Nazis were going to take Szymon, the village priest, but after Anna throws her arms around his neck and begs for him to be spared, they leave him behind.

5 years later, Anna's fiance has been working as a war profiteer but has put off marrying Anna. Anna and Szymon both face terrible tragedies and lean on each other for comfort. However, Szymon's vows of priesthood and Anna's fiance work to keep them apart.

Overall, this was a sweet story. However, there were some things I didn't understand. For example, they say that Anna has been engaged to Tomek since she was 13, and their engagement seems to be common town knowledge. However, when her father gets home from the war, he refuses to let Anna marry Tomek and is appalled that she would have spent time with him. Wouldn't he have long ago voiced those opinions if he disliked Tomek so much? Anyone who enjoys love stories with a WWII backdrop should like this book.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book tells the story of Anna and Szymon , a young woman and a priest, respectively, living in Poland during World War II. I can’t really say that I particularly enjoyed the book, but it was fine for an evening’s read.

The plot line was rather predictable and I felt annoyed with the main characters at times, particularly Szymon, who seemed whiny and wimpy most of the time. That being said, I did appreciate the portrayal of his internal struggles – he was a truly devout priest caught between his love for God and his love for a woman. This could have been dealt with very tritely but Goodrich chose to give the reader insight into Szymon’s private turmoil, which seemed pretty realistic to me. Also, I wanted to slap Anna a few times.

Overall, I would have liked to see more character development - the most of the secondary characters seemed very one-dimensional. I was, however, pleased to see that one person did show another side of himself toward the end of the book (not gonna say who!).

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

True lovr

If you want to read a true love story, "The Vow" is the book for you. Two people, true love!

[Jay Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I selected this book because I was familiar with the area in Poland and this period in Polish history. I was certainly not disappointed in the quality of the story and how it wove the interactions into the events taking place as the Germans and the Russians competed to see who could treat the Polish people the cruelest. The story is keyed on the vows people made both inside and outside the Catholic church. The reader quickly develops an emotional investment in the story, and the enchantment grows as the story continues. The writing is clear and not too difficult. Descriptions of the Polish village were brief, but not enough to detract from the action. Some of the people were somewhat stereotypical and shallow, especially where the German and Russian soldiers were concerned. Definitely a beautiful love story set against a backdrop of strong inhumanity. Perhaps a small light in a dark history.