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The Road to Freedom
World War II is ending, but for Captain Meier, the fight for his life has only begun. Stranded behind enemy lines and tormented by his past, his only ally is a young private who practices a strange American religion. As they travel through treacherous Germany, the two quickly realize they will have to trust in a merciful God to have any chance of escaping a deadly fate.
224 pages, Paperback
Published December 12, 2017
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15 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 24, 2018
The Road to Freedom is a World War II novel. It’s a really well written one by a debut author. Many of the World War II books I’ve read include a bit of romance to break up the hard things that happen in the story. This one doesn’t really. I did like the way the author had the characters do flashbacks to important times in their lives. I loved the way the reader gets a sense of what the character is like and why from these flashbacks.
The main two characters in this one are Hans Kohler and Christoph Meier. They have an interesting connection. Christoph is the captain of Hans’ army unit. He’s a man of the world. He’s been in Hitler’s Youth patrol and was very close to becoming an SS Officer. His family was not happy when he decided not to become an SS Officer. His father had known Adolf Hitler and was close to him.
Hans is almost night and day different from Christoph. His family had been contacted by Mormon missionaries before the war. They joined the LDS Church and changed their lives all around for it. I loved the way he would pray and the answers to his prayers would always come. They always came in unusual and unexpected ways, but they always came.
There are other characters in this book, but Hans and Christoph are the only two the reader comes to know well. As you can imagine, on the field of battle, there are a lot of the characters who just don’t make it. These two happen to, most likely because of Hans’ prayers in their behalf.
The Road to Freedom shows a different side of World War II than you normally see. You see the point of view of a people who thought they were fighting for the right, when they were actually in the wrong. You see young men who were forced into a war that they should never have been forced into. And you see what happened to the men who were guards over the prison camps, both mentally and what happened when they were found.
The plot of this one is full of action and danger. I liked the way it grabbed my interest from the very beginning and it didn’t let go. There was always another danger around the next corner. Anytime I thought the two main characters would be out of trouble, they just weren’t. And the ending is so well done!
If you’re looking for a great World War II novel to read, look no further than this one!
The main two characters in this one are Hans Kohler and Christoph Meier. They have an interesting connection. Christoph is the captain of Hans’ army unit. He’s a man of the world. He’s been in Hitler’s Youth patrol and was very close to becoming an SS Officer. His family was not happy when he decided not to become an SS Officer. His father had known Adolf Hitler and was close to him.
Hans is almost night and day different from Christoph. His family had been contacted by Mormon missionaries before the war. They joined the LDS Church and changed their lives all around for it. I loved the way he would pray and the answers to his prayers would always come. They always came in unusual and unexpected ways, but they always came.
There are other characters in this book, but Hans and Christoph are the only two the reader comes to know well. As you can imagine, on the field of battle, there are a lot of the characters who just don’t make it. These two happen to, most likely because of Hans’ prayers in their behalf.
The Road to Freedom shows a different side of World War II than you normally see. You see the point of view of a people who thought they were fighting for the right, when they were actually in the wrong. You see young men who were forced into a war that they should never have been forced into. And you see what happened to the men who were guards over the prison camps, both mentally and what happened when they were found.
The plot of this one is full of action and danger. I liked the way it grabbed my interest from the very beginning and it didn’t let go. There was always another danger around the next corner. Anytime I thought the two main characters would be out of trouble, they just weren’t. And the ending is so well done!
If you’re looking for a great World War II novel to read, look no further than this one!
May 22, 2018
Shawn Pollock, author of The Road to Freedom, has written an interesting and captivating story from the perspective of two German’s stuck behind enemy lines during the end of WWII. This story is not only intriguing because of the perspective it is written from, but also because one of the main characters is a Mormon. This story brings to life the struggle of men as they deal with trying to survive and protect themselves behind enemy lines. It is a tale of faith and war that will touch the heart of readers as they dive into this riveting story. The characters come to life from the pages as readers pursue this war-time novel. Readers will not want to miss reading this engaging and fascinating WWII story.
Genre: WWII, historical
Publisher: Cedar Fort
Publication date: December 12, 2017
Number of pages: 224
A review copy of this book was provided by Cedar Fort. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
Genre: WWII, historical
Publisher: Cedar Fort
Publication date: December 12, 2017
Number of pages: 224
A review copy of this book was provided by Cedar Fort. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
February 10, 2019
I loved this book. I started reading it on an airplane and I couldn't put it down. I finished reading it a few days later sitting next to the Berlin Wall at the Topography of Terror museum in Berlin.
What kind of person would you be in war?
How do you stay true to your beliefs when faced with tragedy and certain death?
The Road to Freedom takes place at the end of World War II in Germany. The Russians and Americans are closing in on Berlin. The characters in the story have to decide how to survive when the war is lost. They are faced with many challenges physically and emotionally.
I really liked how each character was an archetype of a personality that you would naturally find in war. The consummate soldier, the farm boy turned soldier, the maniacal war-lover and the innocent bystander just to name a few. The interplay between these individuals striving against each other while at the same time desperately needing each other was great to read.
I have read many historical fiction and historical non-fiction war novels. Both types of novels have to sacrifice either story or history. The Road to Freedom has both a great story and highlights an interesting part of history at the conclusion of a World War II in Germany.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to consider their place in history. How will you leave your mark on the world?
What kind of person would you be in war?
How do you stay true to your beliefs when faced with tragedy and certain death?
The Road to Freedom takes place at the end of World War II in Germany. The Russians and Americans are closing in on Berlin. The characters in the story have to decide how to survive when the war is lost. They are faced with many challenges physically and emotionally.
I really liked how each character was an archetype of a personality that you would naturally find in war. The consummate soldier, the farm boy turned soldier, the maniacal war-lover and the innocent bystander just to name a few. The interplay between these individuals striving against each other while at the same time desperately needing each other was great to read.
I have read many historical fiction and historical non-fiction war novels. Both types of novels have to sacrifice either story or history. The Road to Freedom has both a great story and highlights an interesting part of history at the conclusion of a World War II in Germany.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to consider their place in history. How will you leave your mark on the world?
April 6, 2025
I've read a fair amount of literature connected to World War II -- I'm a male over fifty, after all; it's obligatory. I have generally stayed away from fiction related to the war, figuring there's enough non-fiction out there that tells the stories of individuals involved, whether it's Art Spiegelman's "Maus" or "The Good War" by Studs Terkel.
But reading "The Road to Freedom" helped me hark back to the time I did read fiction set during wartime, particularly Anne Holm's "North to Freedom" and "Snow Treasure" by Marie McSwigan. Shawn Pollock's "The Road to Freedom" isn't necessarily written with children in mind (as are the two other books mentioned in this paragraph) but the tale told has the versimilitude, tone, and narrative style I'd associate with the best World War II ficton I've read, right up to Markus Zusak's "The Book Thief," which I read last year.
That one of the main character is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints adds a personal connection that makes the book that much more enjoyable to me.
Don't be scared off by that -- the book isn't preachy in any way. A character in the book happens to be a "Mormon" and that plays into the story, showing one character anchored in a religious-based morality that helps him keep his head together as other characters in the book swim about in events and lives without a defined moral compass, though some characters' compasses are stronger than others, or at least pointed in a more humane direction.
What the story stresses to me above all is that we need to set our values now, and not let them bend despite the circumstances we find ourselves in. That can be harder to do than we like to think -- I had a weak moment this past week and did not live up to my values. I have repented of my fault. Reading this book and the battles the characters fight hors de combat made my own experience more meaningful to me as I look to right my own compass.
But reading "The Road to Freedom" helped me hark back to the time I did read fiction set during wartime, particularly Anne Holm's "North to Freedom" and "Snow Treasure" by Marie McSwigan. Shawn Pollock's "The Road to Freedom" isn't necessarily written with children in mind (as are the two other books mentioned in this paragraph) but the tale told has the versimilitude, tone, and narrative style I'd associate with the best World War II ficton I've read, right up to Markus Zusak's "The Book Thief," which I read last year.
That one of the main character is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints adds a personal connection that makes the book that much more enjoyable to me.
Don't be scared off by that -- the book isn't preachy in any way. A character in the book happens to be a "Mormon" and that plays into the story, showing one character anchored in a religious-based morality that helps him keep his head together as other characters in the book swim about in events and lives without a defined moral compass, though some characters' compasses are stronger than others, or at least pointed in a more humane direction.
What the story stresses to me above all is that we need to set our values now, and not let them bend despite the circumstances we find ourselves in. That can be harder to do than we like to think -- I had a weak moment this past week and did not live up to my values. I have repented of my fault. Reading this book and the battles the characters fight hors de combat made my own experience more meaningful to me as I look to right my own compass.
August 27, 2018
Wow. This was a book unlike anything I've read. It follows two German soldiers as they rely on each other to survive after their unit has been destroyed behind Russian lines. It is interspersed with flashbacks as the reader learns what brought each man to this moment. One is a teenager and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; the other is his commanding officer and jaded from years at war. Each of their perspectives is fascinating. A lot of military and WWII terms are used and not explained. I used the dictionary on my e-reader often and had to reread for understanding in many parts, but I still completely enjoyed this book. It left me with hope and a desire to love.
February 24, 2018
World War II is ending, but for Captain Meier, the fight for his life has only begun. Stranded behind enemy lines and tormented by his past, his only ally is a young private who practices a strange American religion. As they travel through treacherous Germany, the two quickly realize they will have to trust in a merciful God to have any chance of escaping a deadly fate.
May 21, 2019
Exciting Story
I enjoyed this end of WWII story about two German soldiers caught behind enemy lines as they try to make their way west to surrender to the Americans rather than to be captured by the Russians. Good characters, I liked both of them, one with his faith turns to God for help. Excellent for an LDS reading audience.
I enjoyed this end of WWII story about two German soldiers caught behind enemy lines as they try to make their way west to surrender to the Americans rather than to be captured by the Russians. Good characters, I liked both of them, one with his faith turns to God for help. Excellent for an LDS reading audience.
July 19, 2020
Hard to Put Down
Very readable. Interesting plot dealing with a phase of WWll not often dealt with, the German retreat from Russia just prior to the end of the war. Often the characters we’re unidimensional and the situations predictable but the novel still retained this reader’s attention.
Very readable. Interesting plot dealing with a phase of WWll not often dealt with, the German retreat from Russia just prior to the end of the war. Often the characters we’re unidimensional and the situations predictable but the novel still retained this reader’s attention.
April 6, 2018
A story about two men behind enemy lines and their struggle to survive--not just to survive but to escape. It has a ring of truth to it. It made me wonder if it were based on an actual event.
It's solidly written and a good book by a first time author.
It's solidly written and a good book by a first time author.
April 24, 2018
Great action-packed LDS World War 2 novel about German soldiers trapped behind enemy lines at the end of the war.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews