The Shadow of His Wings: A Graphic Biography of Fr. Gereon Goldmann

by Gereon Goldmann, Max Temesou (Illustrator)

Here is the astonishing true story of the harrowing experiences of a young German seminarian drafted into Hitler's dreaded SS at the onset of World War II. Without betraying his Christian ideals, against all odds, and in the face of Evil, Gereon Goldmann was able to complete his priestly training, be ordained, and secretly minister to German Catholic soldiers and innocent civilian victims caught up in the horrors of war. How it all came to pass will astound you.

Father Goldmann tells of his own incredible experiences of the trials of war, his many escapes from almost certain death, and the diabolical persecution that he and his fellow Catholic soldiers encountered on account of their faith. What emerges is an extraordinary witness to the workings of Divine Providence and the undying power of love, prayer, faith, and sacrifice.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Catholic, History, Religion, Nonfiction, Germany, Book Club

128 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 3, 2016

Reviews

[Aiden]

A remarkable, unbelievable (true) story. Thankfully, not graphic or gory in the ways I feared a WWII tale might be. Really appreciated the note from the author/illustrator. Enjoyed perusing all of the bonus material in the back, especially script & sketches. I still can't believe this is a true story. In the epilogue, another incident is mentioned that I wish was included in the graphic biography, and I wonder why it was left out (although I can guess, after reading the note from the author).

[Audrey]

It wasn’t until after I finished the book that I realized I’ve had the original memoir on my shelf waiting to be read. I’m not disappointed that I ended up reading the graphic adaption first. The illustrations added so much to the story. I was in tears. I hope to see Fr. Gereon Goldmann canonized someday.

[Kelly]

incredible story, incredible man, incredible life.

i wish that the graphic novel part was longer, more detailed, and easier to follow.

definitely worth giving to my students to read over the summer.

[Jessie]

This was good! It is about Fr. Gereon Goldmann, a German forced to become a Nazi who eventually became a priest, thanks to God's grace and so many people (he didn't know of) who were praying for him! I would like to read the prose biography now of him.

[Maximilian Thonhauser]

So ein beeindruckendes Leben.

[Emily]

Shelved by my 12 year old. I want to read the real biography now!

[Stephanie]

I wish I could give this a higher rating but I felt like I got some bits and pieces of the biography of Fr. Gereon Goldmann that I have to mentally go back and arrange into a story that makes sense to me.

The Graphic Novel is only half of this volume. I was expecting a 128-page graphic novel; it is less than 60 pages (p.7-63) and is mostly centered on his experiences during the war with some flashbacks.

The Epilogue - After the War (page 65-79) is simple text that I would have liked to see in a graphic novel format.

The Photographs (page 81-111) present a fairly good timeline of the life of Father Goldmann with new information that I mentally had to add to the story.

The rest of the book has a short reflection from the author/illustrator and some script & sketches from the making of the graphic novel.

The best part, to me, was seeing how the power of the Sisters' prayers kept him safe so that God's will would be accomplished through him.

I was surprised to learn in the Epilogue that he got to be a missionary in Japan - so I think this is a good segue to the other Ignatius Press book I bought at the same time, "The Smile of A Ragpicker".

[Eli Poteet]

woah, this is a specific intersection of identities within a horrific time of history that i have never witnessed before. i am glad to know this story, although i generally get weird feels over stories related to christian conversion. i am surprised by how many relevant photos were included. all the subject matter is delicate and tender.

[Curtis]

Awesome story of faith

A couple years ago I read the original biography, the Shadow of His Wings. I was amazed by the numerous miracles surrounding this humble man of faith. I enjoyed reading this graphic novel version as well. I highly recommend it.

[Jacob Schall]

I am thankful to have read this brief retelling of Father Goldmann's life. A very interesting tale of faith and Providence