Christian Fiction Devourers discussion

One of July's Book of the Month is Saving Amelie by Cathy Gohlke!

Increasingly wary of her father's genetic research, Rachel Kramer has determined that this trip with him to Germany--in the summer of 1939--will be her last. But a cryptic letter from her estranged friend, begging Rachel for help, changes everything. Married to SS officer Gerhardt Schlick, Kristine sees the dark tides turning and fears her husband views their daughter, Amelie, deaf since birth, as a blight on his Aryan bloodline.Once courted by Schlick, Rachel knows he's as dangerous as the swastikas that hang like ebony spiders from every government building in Berlin. She fears her father's files may hold answers about Hitler's plans for others, like Amelie, whom the regime deems "unworthy of life." She risks searching his classified documents only to uncover shocking secrets about her own history and a family she's never known.Now hunted by the SS, Rachel turns to Jason Young--a driven, disarming American journalist and unlikely ally--who connects her to the resistance and to controversial theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Forced into hiding, Rachel's every ideal is challenged as she and Jason walk a knife's edge, risking their lives--and asking others to do the same--for those they barely know but come to love.

Chime in if you plan on joining in!

I'm currently reading this one - good so far! Very ominous and tension-filled at the moment.

This is my first read of this author. Has anyone else read anything by her?

It was also the first book I read by her :)
I read it last month with another group and can't wait to discuss it with you guys :D

I just saw the title of this post... wouldn't it be July ;)

Sam wrote: "I just saw the title of this post... wouldn't it be July ;)"

Haha, Sam, thank you for catching that! I'm sure it would have clicked eventually, but who knows when, maybe July 30th, hahaha!

I tend to open a lot of new windows when I'm updating...obviously it makes me confused, hehe.

Beth wrote: "Sam wrote: "I just saw the title of this post... wouldn't it be July ;)"

Haha, Sam, thank you for catching that! I'm sure it would have clicked eventually, but who knows when, maybe July 30th, hah..."

Haha no problem! ;) Just wanted to point it out :D

I'll be out of pocket for a little while, heading on vacation for a few days tomorrow morning, but I was looking at Cathy site, and thought I'd share the book page for Saving Amelie: http://authorcathygohlke.com/books/sa.... It has some photos of Oberammergau, the place where much of the story is set. It's interesting to look at them while reading the story.

I have about a quarter left, and I'm really enjoying it. Hope to finish while on vacation this week.

From an email sent out by Tyndale, this book is scheduled to be on sale for .99 (as an ebook) 7/12-7/18. So, if you don't have yet, might want to hang on for a few more days!

Thanks, Patricia! It's definitely well worth 99 cents, so grab it while it's on sale folks!

I'll post some discussion in the next couple of days, but feel free to share any thoughts. I have s few that I want to share. ;)

I just bought it, but probably won't get to it this month. Too many library books to finish, but your positive review has caused me to put it on my "short-list". (Ha! I don't think I really have a short-list; anything involving books is always long!)

Discussion Questions - I didn't post all of them, but you can find the full set here: http://authorcathygohlke.com/wp-conte...

1. Though Dr. Kramer may have started his work with pure intentions, it seems somewhere he crossed the line in his quest to eradicate disease. Do you think he recognized his step onto a slippery moral slope? Is this line easily crossed without realizing it, or must this step be a conscious choice? Can you cite similar examples in today’s world?

2. Kristine, having learned of Nazi plans to eliminate children with disabilities, begs Rachel to save her daughter, Amelie. What do you think of Kristine’s choice? How would you act if placed in her position? How would you have responded in Rachel’s position?

3.Rachel struggles with feelings of entitlement and superiority, an indoctrinated belief that her life is of more importance and inherent value than the lives of others. Before she can change, she needs to acknowledge that this is not true. What are a few defining moments in Rachel’s transformation?

4. It is human nature to compare our worth to others’. Rachel was taught to believe that she is superior to others, while Lea wrestles with feelings of insecurity and inferiority. Did you identify with either woman’s struggle? How can we change our thinking and actions to see our own worth—
and others’— clearly?

5. Friederich places himself in harm’s way because he can no longer participate in shedding innocent blood. Have you ever found yourself forced to compromise your beliefs, but knew of no way to withdraw without suffering hurt or persecution of some kind, either for yourself or those you love? What did you do?

6. During the church service Jason attends, Dietrich Bonhoeffer says, “Grace is costly—it took the death of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior, to achieve that grace. It requires just as much from each of us. But we’ve come to practice cheap grace— grace that appears as a godly form but costs us nothing.” How does this fit or conflict with your view of grace? What effect does the concept of “costly grace” have on Jason?

7. What obstacles did Rachel have to overcome before she could accept the truth of Jesus Christ? What were the obstacles for Rivka? Why do you think it took them years before making such a decision?

8. Which character did you most identify with? In what ways are you similar? In what ways do you differ?

9. In chapter 53, Curate Bauer tells Rachel, “Sometimes taking up our cross is doing the thing in front of us, not the glamorous, high-risk thing afar off.” How might this be applicable in your own life?

10. How does saving Amelie act as a catalyst for changes in Kristine? In Rachel? In Jason? In Lea?

I just grabbed this one as it's all of £0.96 on Kindle right now! (And no, that's not how the exchange rate actually works, but it's still a good deal). I read Band of Sisters a couple of years ago and was blown away by it. I love how Cathy deals with the more sinister parts of history. Not sure if I'll get to this one this month, but I'm definitely looking forward to reading it!

I read this book last month, and absolutely loved it! :D

2. I believe Kristine made the right call by asking Rachel for help saving her daughter. I would probably have done the same thing. How can a mother give up on her child just because he or she doesn't fit society's standards. What happened during WWII is awful and I think lots of parents gave their child up either because they didn't know what would actually happen to them or because they were afraid for their own life. The problem is that too many turned a blind eye, just because they weren't affected by these measures. I think Rachel was very courageous trying to help her friend. In times like these, making those hard decisions to put your life on the line for others must be very scary, but it's the only thing to do to stay true to ourselves and not endorse what happens around us.

9. Too often we don't realize that everything we do has an effect on others. Imagine if all these people during WWII who hid only one person or only one family, or were only able to spare a little food for someone else would have thought "It's not worth it, helping so little people won't make a difference". No matter how little we can help, it still makes a difference in the life of the ones you help. I once heard someone say that just smiling to a stranger you pass on the street can affect him or her greatly. You never know how much a very simple gesture can make a difference. So don't think it's not worth it, because it always is!

maybe it's too late for me to post this, but I'm just starting this book today, and it's so good. I'm about 100 pages in, and I really like it. It's full of suspense, which is what I need to keep engaged in a book.

I just started reading this this week. I have a library book that just came in that I should start, but I need to find out what happens! it hooked me from the beginning.