It is 1961, and Gabriella Madison has left her missionary family in Senegal to study in France. She has no idea that the cross she wears is about to draw her into secret missions and a raging war. It will also bring her healing and relationships that will shape her faith and her future. The war between Algeria and France is being fought not just between those who want to see Algeria free and those who want to see it belong to France, but there are those who are using the war as cover for their own acts of revenge. David Hoffman, Gabriella's professor, and Anne Marie Duchemin are allies working together to save innocent lives, and Gabby and Ophelie are caught somewhere in the middle, united by the Huguenot cross they both wear.
I admit that my knowledge of this portion of history including the Huguenots, Algeria, and France is minimal, making some of the facts and historical details confusing for me to follow at first. However, the characters were so engaging, and the war so devastatingly brutal, that I was quickly invested in the story and transported to the period of time depicted. So there's your warning if you do not enjoy either historical fiction or honest descriptions of the horror of war. There are definitely scenes of heart-wrenching acts of brutality and murder that were difficult to read. It certainly made me grateful for the religious freedom we've been granted, and opened my heart to pray for those who continue to be persecuted and murdered for their faith in God.
This is the first book in a trilogy, and I am looking forward to continuing to follow the story of these characters and their mission to assist those in desperate circumstances. I give this book 4 stars.
You can buy the book HERE.
You can read an excerpt from the book HERE.
And you can find the author's website HERE. (I've read several of her books, and have enjoyed them all!)
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
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