Guest Review: A Father’s Promise

One advantage of having a blog is being able to highlight other writers. For today’s post, my cousin, Stephen Benefield, put together a guest review. I’m also collaborating with him on a fantasy novel, which I will soon be able to share some more information about. Now, on to the review!

Burying his face in the cold, wet grass, he waited. It seemed as if he could feel the heat from the light hovering over him, and he dared not look up. If he were to be shot, he did not want to see the bullet coming. He listened for gunfire, but the only thing he heard was the pounding of his heart and his own rapid breathing…

A Father’s Promise

I have had this book in hard copy for a long time and read it several years ago. Picking it off my shelf recently, I read through it again. Now that I am into writing, I noticed for the first time how really well done this story is.

Set during The Holocaust, it has a bit of a dark theme. But, as it is a kids’ book, it has some humor and heartwarming parts.

Plot

Adolf Hitler’s ominous statements seem only a distant threat to eleven-year-old Rudi Kaplan. But when the Nazi forces invade Poland and bomb his home city of Warsaw, Rudi finds out that he is Hitler’s enemy not only because he is a Pole but also because he’s a Jew—and a Christian.

The next few years change Rudi’s life forever. With only his imprisoned father’s promise that they will reunite after the war, Rudi must learn how to survive in hiding, how to be truly brave, and how to overcome the hatred of his enemies. He must learn to die to himself and to trust God Who is mightier than an army.

Characters

Rudi Kaplan is just an average eleven-year-old boy. He loves sweet bread, playing with his friends, and hearing stories. Though his character is not exceedingly interesting, he does have one.

Rudi is the only prominent character in this story.

Others come and go throughout the book.  His character arc is noticeable as the novel starts with him being eleven and ends with him much older.

Theme & Spiritual Application

The main character in this book is a Jew and a Christian. This is obvious with the book filled with references to Scripture and praying. Each chapter starts with a Bible verse that acts as foreshadowing for the coming chapter.

The primary message of the book is dying to self, but there are several other messages woven into the story.

There are many excellent and powerful conversations about courage, selfless acts, and not hating your enemies.

Overall

This is one of my favorite books. And I’ve read a LOT of books over the years. It has a very easy-to-follow plotline and good characters.

Other books that I have read centered on the Nazi invasion really focus on the violence and brutality during those times. Those type scenes, while sadly accurate, often leave me with nightmares and unpleasant pictures in my mind.

In this book the author does not show, but tells briefly about the horrors of the Holocaust. At one point, the main character reads a list of punishments given to Jews should someone harm or kill a Nazi.

A Nazi does hit the main character at one point. This shows the Germans were violent, but not graphically.

The only part that might trouble a young reader is when the main character is told that a German dive bomber killed a young girl. It is a sobering scene, but not unnecessary or extremely detailed.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable book. It had a perfect ending for its adventurous story.

If you’re interesting reading his book, you can get it on Kindle here.