A Father’s Promise
A Father’s Promise
Author: Donna Lynn Hess
Published: February 1987
250 Pages
Reviewed By: Kim
Kim’s Rating: 5 stars
Book Description:
“[You are] either a German or a Christian; you cannot be both.”
Adolph 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 be reunited 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 the God who is mightier than any army.
Kim’s Review:
I read this book so many times as a kid! My mom always loved it, it was assigned reading in elementary school, it’s published by BJUP, so of course I was gonna read it, but then I fell in love and read it over and over again through my school years. It’s such a great book to help teach kids about WWII and the Holocaust without being too graphic.
**Fair Warning**: It is a very Christian book and if a kid hasn’t had any exposure to the Bible, then they aren’t going to understand certain portions of this book.
This reading completely surprised me by making me cry through the whole book. Never once have I shed a tear when reading A Father’s Promise. But this time, the same story that I’ve known and loved almost my whole life, made me weepy! Rudi and his father’s faith never wavered, even in a time of such horrible circumstances. Seeing the struggles of the Polish people under the Nazis, even before deportations, and in a way that is appropriate for kids, hit me in a new way. I would absolutely recommend this to any kid, even those who haven’t heard Bible lessons. It’s such a great educational tool!
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
