From Dust and Ashes by Tricia Goyer

Well, first I have to say that Tricia Goyer lives here in Montana and not terribly from where I live! She's had several books published (both fiction and non-fiction) and she's a homeschool mom. Wow! I hope I get to meet her someday.



I recently finished reading From Dust and Ashes, an historical fiction set in Austria in 1945 toward the end of the war. The story's main character is Helene, who is married to an SS guard, but does not agree with the Nazi way.


As her husband abandons her and their daughter (and a baby on the way) she is forced to make amends with her estranged father. After the Americans liberated the nearby concentration camp, Helene's heart goes out to the captives and she risks everything to help them. What would they do if they knew she was an SS wife?


Helene takes in two women from the camp and offers to help restore them to health, forfeiting her only chance to leave the country and start a new life. But that's only the beginning. Russia takes over the part of Austria where she lives and as she fights for the freedom of her and her children someone is trying to get her and use her for his own agenda.


I loved how the unlikely relationships formed between people who would have never been thrown together otherwise. There is a touch of romance thrown in, but it's not the focal point of the story. Tricia does a wonderful job taking us back to that time and letting us see into the lives of the many people who lived it. It's obvious Tricia did her homework!


From Dust and Ashes was an easy read. Despite the subject, it was not heavy or depressing, but captivating and informative. I highly recommend it to anyone and I can't wait to read more of her work!