The Gathering Storm by Bodie & Brock Thoene

This is the first book in the Zion Diaries series and pick up pretty much right where the last book in the Zion Covenant Series leaves off (and helps you see what happens to some of the people from that series). It takes place around 1940 and deals with the lives of those who fought during Hitler's dark days of rising to power in World War II. You will feel the bombs drop and cities and people's lives destroyed. You will agonize and weep with those who lost so much. The Thoene's do such a good job of making you understand what truly took place in Europe during the war.

American born Loralei Kepler, daughter of missionary parents, finds her and her family fleeing Brussels before the Germans take over their country. It is a harrowing flight and they rescue some orphaned children along the way. Lora will find herself loving two men in her lifetime, but the one will have a lasting impact upon her live forever.

This story was filled with danger, love lost, love found, heartache, death and sadness. But through it all you will find strength and a will to overcome evil and rejoicing over every life saved. The history behind who Eban is was a little outside of my box of "could this actually be possible", but kept the story all the more interesting. I look foward to reading the next two books in this series.