Voice of Youth Advocates Reviews
Dunlop, Ed. The Incredible Rescues. Journey Forth/Bob Jones University Press, 2004. 166p. $7.49 Trade pb. ISBN 1-59166-012-2. 2Q 2P M JDunlop, Ed. The Search for the Silver Eagle. Journey Forth/Bob Jones University Press, 2004. 159p. $7.49 Trade pb. ISBN 1-59166-014-9. 2Q 2P M J The Christian fiction trilogy The Young Refugees traces the World War II journey of Austrian siblings Hans and Gretchen. Left to fend for themselves following the death of their mother and the forced conscription of their father into the German army, the preteens encounter a young Jewish boy hiding in their barn. Within hours of their unexpected discovery, they decide to help the boy escape to the neutral territory of Liechtenstein. With the help of the underground resistance, they are able to deliver the young man and the vital Allied intelligence he has smuggled with him. Through an unlikely series of events, they continue to resist the Nazis in later books by rescuing an American pilot and his experimental weapon in Nazi territory and by saving thousands of Jews from concentration camps with the help of a wealthy Swiss diplomat. The intended audience for this series appears to be Christian young adults, and many in that demographic will likely find these books both inspiring and historically informative. Other readers, however, might find the constant stream of prayer and proselytizing to be rather heavy-handed and distracting. The plot makes unrealistic leaps that defy logic, but the characters simply proclaim, "You know, it's really amazing the way the Lord worked this all out for us," and the story moves on. This trilogy is not recommended for most libraries, but those serving Christian schools or a large homeschooled population might find the books to be valuable as supplements to a study of World War II and engaging historical fiction.-Sherrie Williams 2Q 2P M J Copyright 2005 Voya Reviews.