Terrie Todd

In Rose Among Thornes we get a rare glimpse into a much less talked about narrative that occurred during World War II, something that I didn't realize until reading this book not only happened in America, but in Canada as well: the imprisonment of many innocent Japanese people. So much about World War II makes me sick to my stomach, and ripping peoples lives away from them and imprisoning them based off of their ethnicity is no exception. Rose Among Thornes shows one such case of two beautiful families who, due to the war, their lives are stolen from them (in different ways, of course), but because of their faith they are able to persevere and overcome their circumstances, bringing about something no evil can ever dare touch: true love and forgiveness.

The reader gets to see through the eyes of Rusty Thorne, a young man who goes into the war as a soldier full of faith, but the hardness and ravages of war quickly jade him, and Rose Onishi, a promising pianist who fights her own personal war after the anti-Japanese movement sweeps the nation after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. What had once been a safe haven becomes brutal, friends become enemies, and prejudice against the Japanese saturates the world, including in the hearts of those that had originally thought their faith could overcome any hate.

What I found so interesting about this novel was how my feelings for Rusty changed just like the nations feelings changed for Rose and her family. The author did an incredible job of showing how easy it is to change ones opinions of a person when their beliefs no long align with your own. Insanely powerful and eye opening!!

Though I did love this novel, there were parts that did tend to drag for me, making me wonder if I was going to be disappointed by the end, but once it picked back up I couldn't put it down. By the time the story starts to ramp up you are so invested in these characters you have to see how everything plays out, and I am so thankful I did not give up.

A very powerful and thought-provoking read, Rose Among Thornes is as true now as it was back then: forgiveness is a mighty powerful thing and love truly does conquer all.

*I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book which I read through Kindle Unlimited for JustRead Tours. All views and opinions are completely honest, and my own.… (mais)