Blog Tour + Review: Rose Among Thornes by Terrie Todd

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Rose Among Thornes by Terrie Todd, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Rose Among Thornes
Author: Terrie Todd
Publisher: Iron Stream Media (Heritage Beacon)
Release Date: August 31, 2021
Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

Forgiveness is the deadliest force on earth.

War might be raging overseas, but Rose Onishi is on track to fulfill her lifelong goal of becoming a concert pianist. When forced by her government to leave her beloved home in Vancouver and move to the Canadian prairie to work on the Thornes’ sugar beet farm, her dream fades to match the black dirt staining her callused hands. Though the Thorne family is kind, life is unbearably lonely. In hopes that it might win her the chance to play their piano, Rose agrees to write letters to their soldier son.

When Rusty Thorne joins the Canadian Army, he never imagines becoming a Japanese prisoner of war. Inside the camp, the faith his parents instilled is tested like never before. Though he begs God to help him not hate his brutal captors, Rusty can no longer even hear the Japanese language without revulsion. Only his rare letters from home sustain him—especially the brilliant notes from his mother’s charming helper, which the girl signs simply as “Rose.”

Will Rusty survive the war only to encounter the Japanese on his own doorstep? Can Rose overcome betrayal and open her heart? Or will the truth destroy the fragile bond their letters created?

My Review 🧡

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.

My Rating: ★★★★

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Terrie Todd is the award-winning author of The Silver Suitcase, Maggie’s War, Bleak Landing, and Out of My Mind: A Decade of Faith and Humor. Her next novel, Rose Among Thornes, releases in August 2021. The Last Piece releases in November 2021. Terrie is represented by Mary DeMuth of Books & Such Literary Agency. She lives with her husband, Jon, in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada where they raised their three children. They are grandparents to five boys. When she’s not writing, Terrie can usually be found reading, cleaning, cooking, painting, weeding, watering, or watching something. You can follow her at www.terrietodd.blogspot.com

CONNECT WITH TERRI: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive the winner’s choice of one print copy: The Silver Suitcase, Maggie’s War, or Bleak Landing!

Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight August 30, 2021 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on September 6, 2021. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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*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.