For Such A Time is the masterful retelling of the biblical account of Esther, set in Czechoslovakia in 1944. Because of her facial features, Jewess Hadassah Benjamin is able to pass for German Stella Muller.
She feels abandoned by God when saved from the firing squad and is handed over to a new enemy. Pressed into service by SS-Kommandant Colonel Aric on Schmidt at the transit camp, she is able to hide behind the false identity of Stella Muller. In order to maintain her identity as Aric's secretary, she is forced to stand by as her own people were sent to an extermination camp,
Suspecting her employer is hiding something, Stella cautiously appeals to him on behalf of those in the camp. His compassion gives her hope, while at the same she battles a growing attraction for the man she knows she should despise as her enemy.
Stella pours herself into her efforts to keep even some of the camp's prisioners safe, risking the revelation of her true identity. When her bravery brings her to the point of ultimate sacrifice, she has only her faith to lean on. Perhaps God has placed her there for such a time as this.
This is a well-crafted story. Full of intrigue and action, this book kept me turning the pages and seeing the story unfold. As one gripped by details, I was interested to note the research that has obviously gone into the writing. The author includes both a German and Jewish glossary, as well as discussion questions.
This is the first book by Kate Breslin, and I look forward to many more. To learn more about the author, go to www.katebreslin.com.
Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from BakerBooks, a division of Baker Publishing Group".
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