Look to the East

This was a series that I have been dying to read for awhile because it is set during The Great War (WWI) and I have not read anything set during that era. I have had books 2 and 3 but was having a difficult time finding book 1. I can honestly say that this was worth the wait!<br /><br />This book takes place in a small village in France where the villagers had a feud like the Hatfields and the McCoys. Throughout the book we meet characters from both sides of the feud and see them grow and come together during a time of great turmoil for their town. It shows how in the face of adversity things can be put aside for the time to deal with a greater issue. <br /><br />This is a Christian fiction novel and the religiosity is upfront but not the absolute focus of the entire novel. The main character, Julitte, prays at many times throughout the novel but it is very fitting within the events they are going through. She questions God and how they could be put through such events. These are common occurrences during times of war and created a depth to her character and felt very fitting and believable to the setting.<br /><br />The beginning of the novel was my only issue with the whole book. It was a little slow and awkward. I think it needed a little more in the exposition of introducing us to the characters. Once we get into the war period, the story comes together, it picks up and charges to the end. One of the strongest aspects of the novel is the emotions of the characters. You can vividly feel the fear, love, and internal struggles that they face and were the aspect that really helped suck you into the story.<br /><br />The main character of book 2 is mentioned briefly in passing in this book and I can’t wait to find out more about her.<br /><br /><b>This book was received through a giveaway win from the Goodreads First Look Program - I was not compensated for my opinions and the above is my honest review.</b>

I am new to Maureen Lang's writing, this is my 1st book from her "The Great War Series" ... can not wait to read more ... such a fan. What pulled me in 1st .. the cover. love it. I enjoy this kind of read, the time period of WWI ... got it thank to my Mom who has a public library and I borrow from her. It was in Large Print ... have you ever read large print? Reading goes so much quicker ... I guess that is the reason so many folks enjoy their kindle or nook (or other e-reader). I love holding a real book though, took it on a camping getaway and read it so quick. ( ;<br /><br />Can't wait to read more from Maureen Lang very very soon.

Julitte lives with her adopted family in the small village of Briecourt. Long before France went to war with the Germans, the town has been at war. Two families have been feuding since before any of them can remember. So when the Germans invade their town, the Toussaints and the de Colvilles must decide whether to unite against them or stay in their feud. <br /><br />The book began by telling the story from two different view points; one of a Belgium man and the other from Julitte. It began slow and didn't pick up for me until about two thirds of the way through the book. But once it picked up I enjoyed the interaction between the villagers, the faith message, and a couple of the secondary characters. Most of the characters never really stood out to me, it was definitely more plot driven then character driven. This is a dark time in history and the author was able to convey the seriousness and hardships the villagers endured. There was a strong message of faith woven throughout the book, especially with the two main characters. Overall impression - In looking back after I finished the book, I can say that I liked it. But since it took so long to pick up for me, I can see others quitting before they get that far. There were some questions for me that weren't filled in after finishing the story, holes in the plot. While not a favorite of mine, I think the author is talented and readers who enjoy that period in history will really enjoy this story.<br /><br />I received this book free of charge from Tyndale in exchange for my honest review.

“Look to the East” by Maureen Lang is one of three novels in the Great War Series. This particular novel takes place in France in 1914. The little village of Briecourt is located near the Belgian border. There are two family factions in this village, the Toussaints and the deCovilles, neither of the two trusts the other and it has been this way for centuries. The families are not even sure why the feud is ongoing. Even though this village is very small and seemingly nonconsequential it is eventually occupied by the Germans, trapping a Belgian businessman behind enemy lines. Trying to get back to the border, Charles Lassone hides in the church at Briecourt and is eventually discovered by the lovely Juliette Toussaint. Living with daily deprivations and trying to stay out of sight of the Germans, Juliette and Charles become romantically involved. There are at least ten men being hidden by the villagers and eventually some are smuggled out and make it back to their lines. Charles cannot forget Juliette and comes back to rescue her before the German army can decimate the town in its retreat. It is impossible to know whom to trust amongst the townspeople.<br /><br />I loved this book. I especially enjoy all novels set in World War II times and this one proved to be dangerously exciting and enjoyable to read. I recommend this book highly. I was sent a print copy of this book by Tyndale House Publishers in return for my honest review. <br /><br />You can find this review on my blog at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="http://wp.me/p2pjIt-h6">http://wp.me/p2pjIt-h6</a>. Other reviews can be found at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="http://imhookedonbooks.wordpress.com">http://imhookedonbooks.wordpress.com</a>.

This book definitely takes you into that period of history that was so rife with conflict. The characters are put into situations that you know and understand the difficulties. Tension and drama abound in the war-torn setting.<br /><br />I would have liked more dialogue. At times I became lost in all the introspection or description and would have really liked to “live” the story more through the dialogue between characters.<br /><br />I did enjoy the love story between the hero and heroine. As the interest between the two of them grew and as they had to sneak about to keep it hidden from enemy soldiers, I couldn’t help but feel for their struggles. <br /><br />The ending is well done and sweet. I honestly did not know how they were going to get out of their seemingly hopeless situation. The tension was strong and I held my breath for those final pages and as I got closer and closer to the end I was nervous about how it would close. It was more than satisfying.<br /><br />Aside from being confusing and a bit wordy at times, it’s a good historical story that I think history buffs more than anything will enjoy. <br /><br />This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers for my copy to review.<br />

Look to the East was a book with a solid plot. It also showed that the author did much research about World War II. Look to the East was the winner of Inspirational Reader's Choice contest, so I expected it to be good. Sadly, I was disappointed. It had no amazing points to it. At times, it dragged on horribly because the characters had the same worries over and over again with no resolution until the very end. <br /><br />The only thing that stood out to me was that Julitte, one of the main characters, seemed to have visions of heaven when somebody died. Charles, the man Julitte falls in love with, is a weak character. He starts out as weak, perhaps becomes a bit more honorable during the middle, and ends out being only slightly stronger in the reader's mind than before. But not much. <br /><br />Herman Melville said that "To have a mighty book one must have a mighty theme". I could not find the theme in this book. Nor could I find the might.

A village under seige. A love under fire.<br />FRANCE, 1914<br />The small village of Briecourt may be isolated from early battles of World War I, but a century-old feud between the de Colvilles and Toussaints rages in the streets. Despite being adopted as a child, Julitte Toussaint endures the scorn of the de Colvilles more than most, given the folklore surrounding her heritage.Then everything changes the day the German army sweeps in to occupy Briecourt, trapping a handful of outsiders behind enemy lines, including Belgian entrepreneur Charles Lassone. When Julitte discovers Charles hiding in the church basement, an unexpected and dangerous love blossoms between them.<br />But heroes aren’t made in cellars. Eager to join the Allied forces—and prove himself worthy of Julitte’s love—Charles convinces the de Colvilles and the Toussaints to finally work together to smuggle him out.Yet with the life of every villager on the line, who can be trusted? And when the line between ally and enemy is blurred, will faith and courage be enough to sustain them all?From August to October 1914, the German army seized most of the Belgian territory, as well as large areas of northeastern France. It faced the hostility of the civilian population,due to the destruction, humiliation, and massacres which accompanied the invasion.Networks were also set up early on to help Allied soldiers, escape.Hidden in the forests or secretly hosted by local people, hundreds of military personnel were helped by escape lines to cross the Dutch border or, more rarely, to pass to Switzerland.The network in which the British nurse Edith Cavell was active also facilitated the escape of young Belgian and French volunteers, eager to enlist, and workers whose skills could contribute to the allied war effort.The geostrategic context of the Great War saw the development of a very particular form of resistance, namely clandestine postal services.All resistance endured until the end of the war,but the length of the conflict, the increasing operational difficulties and the harshness of the occupier's repression generally limited full commitment by the occupied population.

Raised by a loving adopted family, Julitte Toussaint nevertheless struggles with her identity and place in Briecourt, a small town bitterly divided by a decades-old feud pitting Toussaint against de Colville. But in the first weeks of the conflict that would come to be known as the Great War, Toussaint and de Colville alike find themselves bidding farewell to fathers, sons, and brothers, called upon by a common love of country to fight the encroaching menace of the German army. Despite sharing a common enemy and worry for imperiled loved ones, the bitter partisanship that divides the town continues to rage unabated -- until the fateful day the war comes home to Briecourt in the form of German soldiers. And thus the citizens of Briecourt are faced with a greater threat than the prejudices that have for so long divided neighbor against neighbor -- soldiers who demand obedience, who commandeer supplies, and seek to keep a frightened populace under control with an iron hand.<br /><br />The occupation becomes something more than simple survival when Julitte stumbles upon the town's greatest secret -- hidden refugees, including wealthy, handsome Belgian businessman Charles Lassone, caught behind enemy lines before he was able to return to his homeland and join his countrymen in their fight against Germany. The attraction between them is immediate, giving Julitte hope of not only a future following the war but of a life free from the shadow of her past. However, Charles isn't content to sit out the war in hiding, and bolstered by his love for Julitte and inspired by her faith in a God who would have a plan for even his dissolute life, he determines to escape Briecourt and join the Allies. But in a town physically occupied by the enemy and spiritually divided by a poisonous prejudice, Charles's risky bid for freedom threatens to destroy more than his hope for a future with Julitte...<br /><br />Maureen Lang's The Great War series has been on my radar for quite some time. She's one of the first inspirational-market authors in my experience to explore the rich history of the first World War, which is a natural extension of my fascination with the second World War, as the roots of that later conflict were first birthed in the horror of the trenches. And thanks to the popularity of Edwardian era set programs such as Downton Abbey and most recently, Mr. Selfridge, Lang's fiction set during this time period is surely poised for fans new and old alike to discover her evocative, poignant portrait of ordinary people struggling to survive extraordinary times.<br /><br />While the passage of time is a bit too fluid for my liking -- the novel covers approximately two years, but the actual passage of time is only remarked on in the haziest of terms -- Lang's setting and depiction of the struggles of an occupied people are one of the novel's greatest strengths. I was powerfully reminded of a recent miniseries I discovered -- Monsignor Renard, a Masterpiece production detailing the travails of a French town under Nazi occupation. In both book and film the terrific strain the townspeople were forced to endure, the overwhelming force brought to bear to keep a subjugated people in line are powerfully told -- the means not always involving outright brutality, but more often than not psychological warfare, instilling in the conquered a paralyzing fear of action -- anything to avoid reprisals. The suspicion Julitte's best friend, Ori, faces for collaboration is a particularly effective illustration of the manner in which the occupiers could break a people's will -- by tearing the fabric of trust between family and friends. The long-standing feud Lang puts in play adds another layer of conflict, as the lack of any true community in Julitte's hometown is the first front in the war she and her neighbors must wage if they are to survive.<br /><br />I loved Julitte and Charles's romance -- achingly sweet, replete with stolen glances and dreamed-of kisses, but stitched through with a refreshingly genuine, honest exploration of spiritual matters and the importance (initially on Julitte's side alone) of a shared faith. Charles is a particularly well-drawn hero, as his struggle to define himself outside the parameters of his family's name and wealth and the accompanying life of privilege he so enjoys is sorely tested by the advent of war and its rapid destruction of his high-minded ideals regarding the conflict. The stark reality of probable, imminent death forces Charles to confront not only what he believes about patriotism but himself and his goals and purpose in life -- heretofore directionless without the grounding of the faith his sister and Julitte so fervently share. And while I loved Julitte's gentle spirit and quiet faith, one aspect of her characterization was troubling -- the to my mind unnecessary inclusion of the townspeople's belief that she is some sort of miracle-worker. It wasn't explored in great enough depth to really substantively further ostracize Julitte (any moreso than her status as adopted Toussaint, child of a leper colony). That aside, Julitte's struggle to reconcile the tenets of her faith with the evil and hardship she encounters under German occupation is among the freshest, most honest illustrations of a believer grappling with the unthinkable in fiction of this ilk.<br /><br />Look to the East is a fascinating glimpse into a world at war and its impact on the lives of a handful of ordinary citizens called to make extraordinary sacrifices. Lang's research is stellar, transporting readers to a world under siege, where an entire way of life undergoes irrevocable change in the crucible of war. With clear, articulate prose and a deft hand weaving matters of faith, doubt, and identity throughout, through Julitte and Charles's experiences Lang weaves a rich tapestry detailing the French wartime experience. For that matter, it is so refreshing to read war-set fiction that focuses wholly on the everyday European's experience (while Charles is half-American, it is an incidental plot point) -- so often American authors focus on the wartime experiences of Americans (understandably so). I fell in love with the history and Lang's well-drawn characterizations -- with a tighter, more clearly articulated timeline and a more focused plot climax (Julitte's Greek grandfather is a poorly-conceived deus ex machina in an otherwise carefully-meted story arc), I have high hopes for my future experiences delving into Lang's crisp prose and lovingly-crafted, relatable characters.

I was a bit disappointed with some things as with all the Scripture and prayer and talk of God and His miracles I anticipated a plot more in keeping with Biblical tenets. <br /><br />I struggled with the inclusion of these: <br /><br />Julitte sneaks off to spend unaccompanied time with Charles, she is careful not to lie about her whereabouts but doesn’t seem to care about the deception and disobedience to Father Bernabé who forbade her to go to the cellar, nor the fact that she’s alone with a young man<br /><br />While alone Julitte and Charles share several passionate kisses and there is hinted a temptation to carry it further<br /><br />Ori is out til wee hours daily; it insinuated that she is sleeping with a German officer, there is more talk about her being a traitor than there is about the sexual impurity <br /><br />Ori and Julitte are nearly raped several times, just intense and credible but adult material that could cause trauma for some readers<br /><br />Julitte dines with German officer and though he is Christian it is insinuated that he wants to have sex with her that evening

Meh. I was disappointed. I liked the setting and appreciated the author's research, but there was just something missing in her character development. The characters seemed one dimensional. The plot plodded. Much more could have been done with the relationships between the feuding families and the struggle the main character had with her "gift".