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Eerste Wereldoorlog / Kom Mij Tegemoet (2000)

by Maureen Lang(Favorite Author)

3.76 of 5 Votes: 1

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Voorhoeve

series

The Great War

review 1: Christophe Brecht, a German sniper, has returned from war to find his country in ruins. Eager for work, he accepts an offer from the wealthy weapons manufacturer, Herr Düray. But when Christophe learns that his job entails finding Herr Düray’s runaway teenage daughter, he refuses payment, believing it is his duty to help bring the girl back to her parents’ country mansion. Christophe easily finds Annaliese, but is disturbed to discover that the girl has become a socialist activist. Christophe joins the socialists to be near Annaliese and the two fall for each other as Christophe tries to convince Annaliese that socialism is not God’s way. At first, Annaliese resists Christophe, but when communists try to take over Germany by force, she realizes she loves God and Ch... moreristophe.This novel is historically and theologically problematic. Lang unapologetically aligns Christian theology with capitalist ideology, promoting voluntary sharing over government safeguards for the poor as truer to Christian teachings. The desperate conditions of the German working class born of the industrial revolution, the war, and the deaths of nearly one million civilians in 1918 due to malnutrition and influenza hardly figure into this story. Christophe admits the churches pushed for war, but maintains that God should not be blamed for what churches wrongly teach. In addition, he argues that some men are more talented and hard-working than others and should not be forced to share with those who are not. Christophe sympathizes with the Dürays despite their war profiteering, food hoarding, and plans to abandon Germany for better opportunities in America because they are believers. The socialists, on the other hand, he sees as misguided do-gooders willing to resort to force to impose ‘sharing’ on the people.
review 2: There is always one thing I know I can always count on when reading one of Maureen Lang’s novels: details. Maureen is an expert when it comes to providing her readers with rich historical details that make her books come alive. I was interested in reading Springtime of the Spirit primarily because it takes place right at the end of World War I and I cannot think of another World War I book that actually takes place at the end. I find that time period of world history fascinating and I knew Maureen Lang would do it justice. And boy, did she ever.Not only was the history and the setting incredibly interesting, but the story that develops between Christophe and Annaliese was interesting as well. I felt that this story really got going and picked up the pace once Christophe sets out to find Annaliese, his childhood friend. The story continues to unfold from there and it just kept getting more and more interesting as political unrest develops in Germany and romance develops between these two unlikely souls. Overall, Springtime of the Spirit is by far much more than I was expecting. I knew it would be good, but I was surprised by how quickly it read and how it held my attention. Maureen Lang has a talent for educating her readers and entertaining them at the same time. This book was provided for review by Tyndale. I was not obligated to write a positive review. This review is my honest opinion. less

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