This Christian historical fiction novel is set in WW2 Denmark. Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt is living under an assumed identity - uneducated laborer, Hemming Anderson. Under cover of darkness, he is also the “Havmand” (male mermaid) who, so the stories say, swims across the waters to Sweden (he actually rows a scull across, having been an Olympic rower) carrying messages for the resistance after Germany invades Denmark. He lives in a boarding house with a group of people including Dr. Else Jensen, an American physicist working at a lab in Denmark. She, too, works for the resistance by secretly making copies at the lab for an illegal, underground newspaper. Secrecy is of the utmost importance, so neither Henrik/Hemming nor Else can tell anyone the truth about what they are each doing - or in Henrik/Hemming’s case, who he really is. There is a spark between the two, but the story of the resistance takes center stage for the most part. About halfway through the novel that sort of shifts a little - and then a little more by the end - toward the romance aspect, which is not my typical read; however, this is a well-written, interesting story about some real events, including what happened when the Germans enacted a Jewish roundup in Denmark. If you are a fan of historical Christian romance, you will probably like this one! ( )

Amazing! I loved everything about this book! The setting is fantastic! My favorite place in the book is Lyd-af-Lys! Such a beautiful home and haven! The characters are fabulous! Else is so strong and brilliant! Henrik is swoon worthy! A man of character and sustenance! The love story is sweet and endearing! A definite must read!! ( )

Denmark and Sweden. Who knew?
I enjoy reading Sarah Sundin's books because they are very informative. She is like an encyclopedia of WWII. Her stories put "flesh and bone" on the people who lived through this tragic time in the history of the world. They are history books with emotion. She plumbs the depths that history books only touch on. Thank you, Sarah, for doing the research and bringing it to the reader in an informative and breathtaking manner. ( )

(4.5 / 5)

The third book in a sequence (not officially a series) about men and women in various parts of Europe who work to resist the Germans in their area, I’ve liked every book along the way, and this one is no exception. There were a few moments when I struggled to fully understand the main plot, times when an aspect of the plot seemed to be tied up, and I’d wonder what else was meant to happen in the time that was left in the book. I enjoyed the story enough that it didn’t bother me, maybe just confused me a little. I should have realized that the final goal was basically safety (and that’s as much as I’m saying).

I appreciated the development of the relationship between Else and Henrik and that it didn’t come across as the main point of the story. I prefer a subtle romance, not that this one was super subtle, but it was more to my liking. After reading several books in recent years written by people who were part of a resistance group in their country (the main ones being in Holland), I seriously questioned Henrik’s decisions about how he kept his secret, or rather when he revealed it. And for the same reason, I was bothered by how Else acted at one point when Henrik insisted on continuing his work, though that was more an intentional aspect of the character than a flaw in the characterization or plot. But that part of it didn’t quite have the same feel as the memoirs I’ve read, which caused a little dissonance in my mind. Still, it may not have made for the best fiction if it was too realistic. In the end, I enjoyed the overall story, and recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction from this time period in the Christian romance genre.

Thank you to Netgalley and Revell for providing me a copy of this book to review. ( )

Sarah Sundin is my favorite author for WW2 stories and this was a beautiful story! ( )