The story starts in Queens, NY in 1944. Dr. Micah Hatcher receives a letter from an irate father demanding he step up and take responsibility for his young son and if he doesn’t then legal action will be taken. What a shock! Micah knows nothing about this and is searching his memory for the mother of this boy. He remembers working with a nurse, Lydia Eldredge in Hawaii several years ago, but there was nothing between them and he couldn’t figure out why her father would assume he was the father of her son.

So Micah sets off to Boston to meet with the Eldredge’s and see if he can get this mess straighten out. What he didn’t expect was to fall in love with this precious little boy, Nicky. And he certainly didn’t expect to be drawn into a complicated relationship with Lydia in the complicated situation concerning little Nicky.

You’ll be immediately drawn into this story, as I was, and won’t be able to put the book down until the last page is read. This is a story of lies and deception to protect innocent little children from Nicky in Boston to Jewish children in Europe. And a story of God’s complete sovereignty over events in our lives. It’s hard to give it over to God and not just take charge yourself when faced with problems, but just like the small voice Lydia kept hearing, “Be patient and wait.” , we have to turn everything over to God and His plans for our lives.

The only problem I had with the book was that toward the end the romance got a little too sweet for my taste and Micah was just too perfect. But I need to remember that this is fiction, so I’m still giving it a 5 star rating. I really enjoyed this book and I’m sure you will too. ( )

I really enjoyed everything about this book. I fell in love with the characters from the start. The author did a great job of making me feel like I was there with the characters and also did a great job of making me understand the way the characters were feeling. I can't say that I loved the ending because I wish it would have been wrapped up but it left things hanging. I do see why it ended the way it did though. ( )

Will not re-read. Historical fiction, uninteresting.

What a great reminder of a sad time in American History. When the truths are finally presented, still there were some who didn't believe. I'm talking about the atrocious acts that Germany committed during WWII. This is a heartwarming story of how a few people sacrificed their own lives to help the Jewish people, people without a Country.
Ms Sawyer has dealt with some tough subjects here. First the hiding in the Press of what was really going on in Europe. We have a bit of romance, at long distance, the love a sweet little boy. One that you would do just about anything for, to protect him. We have the realities of drug addition, the slowly tearing down and ruining of a life.
Throughout the book you find the blessings of the Lord on those who follow him. These people lead their lives as God wants them to, not how they want. There is Dr Micah, who wants to give his gift of doctoring, to those immigrants who need help and can't afford it. His brother, a polio victim, Jeremiah, a crippled Minister who is in the War zone, and helps God's people.
We have Lydia, who loves a little boy so much, that she ends up helping the person who is trying to take him away for her.
If you read one book this year, this one has it all, take a trip back to the 1940's in both NYC and Boston, I'm glad I did!

I received this book through Litfuse Publicity Blogger Tours, and was not required to give a positive review. ( )

Title: Sweet Sanctuary
Author: Kim Vogel Sawyer
Pages: 344
Year: 2013
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
First off, don’t let the cover of the book fool you into believing this is a light-hearted romance. There is so much more to the story. This is a historic fictional story set in the year 1944. War World II is still going on so rationing is in effect, making certain products scarce and hard to come by. Families across the country are being notified every day of the loss of a loved one in the fighting. There are thousands upon thousands of poor people around the nation desperate for food, jobs and medical care.
Micah Hatcher is a doctor dedicated to serving the poor immigrants in Queens, New York. He receives a letter from Lydia’s father four years after he had last seen her, demanding Micah due his duty. Micah is stunned and then angry. He takes off for Boston to find out what in the world is going on. He sees Lydia and again and sees great change in her, spiritually. He meets Nicky and instantly falls in love with the little boy. However, Micah has a secret that would put certain people’s lives at risk if he shared it. Can he trust Lydia enough to tell her what it is? I liked Micah’s strong faith, his willingness to share it openly and to acknowledge he will follow wherever God leads him.
Lydia Eldredge has a secret, and she will endure public scorn and social ostracism to keep it. She knew Micah from their time serving together in the early 1940s in Oahu. She had a crush on him, but never acted on her feelings. She unexpectedly receives a letter from home and quickly leaves Oahu for home never to be seen or heard from again by Micah. Suddenly, four years later, she opens the door and there stands Micah! He soon discovers her secret and admires her for it. Lydia is full of energy and determination when she sets her mind to something, and she is determined to protect Nicky at all costs. Who is Nicky? He is an adorable, precious, 4-year-old boy readers will fall in love with right off the bat. Lydia learns through tough times to stand firm on the higher ground of God.
As the story progresses, there are some very heart-wrenching scenes where I had tears running down my face. That to me is the sign of a good author when he/she can evoke emotions at that level. This is an outstanding story of rescue, in more ways than one, of several characters. Readers will also encounter faith, humility, anger, love, obedience and much more in this excellent novel. Great character development and storyline are incorporated as well. Don’t miss this one!
My rating is 5+ stars.
Note: I received a complimentary copy for an honest review of this book. The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility. Other reviews can be read at http://seekingwithallyurheart.blogspot.com/ . Also follow me on Twitter @lcjohnson1988, FaceBook at https://www.facebook.com/lisa.johnson.75457 ( )