Not quite what I expected... With the second half, anyway. I enjoyed it even if it was sadder than I expected in different ways than I expected. ( )

An outstanding historical fiction novel that touches parts of even the hardest of hearts! Full of authentic historical details and standout characters this is a story that won't fail to sweep you along with it! ( )

derde boek van de reeks samen met andere boeken Pontenilo en Kind van de Rivier - Dochters van Zuid-Afrika
- prachtig boek met als centrale persoon Lettie, die in haar geboortedorp als huisarts aan de slag gaat. Ze raakt bevriend met Marco Romanelli die het concentratiekamp overleefde. Tussen hen groeit een diepe band. Maar dan slaat de gevreesde polio-epidemie toe ook in hun dorp. Het wordt vechten voor haar mand en haar dochter . Het noodlot slaat toe- maar Lettie blijft zoeken naar en vechten voor haar eigen geluk..... ( )

I was absolutely thrilled to discover that The Crooked Path is a parallel companion/sequel to Child of the River. This book's storyline intersects and entwines with it's companion, sharing many of the main characters and following them through the decades starting a few years before WWII.

Lettie Louw is an intelligent young woman who follows in her father's footsteps, training to be a doctor in South Africa. Lettie is a good friend, supportive, compassionate, with a strong moral compass and respect for the truth. Her first patient is Marco Romanelli, an Italian man who weathered the horrors of Concentration Camp, with compromised health and a weakened immune system.

I admired Lettie for her strengths and vulnerabilities, she captured my heart instantly as a body conscious teenager, in love with a boy who doesn't notice her. She is compassionate and empathetic, often thinking of others, how they will feel, and always treating others with respect.

I loved how this book takes place over the course of multiple decades, showing snapshots of important moments in Marco and Lettie's lives, we see couples fall in love, children born, and people die. And even though the years are spinning by, I never felt like I missed even a beat. Gripping from the very first page, I was delighted revisit many of families from Child of the River, like De Wet, Boelie, Christine, and Persomi, just to name a few. I savored immersing myself in a different culture, sharing their triumphs and heartbreak in this powerful read that showcases the human condition. This book showed a very different side of South Africa than its companion, focusing more on the medical side and the Polio epidemic in South Africa.

Overall, a thoroughly tremendous read, Ms. Joubert is a masterful wordsmith, weaving a story that shows multiple families as they struggle through loss, love, forgiveness, and finding hope in second chances. The translation from Afrikaans is excellent. The faith element was handled very well, it was never preachy, and there were no pat answers.While the characters might not have spoken about their faith all the time, what was more powerful to me was how they lived it and how much it held weight in their lives by their actions.

A heartfelt read, I cried over their heartbreaks, and rejoiced with their triumphs. Heartbreaking, yet full of hope. One of my favorite books read this year, I can't recommend this book enough!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising." ( )

"The Crooked Path" by Irma Joubert is a book I knew nothing about. I don't normally like books that take place around the World Wars, as I'm more of a "happily ever after" type of person and books about the Wars are often too realistic and hard to read emotionally. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised by this book!

From the moment you read the first few pages, you can tell Ms. Joubert is a word smith. Her writing style is top notch and flows well, making it easy to read. The setting in this book is unique--South Africa and Italy during the World War II era. I appreciate how Ms. Joubert incorporates a lot from the cultures of the places she writes about. She obviously did a lot of research.

There are a lot of great themes in this book, such as self-esteem, loss, death, chronic illness and the path we travel in life. There is some faith content, but I would have liked more. Overall, the book is a little too sad for me and some of the parts were so well written that I had to disengage so I didn't become depressed. This is not a fluffy read. I appreciate books that deal with such issues and themes, but they are not my favorite to read. Like I said before, I do truly appreciate the writing style and the lessons that are incorporated into this story!

Content: I would give this book a PG rating. There is a girl asking how people get pregnant and if there's a way to not be pregnant. A guy notices a woman's curves. A guy and a girl who are not married sleep under the same blanket, but nothing happens. The word "hellhole" is used. There are harsh conditions described in concentration camps. A married couple is in bed talking without any clothes on. Babies are born out of wedlock. A character wants an abortion. Characters drink alcohol.

Rating: I give this book 3.5 stars.

Genre: Christian Fiction; Historical Fiction; Romance

I want to thank Irma Joubert, Thomas Nelson and the Fiction Guild for the complimentary copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are my own. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR 16, Part 255. ( )