Sunday, May 9, 2010

The Heart Mender by Andy Andrews

Whenever I read a book by Andrews I am not sure whether it is fiction or not.  Andrews clarifies the issue in an author's note at the book's beginning.  He really did find some Nazi artifacts.  He used historical facts and wove a story around them to explain the presence of Nazi items on American soil.
It's a good story, too.  A young woman whose military husband was killed by the Germans finds a German on the beach in Alabama.  He was a crewman on a German sub and had been wounded by a Nazi who hated him.  He had managed to swim to shore.  The story unfolds as both characters must address their pain and seek forgiveness.
The reader is made aware of the German submarine presence off the U.S. coast during WW II and the many boats that were sunk.  The U.S. government repressed the reporting of this aspect of the war.  The facts, Andrews says, are true.  He even gives a website to check out the information regarding a sunken German submarine that was discovered about a decade ago in the Gulf of Mexico. 
The story is so well written you want to believe it's true.  And most of it is, says Andrews.  Names and places have been changed but the general story is based on actual events.  I loved the book.
I received this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers for review.
Thomas Nelson, 248 pages.

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