I’ve yet to read many split-time novels, but I do enjoy those I’ve read! An author’s ability to skillfully interweave themes in two plot lines set in separate eras can enhance and deepen those themes while adding interest for the reader.

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Hidden Among the Stars by Melanie Dobson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This beautifully written tale follows the lives of a handful of young Austrians living under Nazi occupation. One is a gifted Jewish musician, one is the young man who loves her, and another the childhood friend who loves him.

Interwoven is the story of Callie, aka Story Girl, a lonely bookstore owner in possession of two books connected to Austria and hidden treasure.

There is mystery, romance, and tragedy, but, in sum, it’s a novel about the power of stories – children’s stories and our own stories – internalizing them, living them, and marveling at the way the master storyteller has perfectly interwoven each of them. Continue reading →