This moving and surprising story takes place mainly in Germany during the rise, and subsequent fall, of Hitler's Third Reich. It chronicles the story of a faithful German family, split by the sons' allegiance to the new regime and a father's resistance, and takes us on a journey in directions often unexpected.

The Kleins are a struggling German family, making do in a weak post-World War I economy. Their daughter Anneliese is too young to really understand what's happening around her, but when her best friends, the Klein family, are taken away by Hitler's thugs (including, to her dismay, her own brothers!) during a round-up of Jewish families, she firms up her resolve to resist the Nazi government.

This resolve leads ultimately to her imprisonment in Dachau when an escaped concentration camp prisoner is found hiding on their property. I won't tell you any more about the plot, except to say that, from this point on, I found myself amazed at the plot twists and turns. Honestly, I did not expect this book to turn out as it did.

The horrors of the Nazis are depicted honestly, but not so graphically that readers will be so offended that they will stop reading. Pinkston is a very good writer. She can describe the death camps and the brutality of Hitler's regime in a way where the brutality is clear, but the details are left to the imagination. Her writing is intended not just to inform the reader, but to inspire with amazing tales of faith and courage.

Interestingly, the Mormon aspect of the book, while it plays an important part, nonetheless remains somewhat in the background. Yes, there are missionaries and blessings and testimonies, but they all stand aside and allow the story to shine through. The superstructure of this story is family and its temporal and eternal nature As such, I think Pinkston has found a nice balance of faith and story, and is to be commended.

I do have one criticism. Once again, we have a fine book that suffers from poor editing. Actually, the errors are few -- I think I counted about half a dozen -- but when one is reading an exciting story, they stand out as flaws that should have been caught. Most annoying, and this is a problem that is rampant in so many books -- the confusion of "I" and "me":

My mother says that she'll sit with Claudia in the old Heinz home while you travel with Roger and I to Switzerland... (p. 254)

Yup, the final page of the book, and the error haunts us yet again. A good editor surely should have caught this.

Strength to Endure is a fine historical novel, a chronicle of a very bad time in our world's history, and an enduring love story that transcends generations. The characters are colorful and well-drawn. And, as mentioned, there is a surprise around every corner. Young people will love this book. Those of us not so young will enjoy it, too.

I gladly recommend this book. It is the author's second effort. Perhaps one day I'll have a chance to read the first book. I really hope so.

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Jeff Needle
January 7, 2005