About the Book:
When her hopes are shattered by war, one woman will risk everything to save those she loves.
American horse trainer Adia Kensington is living her dream of working at the famous Janów Podlaski stables in Poland, where the best Arabian horses in the world are bred. But her plans to bring a priceless stallion to the US are derailed when the German army storms into her adopted country in 1939. Little does she know this is just the beginning of six long years of occupation that will threaten her beloved horses at every turn.
Bret Conway is at Janów Podlaski under the guise of a news reporter, but his true mission is intelligence gathering for the British. That and keeping Adia safe, which is harder and harder to do as she insists they must evacuate two hundred and fifty horses to save them from being stolen, sold, or eaten by the invading forces. What follows will test Bret's and Adia's physical, mental, and emotional strength, as well as their faith in God, humankind, and each other.
This epic story of escape, capture, resistance, and love is based on true events of the uncommon heroes in World War II Poland.
My Thoughts:
"The guilt of survival. The disbelief of the loss. The sliver of hope that it was all just a bad dream." (p.135)
Bret Conway is a spy gathering intel just prior to Germany's invasion of Poland, and the thoughts he expresses at this point in the novel, capture the essence of everyone's struggle. To be in Poland as both Germany and Russia are invading and fighting for territory was unbelievable volatile! The last thing Bret ever anticipated was to meet American horse trainer Adia Kinsington! Talk about bad timing! To be tasked with getting her safely out of Poland seemed like a huge inconvenience!
The introduction of Adia into Bret's life was more than an inconvenience, and, over time, it became evident to both of them that there was a much broader and significant purpose to their relationship. Adia is breeding and training pure bred horses she hopes to bring back to America, and she is solely focused on the outcome of the years of hard work she has poured into her program. She can't begin to comprehend the chaos breaking out across the world. Bret encounters the full strength of her resistance when their attempts to move the horses to safety showcases Adia's willingness to do whatever it takes to protect her horses. In his effort to save her life, he begins to be drawn to her passionate, headstrong way of navigating impossible circumstances.
It's had not to admire Adia's passion to protect what she loves, especially in tandem with Brent's love of his native Europe. As the story unfolds, it is this specific combination of gifts and talents that not only draw them to each other, but onward toward a much farther-reaching, life-threatening and long-term commitment to the world around them.
Nicole Miller takes the reader through six war-torn years in the most unexpected and intriguing way imaginable! I don't know what astounds me more - the fact that this story was planted in her mind 20 years before it came to fruition or the astounding way she presents the historic preservation of the Janlow horses! She spares no details of the hardship of war, the painful loss of life, and the fact that people on both sides of the conflict were able to retain their humanity and feel deeply for their country and each other.
I could go on for pages about the spy network among the local partisans, the efforts made to save the children....every page of this story taught me something new and interesting about the characters and the history surrounding this fascinating time in world history. I can't recommend this book enough! You won't be able to stop reading, and you'll be left hungry for more!
About the Author:
Nicole M. Miller lives in Washington State with her husband and two sons, along with her Arabian horses, chickens, ducks, dogs, cats, and guinea pigs. As a longtime horse owner, she's been involved in many horse organizations, including serving on the Clark County Fair Court and as Miss Teen Rodeo Washington. She's received national and regional awards for her nonfiction from American Horse Publications and the Society of Professional Journalists. See her stories in The Horse of My Heart, The Horse of My Dreams, The Dog Who Came to Christmas, and Second-Chance Horses. Learn more at NicoleMillerWriter.com.
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