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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Can Repeating History Ever Be a Good Thing?

by Chautona Havig · Leave a Comment

Escape from Amsterdam offers a peek into a semi-forgotten piece of Dutch history during WWII. Listen in to see why Lauralee Bliss wrote it! via @chautonahavig

The heroic stories of average people during time of war are one of the few things that will choke me up.  Book, movie, verbal–doesn’t matter. Tell me all the stories and watch me try not to sob. Lauralee Bliss captured one of the most inspiring stories of WWII in her recent release, Escape from Amsterdam as part of the Heroines of WWII series published by Barbour, and guys… you’ve got to hear the story behind this book!

Lauralee Bliss

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Can Repeating History Ever Be a Good Thing?

That’s what I have been pondering ever since reading Escape from Amsterdam, and I think the answer is, “Yes!”  Because think about it. The same ugly, ugly things have been happening since the fall of man, but amid all that ugly are the beautiful self-sacrificial stories like the ones Lauralee Bliss shares in this novel.

Yes, Hitler’s atrocities still affect the world today. And yet, those who opposed his regime and fought for the innocent, those who risked their own lives to save the lives of others… Those stories happen, too.  And if (more like when) the ugly times come again, stories about people like those you meet in this book will remind us that the Lord can use anyone (even me!) to accomplish His purposes.

So… repeating the ugliness of history may not be a good thing, no. But that ugliness means that we likely will also repeat some of the beauty of the past as well. And books like Escape from Amsterdam and the real people who inspired it are there to ensure we don’t forget that we can make a difference.

Escape from Amsterdam by Lauralee BlissEscape from Amsterdam by Lauralee Bliss

A University Student Smuggles Children Out of Amsterdam

Full of intrigue, adventure, and romance, this series celebrates the unsung heroes—the heroines of WWII.

Helen Smit believed she was called by God to become a teacher. Little does she know that her care for kids will take a drastic turn for survival when the Germans occupy Amsterdam and Jewish children and parents begin to be deported. Now all she can think of is helping all the kids escape before it’s too late.

Erik Misman’s newfound love for Helen is tested when he joins a plot to help move Jewish children to a safe place in the countryside. If danger can foster a closer bond with Helen and save the lives of the little ones, he will do it all. But a German patrol that stumbles upon the farm where they are hiding with three children and a soldier who takes an unexpected interest in Helen, could well destroy their plans for safety and love.

?Don’t miss these other stories:

  • The Cryptographer’s Dilemma by Johnnie Alexander
  • Picture of Hope by Liz Tolsma
  • Saving Mrs. Roosevelt by Candice Sue Patterson
  • Mrs. Witherspoon Goes to War by Mary Davis
  • A Rose for the Resistance by Angela K. Couch
  • The Season of My Enemy by Naomi Musch

You can find out more about Lauralee Bliss on her WEBSITE.

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 534: A Chat with Joanna Davidson Politano
byChautona Havig

Lovers of Joanna Davidson Politano won’t want to miss this episode! Listen in while we talk about the first book in a new SERIES and eeep! It’s split time!

note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Cornwall? Lost memory? Hasty marriage? A portrait that shouldn’t exist in a house on a cliff?

Sign me up!

The Life She Forgot by Joanna Davidson Politano

He promised to help her reclaim the memories she lost—no matter what they found.

Until she remembered another man.

Cornwall, 1913

For three years, Merryn has lived without a past—no family, no history, no home that’s truly hers.

When the threat of being locked away for her own “protection” looms, she takes a desperate chance on AJ Winthrop—a warmhearted, whimsical stranger who offers a hasty marriage of convenience and a promise: he will take her back to Cornwall and help her uncover the truth about who she once was.

But along the wild Cornish coast, the memories that begin to surface are not the ones she expects.

Another man.

Another wedding.

A life that may already be hers.

When a hidden painting reveals Merryn’s own face staring back from another life, the fragile life she’s begun to build with AJ begins to unravel. Because the truth waiting in her past could destroy the love she’s only just found.

Cornwall, 1947

Haunted by the war and estranged from the wife he still loves, William Crawford is determined to save their family home for her—even if it means selling the mysterious portrait of Merryn Dunn tucked away in his cottage. But the secrets hidden within the painting threaten to overturn everything he believes…or lead him toward a redemption he never expected.

Decades apart, two lives are bound by a single portrait—and the truth it refuses to keep hidden. This sweeping dual-timeline historical mystery weaves together lost memories, buried truths, and a love story that refuses to fade.

Perfect for fans of Mimi Matthews, Susanna Kearsley, and Kate Morton.

Learn more on Joanna’s WEBSITE and don’t forget to check out her Reader Group on Facebook.

Also… GoodReads and BookBub are good places to follow authors.

Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:

  • Apple
  • Castbox
  • Google Play
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  • RSS
  • Spotify
  • Amazon
  • YouTube
  • and more!
Episode 534: A Chat with Joanna Davidson Politano
Episode 534: A Chat with Joanna Davidson Politano
April 20, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 533: A Chat with Chawna Schroeder
April 18, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 532: A Chat with Lynn H. Blackburn
April 13, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 531: A Chat with Heidi Gray McGill
April 11, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 530: A Chat with Erica Colahan
April 6, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 529: A Chat with Debut Author, Deena Adams
April 4, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 528: A Chat with Debut Novelist, Chuck Shelton
March 30, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 527: A Chat with Amanda Cabot
March 28, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 526: A Chat with Laurie Christine
March 23, 2026
Chautona Havig
Episode 525: A Chat with Heather Greer
March 21, 2026
Chautona Havig
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