Special Birthday Give-Away - Chateau of Secrets

I'm sorry for the delay in getting my post up today. Last night Josiah and Caleb spent the night and this morning they both had unhappy tummies and just wanted to snuggle with grandma . . . so of course we snuggled! But, now they seem to be feeling better, so on with the post!

I truly enjoy reading books, but over the past number of years, I have found fiction books for adults to be so predictable they were no longer enjoyable for me to read. After reading the first chapter I could usually tell what was going to happen in the book . . . the girl was in love with guy #one, but he is likely a "cad", they will break up, she will feel bad, but in the end she will meet guy #two who is likely "perfect" and they will, "live happily ever after". The settings may be different, but the stories usually follow this predictable story-line.

However; a couple weeks ago I was invited to review - and give away - a new book - Chateau of Secrets. When I read about the book I was intrigued and said I'd review it. I'm very happy I did!

Chateau of Secrets
Author - Melanie Dobson
Publisher - Howard/Simon and Schuster

Favorite Features -

• Two stories in one as this book tells the story of a young French woman during World War II and the story of her granddaughter set in 2014
• Discussion questions in the back for book groups to work through together
• The story is actually based on a true story
• Solid messages about sacrificing for others, grace, trusting God and family

Howard/Simon and Schuster says; "A courageous young noblewoman risks her life to hide French resistance fighters; seventy years later, her granddaughter visits the family’s abandoned chateau and uncovers shocking secrets from the past.

Gisèle Duchant guards a secret which could cost her life. Tunnels snake through the hill under her family’s medieval chateau in Normandy. Now, with Hitler’s army bearing down, her brother and several friends are hiding in the tunnels, resisting the German occupation of France.

But when German soldiers take over the family’s château, Gisèle is forced to host them as well—while harboring the resistance fighters right below their feet. Taking in a Jewish friend’s baby, she convinces the Nazis it is her child, ultimately risking everything for the future of the child. When the German officers begin to suspect her deception, an unlikely hero rescues both her and the child.
A present day story weaves through the past one as Chloe Sauver, Gisèle’s granddaughter, arrives in Normandy. After calling off her engagement with a political candidate, Chloe pays a visit to the chateau to escape publicity and work with a documentary filmmaker, Riley, who has uncovered a fascinating story about Jews serving in Hitler’s army. Riley wants to research Chloe’s family history and the lives which were saved in the tunnels under their house in Normandy. Chloe is floored—her family isn’t Jewish, for one thing, and she doesn’t know anything about tunnels or the history of the house. But as she begins to explore the dark and winding passageways beneath the chateau, nothing can prepare her for the shock of what she and Riley discover."

While the story about Chloe is fairly predictable, I truly loved the story of Gisele and how the two stories worked together. I really liked how the author wove Gisele's story in one chapter, then the next chapter continued Chloe's story throughout the book. I loved how Gisele's story was not predictable; I loved it even more knowing this story was based on a true story! The messages of sacrifice, grace, forgiveness, trusting God and family come through loud and clear making Chateau of Secrets a story I highly recommend!

I'm very delighted to say not only did Howard/Simon Schuster send me one Chateau of Secrets to review, but they are making another available for me to give away! (USA only) If you are over the age of 18 and would like to be in the drawing for Chateau of Secrets, which will be on May 18, 2014, you may enter by commenting below to let me know something interesting in your family history; for me my family goes back to kings and queens in England and France, I have a relative who was shanghaied from Scotland and sold as an indentured servant in the Colonial USA, a relative who tried to overthrow the government of Canada and had to leave Canada on a fast horse!!! 

Additional entries in this give-away are available if you follow on Google+, Google Friend Connect, follow by liking on facebook with the tab at this link (not just liking the post) and/or have followed grandma's cookie jar by email. For each of these which you have done you will receive one entry. In addition, if you "share" this post, you'll receive an additional entry (please let me know if you share!) This will help me be able to draw names from among people who would like to win Chateau of Secrets and it gives you several ways to enter the give-away! Thank you for reading grandma's cookie jar and for sharing it with the people you know!