The Heart Behind Trains and Tulips
Hello friends! Today, I’d like to share with you a bit of the heart behind my book, Trains and Tulips: A Novel of the World War II Dutch Resistance.
There are several reasons I chose to write about this time period, but I will share two of the main reasons I am so passionate about sharing the stories of World War II and the Holocaust and a bit of the heart behind this story.
I want to remind people that God is good and give them hope.
As I’ve read the stories of real heroes from World War II, one of the things that has stood out to me the most is how they kept hoping, kept believing in the goodness of God, in even the very darkest of circumstances. They found beauty and light in even the worst places and never stopped hoping. I personally have experienced the goodness of God and the incredible hope and joy and peace that comes from trusting Him, and I want to share that with my readers.I want to remind people that life is valuable.
Another of my biggest takeaways from my World War II heroes is that every life is precious.
During World War II, the Nazis sought to exterminate Jews, the disabled, and anyone else they deemed “unfit.” Two-thirds of the Jewish population as a whole in Europe were killed by the Nazis, and approximately 90% of Jewish children in Europe were murdered. Thousands of disabled children and adults, Russians, Romani people, and others were also systematically killed. This is a horrific tragedy that should not be forgotten.
While there were many Christians in Europe who did nothing in the face of such evil, there were also many Christians such as Corrie ten Boom, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Hans Poley, Diet Eman, and others who worked to rescue those persecuted by the Nazis and spread the truth that God values life.
While today, we thankfully don’t have concentration camps and gas chambers, there is a disturbing disregard for human life, evidenced in the wide acceptance of abortion, human euthanasia, and doctor-assisted suicide. And in the past few years, antisemitism and crimes against Jews have risen alarmingly.
All of this convinces me that these stories must be told. We must remember and learn from our history. While the practicals will look different for us than they did for the Dutch Resistance during World War II, as we’re not living in an enemy-occupied country in wartime, we can still work to rescue the needy and vulnerable as they did. I desire to use my writing to be a voice for those who have no voice–the unborn, the sick, the elderly, the orphan, the persecuted, the enslaved, those with special needs. I want to share the truth that every life is created by God in His image, and therefore has great value.
Lest you think this story is all seriousness, though, let me assure you that there is humor interspersed in it as well! I like to describe my writing as “infused with a hearty dose of hope, truth, and beauty, plus a dash of humor.” I love to laugh and think serious subjects should be lightened up with a bit of fun!
You can learn more about the real stories that inspired this book and the lessons from my World War II heroes by reading these blog posts:
The Story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Lessons from My World War II Heroes Part One: God Still Does Miracles
Lessons from My World War II Heroes Part Two: Find Beauty in the Dark
Lessons from My World War II Heroes Part Three: Give Thanks
Lessons from My World War II Heroes Part Four: Every Life is Precious
Trains and Tulips is available for pre-order through Kickstarter until September 20th! Click here to learn more and order your book!
Always remember, “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it,” (1 Thess. 5:24).
All for Him,
Savannah Jane
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