Last fall I watched a gorgeous movie titled A Hidden Life about Franz Jägerstätter, an Austrian farmer and devout Catholic who refused to fight for the Nazis in World War II. Franz, his wife, Fani, and their three young daughters lived outside the small village of St. Radegund and were important members of the tight-knit rural community. In 1943, he and other able-bodied were called up to fight for Germany. When recruiters asked him to swear an oath of allegiance to Adolf Hitler, Jägerstätter refused and was arrested and taken to prison in Linz where the most “dangerous” prisoners were housed. His family was ostracized and belittled by their friends […]
Read more...Author Archive: Amy Hammond Hagberg
Ebook Downloads Trending Up
Hi friends! I haven’t sent out a newsletter in years, so I decided it was about time. Since my last edition, I have published several more books and redesigned my website. Please check it out at amyhagberg.com. My blog features book reviews among other things, and you’ll receive a copy of the newsletter when I post a new one, usually once or twice a month. The year 2020 was one for the record books on so many levels. As an author and librarian, I noticed firsthand the impact COVID-19 had on the book business. Publishers stopped acquiring books, and consumers stopped buying them. Most libraries were shuttered for months, […]
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Book Review: Along the Broken Bay
I am a huge fan of World War II historical novels whether set in Europe or elsewhere. For the first time I stumbled upon one based in the Philippines and I loved it. Here is a brief synopsis (without too many spoilers): December 1941. War has erupted in the Pacific, spelling danger for Gina Thorpe, an American expat living in Manila. When the Japanese invade and her husband goes missing, Gina flees with her daughter to the Zambales Mountains. Desperate for money, medicine, and guns, the Resistance recruits Gina to join their underground army and smuggles her back to Manila. There, she forges a new identity and opens a […]
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Book Review: The Paris Library
I read quite a bit of WWII historical fiction and consider myself to be something of an expert in this genre. Imagine how excited to find a novel about a librarian (like me) during this tumultuous time in history! Paris, 1939: Young and ambitious Odile Souchet has it all: a handsome police officer beau and a dream job at the American Library in Paris. When the Nazis march into Paris, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear, including her beloved library. Together with her fellow librarians, Odile joins the Resistance with the best weapons she has: books. But when the war finally ends, instead of freedom, Odile tastes […]
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Book Review: The Switch
The last book I read was about the Vietnam War, so I opted for something a little less daunting and a lot more fun this time around. I just finished reading a delightful book titled The Switch by UK author, Beth O’Leary. I breezed through it with a smile on my face; it’s a quirky, feel good book and I highly recommend it. Here’s a quick synopsis: When London-based overachiever Leena Cotton is ordered to take a two-month sabbatical after blowing a big presentation at work, she escapes to her grandmother Eileen’s house for some overdue rest. Eileen is newly single and about to turn eighty. She’d like a […]
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Fitz the Rescue Dog
Five years ago we met this little cutie at an Underdog Rescue adoption event. We were going through a painful season in our life and needed a pick-me-up, so we thought it would be fun to snuggle with some puppies. Well, let me tell you, the event was like a three-ring circus – literally! There were three enclosures containing various breeds of dogs: One for the retriever types, one for bulldogs and those with special needs, and one ring full of little white fur balls running in circles. It was sheer insanity! We petted many of the dogs, but we ended up at the back with the little guys. As […]
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Thank You Note From Charlie Daniels
I had the privilege of interviewing country music legend, Charlie Daniels, for my first book, How Do You Know He’s Real? He was so sweet and humble that I felt like I’d known him all my life. Even though we aren’t related by blood, Charlie and I are still in the same family, the family of God, and I can rightfully call him my brother. During our interview, Charlie shared some powerful insight into his faith: One of the hardest things for people to understand about the gospel message is that it is so simple; it’s not the very complicated thing we tend to try and make it. There is nothing you […]
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