Helena

By Jo-Anne Berthelsen

Description:

Twenty-year-old Czech music student, Heléna, meets and marries Stefan only months before the outbreak of World War Two, while preparing for a career as a concert pianist. Stefan is heavily involved in the underground movement in their homeland, as is Heléna’s father. In the ensuing years, Heléna’s faith and courage are challenged to the utmost, as she faces great personal tragedy and danger, and suffers loss of family, friends, wealth and career. Eventually she flees her homeland and prepares for a new life in Australia. Yet is this the right thing for her - and will her faith continue to hold firm?

Book Takeaway:

Hopefully a greater determination on the part of my readers to hold onto their faith in God, whatever is happening in their lives, just as Helena did, and to rely on him for the strength and courage to face life's losses. Also a greater appreciation for those who fought so hard and stood firm in Europe in the dark years during and after World War Two.

Why the author wrote this book:

'Helena', being my first novel, was my attempt to obey God's call to me to begin writing in earnest - something I had talked about for a very long time. So I took up an idea that had been burning inside me for around twenty years, to write a story inspired by the experiences of a Czech refugee woman I had met at our church - the original 'Helena'. Her courage and tenacity in the face of all she had experienced in her homeland during and after World War Two challenged me so much, but since she had passed away long before I began writing, I had to create a novel around the 'bones' of her story.