Katarina's Dark Journey: Five Stars from ReaderViews

I'm excited to announce that Katarina's Dark Journey has received a 5* editorial review from ReaderViews. 

Submitting a request for an editorial review is a nerve wracking process. Editorial reviews can make or break a book and positive reviews are not guaranteed. So, you can imagine my relief when I received FIVE STARS. 

I'm so proud to display this award on my website. 

Reviewed by Tammy Ruggles for Reader Views (06/2023)

5*- A Rich Tapestry of Christian Historical Fiction

"Katarina's Dark Journey: Labor Pains - Ukraine 1918 (Russian Mennonite Chronicles Book 2)" by award-winning Canadian author MJ Krause-Chives is an important and thought-provoking work of Christian historical fiction that focuses on 1918 Ukraine in times of war, with an additional story that takes place in Munich after the war. The story unfolds in dark times, but this book shines with themes of faith, loyalty, and love. The German Mennonite villages are set ablaze by the Bolshevik Army, and Katarina is a 17-year-old girl who tries to escape along with her sister Anna, who is wealthy and pregnant. They enter a world of adults populated by nefarious people and clouded by a political climate that is ever-changing. But Katarina is both smart and strong and uses those assets to take care of Anna and her unborn child. The circumstances cause Katarina to take a look inward at her pacifist views and deal with her own values. The question is, is her faith strong enough to believe God will help them in this time of uncertainty and unrest?

The additional story is set in Munich, Germany, 1952-53. The character Peter is going to be a father, and wrestles with putting to rest his mother Katarina's passing, which seems to be a puzzle. To get to the bottom of it, he reads her diaries for clues, but they don't satisfy him. He is on the verge of sliding down into the shadowed hallways of the past, but maybe there is hope in the new life about to be born.

If you appreciate epic stories based on true events, and like reading faith-based mysteries about families, history, and hope in a time of war, this heart-stopping book will leave you richly rewarded. The story is finely detailed, the settings ground you for the plot that unfolds, and the characters are empathetic and all too human. I especially like the scenes where the characters' faith is challenged by circumstances, and of course the elements of mystery, including Katarina's diaries. At its heart, this novel is about survival, faith, freedom, and rising above trauma. This novel isn't sugar-coated. It describes the harrowing ethnic cleansing that took place against the German Mennonites, and the aftermath of those it affected. But it is also a reflection of how faith operates under such duress. For a faith-based work of historical fiction, "Katarina's Dark Journey: Labor Pains - Ukraine 1918 (Russian Mennonite Chronicles Book 2)" by MJ Krause-Chivers is definitely one you won't forget.