Bertha by Lisa M. Hutchison

Publisher: Word Alive Press
Released: May 8, 2019
248 pages

About the Book:

Bertha: Shine Like the Dawn is the true story of Bertha, the author’s great-grandmother, born into relative wealth and comfort in 1860 Germany, orphaned as a baby, and begrudgingly raised by two sets of grandparents.

Violated by her uncle at seventeen, Bertha becomes pregnant and is quickly married off to a man beneath her standing. After enduring years of domestic violence and forced pregnancies, she finally walks away with four young children and with only her grandmother in Berlin for support. Once there, Bertha finds love with a mysterious man—but will it last?

Bertha, who lives through the turn of the century, the sinking of the Titanic, the First World War, the Spanish Flu, The Great Depression, and the Second World War, accepts whatever life gives her, with courage and passion, but most of all with love.
 
This is a tender romance, filled with compassion and many unexpected turns in life. Bertha experiences unbelievable trials, tribulations, and triumphs, as well as great love and great loss. Readers will cheer for her, cry for her, and love with her. 
 

 

My Rating & Thoughts:    🌟 🌟 🌟    (3 stars)   

I had really enjoyed Ms. Hutchison's previous book, Iron Annie, and I was hoping this book was similar, but instead I found myself disappointed with it. This is not because the writing was bad or anything it just wasn't really my type of story.

Right from the beginning of the story I felt for Bertha and the hardships that she has already experienced in her young life. Things do seem to settle down for her for a little bit but then a rather horrific event happens to her that provoked my anger and broke my heart. My heart continued to ache as things continued to spiral for her. I just wanted things to turn around for her. I was very proud of the strength she exhibited and did what she had to do to protect her children. While I was very interested to find out what happens throughout Bertha’s life there were numerous times I struggled with some of her actions and the amount of detail that was included in the book. There were times I felt uncomfortable reading. I was surprised at some of the actions of characters for the time period. However upon realizing that a lot of this book was written without Bertha’s input I wonder how much liberty was taken by the author. Overall this story has stayed with me and I would recommend it to others who are interested in historical real life stories but with the warning that it includes mature subject matter.

(I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author;

opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)

 

Check out my review of:

   

Iron Annie and A Long Journey