"The Crooked Path" by Irma Joubert is a book I knew nothing about. I don't normally like books that take place around the World Wars, as I'm more of a "happily ever after" type of person and books about the Wars are often too realistic and hard to read emotionally. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised by this book!
From the moment you read the first few pages, you can tell Ms. Joubert is a wordsmith. Her writing style is top notch and flows well, making it easy to read. The setting in this book is unique--South Africa and Italy during the World War II era. I appreciate how Ms. Joubert incorporates a lot from the cultures of the places she writes about. She obviously did a lot of research.
There are a lot of great themes in this book, such as self-esteem, loss, death, chronic illness and the path we travel in life. There is some faith content, but I would have liked more. Overall, the book is a little too sad for me and some of the parts were so well written that I had to disengage so I didn't become depressed. This is not a fluffy read. I appreciate books that deal with such issues and themes, but they are not my favorite to read. Like I said before, I do truly appreciate the writing style and the lessons that are incorporated into this story!
Content: I would give this book a PG rating. There is a girl asking how people get pregnant and if there's a way to not be pregnant. A guy notices a woman's curves. A guy and a girl who are not married sleep under the same blanket, but nothing happens. The word "hellhole" is used. There are harsh conditions described in concentration camps. A married couple is in bed talking without any clothes on. Babies are born out of wedlock. A character wants an abortion. Characters drink alcohol.
Rating: I give this book 3.5 stars.
Genre: Christian Fiction; Historical Fiction; Romance
I want to thank Irma Joubert, Thomas Nelson and the Fiction Guild for the complimentary copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are my own. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR 16, Part 255.
About the Author:
International bestselling author Irma Joubert was a history teacher for 35 years before she began writing. Her stories are known for their deep insight into personal relationships and rich historical detail. She's the author of eight novels and a regular fixture on bestseller lists in The Netherlands and in her native South Africa. She is the winner of the 2010 ATKV Prize for Romance Novels.
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