Chris Stewart (Seven Miracles that Saved America), U.S. Congressman from Utah, turns to historical fiction with Winter Sky, a story set during the bleak, cold days of December 1944.
The Red Army is advancing, the Nazis are withdrawing and the people of Poland are trapped between two enemies. A few brave Polish Resistance fighters, known as "the Devil's Rebels," have been fighting the Nazis, but they are forced to retreat from the Soviet surge. One young fighter winds up in the (fictional) village of Gorndask, with no memory of how he came to be injured, or even of his name. His only clue to his identity is the ripped photograph in his pocket.
A mysterious young woman gives the rebel news of a refugee train heading toward the American lines, but before he can act, a fellow countryman informs the SS of his presence in Gorndask. In spite of the Soviet threat, the SS officers are determined not to let a Devil's Rebel escape, and set off in pursuit of him.
A short and fast-paced novel that covers a rarely seen side of World War II, Winter Sky is a fast and fascinating read. Stewart does an excellent job of depicting the problems of the Polish people, and the bravery of the Resistance fighters who spent years fighting the Nazis after the 1939 invasion. Readers are sure to admire the bewildered young hero, who is determined to do the right thing, even at the risk of putting himself in further danger. --Jessica Howard, blogger at Quirky Bookworm