About the Book

Book: The Refrain Within

Author: Liz Tolsma

Genre: WWII Fiction

Release Date: September 29, 2020

To save a life, would you betray everyone you love?

Hungary in 1944 is a dark place. The Nazis have invaded and turned the country upside down, their evil making its way into every life.

Clarinetist Eva Bognar is engaged to conductor and composer Patrik Kedves, happily planning her wedding. At first she doesn’t think the war will affect her directly; everyone around her can be trusted to do the right thing. Then her Jewish best friend and sister-in-law Zofia goes missing–and instead of the Gestapo being to blame, a friend says it was Patrik who led Zofia away. Has he betrayed Eva and everything the family stands for?

When the rest of the family’s lives are directly threatened, Patrik’s secrets must come to light. The Bognars flee for the border in hopes of getting out of the country to the safety of Palestine. Eva must put her life and the lives of everyone she loves in the hands of the very man who betrayed her–and they may not all make it out of the war alive . . .

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My Thoughts

I applaud any author who takes up the challenge to write historical fiction set in a country other than the United States. Any historical fiction requires intense research, but to step out of one’s country of origin is a little more difficult. This is the case in Liz Tolsma’s novel The Refrain Within.

The novel takes place in 1944 Hungary during the Nazi invasion. There are so many fictional accounts of World War II that the competition to write a compelling novel in this genre is fierce. A few years ago, I read Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, and since have set that as the bar for excellence.

What I liked: Tolsma brought in a uniqueness to this genre by adding an element of music. I understand this is the third in a stand-alone series, although I did not read the first two, which wasn’t necessary to follow the story. This novel is written in four different points of view—Éva, Patrik (her fiancé), Ernö (her brother), and Zofia (her sister-in-law). I’m a big fan of several points of view, because everyone’s perspective is different. There are instances when music is interwoven into the plot and characters’ development, which I found original.

What I struggled with: It started with the first line of the book. I find first lines fascinating and believe it’s what hooks the reader and sets the tone for the rest of the story. Have great novels been written that didn’t have compelling first lines? Absolutely. Still, this one didn’t hook me, nor did it set the tone.

The challenge of writing from several points of view is truly developing the characters. I would say this is a plot-driven book, but if we don’t fall in love with the characters, it’s hard to root for them. It feels as if none of the characters truly knew each other—not Éva and Patrik (even though they were about to be married) nor Zofia and Ernö, who were already married. Éva refers back to a past relationship several times, but the entirety of it is never revealed, making it feel unfinished. It was frustrating that everyone was lying to each other, and they all seemed to feel justified in it.

I felt as if the story dragged in several places and there were scenes that were either repetitive or didn’t seem to move the story ahead. And in the end, when Tolsma had the perfect opportunity to truly dig deep into one of the character’s emotions and take her readers on an emotional ride, she ended it too quickly.

However, if you’re a fan of World War II fiction and have an affinity for music, you might find this book is for you.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit Publishing for reviewing purposes, but the opinions are my own.

About the Author

Passionate might best describe Liz Tolsma. She loves writing, research, and editing. Her passion shone through in her first novel which was a double award finalist. On any given day, you might find her pulling weeds in her perennial garden, walking her hyperactive dog, or curled up with a good book. Nothing means more to her than her family. She married her high-school sweetheart twenty-eight years ago. Get her talking about international adoption, and you might never get her to stop. She and her husband adopted three children, including a son who is a U.S. Marine, and two daughters.

More from Liz

This is the third book in a series all set around music. The first heroine, Anna in The Melody of the Soul, was a violinist. The second heroine, Natia in When the Heart Sings, sang beautifully. So what did I choose for this heroine?

When I was in fifth grade, the band teacher from the middle school came to our class and encouraged us to join. She brought instruments with her for us to try. I really wanted to play the flute. I thought it was very feminine. But all the girls wanted to play that, and I would have to be really good to get a good chair. So I decided on the clarinet. I played all through middle school and high school, making first chair a couple of times. I participated in marching band and in solo and ensemble contests, earning a couple of first places in state competitions. Even after my “career” ended, I continued to play from time to time. I still play in church. I love the rich, full sound of the instrument. When played well, the clarinet is beautiful. It can be playful and happy or dark and sad. It can skip and it can cry. I’m very glad now that I chose the clarinet instead of the flute.

That’s why the heroine of The Refrain Within plays the clarinet. In fact, she comes from a family of clarinet makers, and her family stamp on the barrel of a clarinet means a great deal to her. As God would have it, my editor, Janyre Tromp, is also a clarinet player. Between the two of us, we worked hard bring out the unique aspects of playing clarinet, like the callous that forms on the inside of your bottom lip.

Eva is a special character to me because we share this passion for the clarinet. There have been many times throughout my life that my clarinet has skipped with me and plenty of times when it has cried with me. Music is God’s beautiful gift to us, and I thank Him for the opportunity to share some of that with you in The Refrain Within.