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Liz Tolsma (that's me!) is the guest this week. My niece Becca makes her annual stop on the podcast to interview me about my latest release, What I Left for You. We discuss who the Lemko people in Poland were, why they are important to both of us, and where hope shines through in the dark circumstances of this story. Patrons get to hear about my sweet little dog.

What I Left for You by Liz Tolsma
A Family's Ties Were Broken in Poland of 1939

1939 Helena Kostyszak is an oddity—an educated female ethnic minority lecturing at a university in Krakow at the outbreak of WWII. When the Germans close the university and force Jews into the ghetto, she spirits out a friend's infant daughter and flees to her small village in the southern hills. Helena does everything in her power to protect her family, but it may not be enough. It will take all of her strength and God's intervention for both of them to survive the war and the ethnic cleansing to come.

2023 Recently unengaged social worker McKenna Muir is dealt an awful blow when a two-year-old she's been working with is murdered. It's all too much to take, so her friend suggests she dive into her family's past like she's always wanted. Putting distance between herself and her problems might help her heal, so she and her friend head on Sabbatical to Poland. But what McKenna discovers about her family shocks everyone, including one long-lost family member.

Get your copy of What I Left for You

Passionate might best describe Liz Tolsma. She loves writing and researching historical fiction, and editing for other authors. Her passion shines through in her writing, many of her novels being award finalists or award winners. 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’s married to her high-school sweetheart, and they live in the Wisconsin countryside. They are now blessed with three grown children, including a son, daughter, and daughter-in-law who are all US Marines and a daughter with special needs who brightens their days.

Visit Liz Tolsma's website.

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My favorite 2024 reads.

There were so many wonderful Christian historical novels that released last year, everything from the perennial favorite Regency, Western, and WWII novels to dual time fiction and ground-breaking time crossing fiction. So what were my favorite 2024 reads? Why did I enjoy these books so much? Do you agree with me or not?

Here, in no particular order, are my favorite reads of 2024. You'll have to listen to the episode to find out which one topped the charts for me.

Never Forgotten by Hannah Linder


The British Booksellers by Kristy Cambron


The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple by Joanna Politano


Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin


For a Lifetime by Gabrielle Meyer


The Irish Matchmaker by Jennifer Deibel

Let me know what you think about my favorite 2024 reads!

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Christian Historical Fiction Talk is listener supported. When you buy things through this site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Become a patron and enjoy special perks and bonus content.

The future of WWII fiction? Is it still popular or is it on its way out? This week, I trace the rise of the genre, why it's popular, who is writing it, and what does it look like in the coming years. Join me as I talk about one of my favorite subjects!

Some of the authors we discussed in the episode:
Melanie Dobson
Memories of Glass
The Winter Rose

Cathy Gohkle
The Medallion
Saving Amelie

Lynn Austin
Chasing Shadows
If I Were You
A Woman's Place This is the one I forgot the name of during the show.

Sarah Sundin
The Sound of Light
Embers in the London Sky
Midnight on the Scottish Shore

Kristy Cambron
The Butterfly and the Violin
A Sparrow at Terezin
The British Booksellers
The French Kitchen

Brock and Bodie Thorne
The Zion Covenant
The Zion Chronicles

Johnnie Alexander
When Memory Whispers
The Cryptographers Dilemma
Where Treasure Hides

Amanda Barratt
My Dearest Dietrich
The White Rose Resists
Within These Walls of Sorrow
The Warsaw Sisters

Liz Tolsma
What I Would Tell You
What I Promise You

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify