Lines of Courage by Jennifer Nielsen

“I’m not afraid of doing hard things. I’m afraid of a life where I do nothing.” Kara What do you know about WW I? We knew very little, but thanks to Jennifer Nielsen’s Lines of Courage we learned a lot in an unusual way. From the viewpoints of Kara (British), Felix (Austro-Hungarian), Elsa (German), Juliette (French) and Dimitri (Russian) Nielsen weaves a story that will enlighten and enrich any history buff’s mind. The assassination of the Archduke in Bosnia is said to have started WW I, but countries fought for different reasons. Some fought for power, others to support allies, others for revenge, national pride, or to gain land. There was no central issue. (Maybe this is why we didn’t learn much about it in school, too tough to tackle.) Elsa uses the analogy of a house of cards as she tries to explain to Felix how countries can quickly lose power and fall. Kara, the nurse in training, gives readers a lesson in compassion. When she helps Felix’s wounded father; her dreams of becoming a Red Cross nurse are smashed. He gives her a gold medal handed down by his father long ago because he knows she helped him at a huge cost. Amazingly, the medal makes it into the hands of each character. “This medal belongs to every one of you. At some point, each of you found yourself in a terrible situation and you responded with courage, with honor, and with kindness…” May this book inspire us all to live with courage, honor and kindness. Join us as we discuss the unbelievable conditions in which these young people let their lights shine. From a fourteen year old sent into battle without a weapon to a young girl separated from her family, this book is action packed. Lines of Courage, what an eye-opener!