Synopsis

In 1933, before World War II, and the Holocaust, the world was unaware of Hitler’s plans to exterminate millions.

Author Cathy A. Lewis discovered a tattered leather suitcase containing her deceased father’s journal documenting his six-week trek through Europe in 1933 while on his way to the 4th Boy Scout World Jamboree.

Inspired by her father’s historical recount, The Road We Took is the four-day epic tale of a desperate group of Jewish citizens attempting to escape Nazi-occupied Germany.

Fascinating characters come together in a narrative of extreme courage, budding adolescent love, and their fight for survival.

Life in Germany will never be the same as Hitler and the Nazis advance their propaganda campaign, to systematically murder the Jewish population.

And this was only the beginning.

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The expected publication date is February 15, 2022. Pre-order now!

Review

This is such an amazing story that is based on actual events of the author’s father’s time in Europe in 1933. Imagine being a young man on his way to a Boy Scout Jamboree and the adventures they must have had at that time. Granted, not everything was wonderful as the characters are thrown into Nazi-occupied Germany and the beginnings of their attempts to rid their country of the Jewish population.

This story is told from multiple points of view and the time in 1933 covers about four days. There are flashbacks to 1925 that give us a deeper understanding of some of the characters and how they became who they were eight years later. I don’t know if I have a favorite character or perspective because each gives us a look at their life and the trials and tribulations they endured from a fanatical rule. It also reminds us what a terrible time in history this was and all those that were harmed because of their religious upbringing.

There is a little bit of a mystery tied into this story, who killed one of the characters and why? The answer is not surprising but I won’t reveal too much, you’ll have to read the book to find out.

It is interesting how all of the lives intersected and came together in the end. I started putting a few of the pieces together but not everything, so it was a treat to uncover details that brought this story full circle. If anything, this reminds us to be thankful for what we have in this world.

We give this book 5 paws up.

About the Author

Cathy has spent over 40 years as a professional chef after graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in New York. She was the first female Executive Chef for the Servico Corporation, where she served The Philadelphia Eagles, The Philadelphia Flyers, and The Philadelphia 76’ers. Over the course of her career, Cathy capitalized her creative talents as a restaurant owner and partner, conceptualizing and creating brands for three successful startup businesses, Food Works, in Pittsford, New York, The Bagel Bin in Penfield, New York, and The Nick of Thyme in Brentwood, Tennessee. It was at the Nick of Thyme that Cathy developed long-standing relationships within the music industry. Her clients included Donna Summer Sudano, Naomi Judd, Wynonna Judd, numerous Christian and country music artists, world-renowned wine collectors Billy Ray Hearn and Tom Black. After the sale of her business, Cathy cooked for and traveled extensively to movie locations with actress and activist Ashley Judd and her husband, three-time Indy 500 champion Dario Franchitti.  She continues to cook privately for exclusive clients and friends.

When she is not working as a professional chef, she enjoys writing, reading, cooking for her family and special friends, taking photos of nature and food, gardening, watching open-wheel racing, watching movie classics from the golden age of cinema on TCM, and chasing her two cats, Princess Poopie Peanut Head and Tout Suite. The Road We Took is Cathy’s first novel and partially conceived from her father’s journal of daily writings and documentations along with the narratives and tales he told Cathy as a young girl.

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