Fire and Steel: A Generation Rising

 I have to confess, I have never read any of Gerald N. Lund's historical fiction novels before (although I am a big fan of his doctrinal books and his science fiction book The Alliance). This was a new experience for me, and I quite enjoyed it!

One reason that I enjoyed this book is because it takes place in Germany (Bavaria) and gives a lot of historical information about the country. I found this particularly interesting because lately I have been doing family history work for ancestors in Germany. Lund begins the book with a history lesson about Germany that leads up to the point in time where the novel begins. I really appreciated that.

The story itself was interesting. It shows how the statement "Decisions Determine Destiny" is true on a personal, family, and international level. We follow a certain German family, first through the parents and then through their son as certain choices they make lead the family to crucial decisions. It also gives the reader a look at what the misssonary efforts were like in Germany at the time. This book takes the reader to the end of World War I and sets the stage for future books leading up to World War II. I am excited to finish the series.