Enemy Under Our Roof

Riveting, inspiring, and informative, Johanna’s often graphic memoir, Enemy under Our Roof, is based on the author’s experiences in war-torn Hengelo, the Netherlands in World War II. From nights of terror spent in the cellar during air raids to the dreaded razzias, when friends and neighbours are taken away to the camps, readers will be spellbound as they are transported back to 1940’s Europe. Told through the eyes of young Cobie, the narrative adopts an innocence that stands in stark contrast to the realities of war. When hordes of Nazi bombers invade the Netherlands, Cobie’s peaceful, orderly world is turned upside down. Gradually she must learn to cope with fear, loss, cruelty, and despair. As she matures, she tries to make sense of the horrors of war and her Christian faith – a faith she maintains amid disillusionment and questioning. Her most trying experience occurs when a Nazi officer billets himself in her home by force, and she is confronted with issues of hatred and forgiveness. She must battle both the enemy without and within, uncovering valuable truths in the process. Throughout the ordeal she is sustained by her older brother’s sense of humour, her faithful friends, and the love and courage of her parents, who keep hope alive until the long-awaited day of liberation.

A remarkable vision for how Christians can live with countercultural gentleness in a perpetually angry, attacking, outraged time. Wow! What a great book!" -- Max Lucado In a defensive and divided era, how can followers of Jesus reveal a better way of living, one that loves others as God loves us? How can Christians be the kind of people who are known, as Proverbs puts it, to "turn away wrath?" Scott Sauls's compelling new book shows Christians how to become people of "a gentle answer" in a politically, relationally, and culturally fractured world by helping readers: grow in affection for Christ, who answers our hostility with gentleness; nurture a renewed, softened heart in light of Christ's gentleness toward us; and catch a vision to forsake us-against-them mentalities, put down our swords, and "infect" a hostile world with gentleness. For those who long for a more civil way of being, A Gentle Answer reveals why answering hostility with gentleness is essential, how we can nurture our hearts to do so, and what a gentle answer looks like, both in the church and in the world. "A great, highly practical volume that points us to the tenderness of Jesus: 'a bruised reed he will not break'." -- Tim Keller, Pastor Emeritus, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, New York City "Wow! What a great book…. We will be better humans because of it." -- Max Lucado, bestselling author and pastor of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas "Scott Sauls is the preeminent voice for fractured, polarized times…. Scott’s every word is read under our roof." -- Ann Voskamp, bestselling author of One Thousand Gifts and The Broken Way "This book could not have come at a better time, as we navigate a culture of polarization….This is a heart changing book!" -- Rebekah Lyons, bestselling author, Rhythms of Renewal and You are Free