"Copper Star" is a World War II love story set in 1943, as theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer smuggles a young resistance worker, Louisa, out of Nazi Germany. Louisa waits out the war in a dusty copper mining town in Arizona but can't leave her resistance skills behind. Soon, she turns the town upside down, uncovering a mystery that leads her back to the Nazis and her war-torn country. "Copper Star" has garnered rave reviews: Round Table Reviews writes, "The action in the story is moving quickly, and the character of Louisa is a lovable, somewhat feisty young woman who does not mind the taste of shoe leather. A wonderful book that is highly recommended for all readers." Historical Novels Review notes, "'Copper Star's' plot builds in conflict and excitement, and its tender romance warms the heart."

Copper Star

Suzanne Woods Fisher
Vintage Romance Publishing (2007)
ISBN 978-0979332746
Reviewed by Linda Benninghoff for Reader Views (1/07)


The title of this inspirational historical romance comes from Copper Springs, the arid town in Arizona to which a German refugee of Jewish descent and a member of the anti-Nazi resistance has been sent to escape the Nazis. The Reverend Robert Gordon waits there to greet Louisa. He is a friend of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a martyr of the Christian faith who was involved in a plot to assassinate Hitler. Gordon’s son William, a deaf child whom his father worries may be retarded, also meets Louisa and plays a critical role in the novel.

It turns out that William not only is not retarded but highly intelligent. Part of the action of the novel surrounds Louisa’s attempts to get William to learn how to speak. Louisa, inspired by faith, brings healing to both father and son, both of whom were wounded by the mother, an ambitious woman who left her husband and son when William was still a young child.

I found the novel’s discussions of God, faith and prayer fascinating. While in the beginning of the book Robert is somewhat lackluster and his sermons in need of inspiration, he begins to grow as the novel goes on.

The characterization of Louisa, Robert and William is deft and compelling, and the changes they go through well-portrayed. The time of World War II, when everything still hangs in a balance, yet the Allied victory may be near, is captured in all its hopefulness and terror. It is as if the author had lived through these times.

This novel will appeal to anyone with an interest in this period of history or in religion, or romance. “Copper Star” is a fascinating novel and also works on a deeper level, and draws the reader into its deeper thoughts as the plot unfolds.