Based on a true story, "King's Ransom," releasing on Waterbrook Press, a division of Random House, unveils the incredible sacrifices of Tsar Boris III, King of Bulgaria, and his country's extraordinary effort to save its entire population of nearly 50,000 Jews from Hitler's concentration camps. Aware of the price he might pay for his risks, Boris faced the Third Reich with courage and resolve, firm in his convictions that he could not abandon his country's Jewish citizens. The Tsar, along with members of the Orthodox Church, Jewish religious leaders, and others, ensured that not even one Bulgarian Jew fell into the clutches of the Nazi regime.
Set during the darkest days of World War II, "King's Ransom" tells the heroic story of a faithful king and his people. Based on a true story, this historical novel unveils the incredible sacrifices of Tsar Boris III, King of Bulgaria, and his country's extraordinary effort to save its entire population of nearly 50,000 Jews from Hitler's concentration camps. Aware of the price he might pay for his risks, Boris faced the Third Reich with courage and resolve, firm in his convictions that he could not abandon his country's Jewish citizens. The Tsar, along with members of the Orthodox Church, Jewish religious leaders, and others, ensured that not even one Bulgarian Jew fell into the clutches of the Nazi regime.
"King's Ransom" tells more than one story. The astonishing facts of Tsar Boris' successful campaign to rescue his Jewish people from certain death are interwoven with the fictional love story of Daria, the Jewish attendant to the Bulgarian royal family, and Dobri, a sergeant in the king's bodyguard. With courageous characters and passionate storytelling, "King's Ransom" reveals how individuals with faith and conviction can change history.
This book compares in content and historical accuracy to both Academy Award-winning films Schindler's List and The Pianist. It includes maps of Europe during World War II to help readers orient themselves to the settings and cities in the story and become more familiar with Bulgaria's proximity to Germany and the events of the war. Although some characters are fictional, the tension-filled accounts of the rescue of thousands of Jews are real.
The heroic efforts of Tsar Boris and his people provide a dramatic backdrop for a captivating romance. With its historical setting, "King's Ransom" will appeal to fans of fiction and World War II novels, readers of Judaica who will be drawn to the historical accuracy of events, and those who enjoy a romance spiced with suspense. The novel will challenge and inspire readers as the Tsar and his people truly live their faith-based convictions.
About the Authors
Jan Beazely is the author of The Strength of Mercy and cofounder of All God's Children International, a licensed, non-profit Christian adoption and relief ministry that began in 1991 after the Beazely family adopted a child from Romania. In her extensive travels to Bulgaria, Jan has heard firsthand from the remaining royal family much of the account of Tsar Boris' daring rescue. She lives with her family in Portland, Oregon.
Thom Lemmons has published numerous works of fiction and non-fiction, including Sunday Clothes, the best-selling Jabez: A Novel, and three titles in the Daughters of Faith series. He is the managing director of ACU Press, owned by Abilene Christian University and frequently speaks at writers' conferences and retreats. He and his family reside in Abilene, Texas.
* The Courage of Bulgaria's King Saves 50,000 Jews During WWII: A True Story of Faith Under Fire Releases
Send to Kindle
