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Teach the Children to Pray
A lyrical, intimate portrait of a young woman’s coming of age in a Germany torn apart by the Thirty Years War, Teach the Children to Pray is a novel for anyone who has ever grappled with the question of how to live well in difficult times.
Pray, children, pray
Tomorrow comes the Swede
Tomorrow comes Oxenstiern’
To teach the children to pray
Pray, children, pray
German children’s rhyme, the Thirty Years War
1618. A witch hunt forces ten year-old Josefine Dorn and her father to the harsh, unforgiving roads of Germany. That same year, Bohemian Protestants throw the Holy Roman Emperor’s regents from a castle window, sparking a religious war that soon engulfs the whole Empire. Driven by misfortune and desperation, Josefine’s father enlists, and Josefine follows him into the army’s baggage train.
In the army, Josefine learns to survive, first as a child looking after her soldier father, and later, in the unlikely role of field surgeon, tending to the war’s broken and ailing.
Josefine’s story is interwoven with the ordinary people of Germany—men and women; Protestants, Catholics and Jews; believers and unbelievers—as they strive to hold onto what truly matters in spite of plundering armies and narrow-minded princes. Evocatively written and infused with warmth and humanity, Teach the Children to Pray brings to life a richly-drawn cast of characters through the eyes of its striking heroine and her extraordinary story of lost faith, forbidden love, and the search for peace in a time of endless war.
Pray, children, pray
Tomorrow comes the Swede
Tomorrow comes Oxenstiern’
To teach the children to pray
Pray, children, pray
German children’s rhyme, the Thirty Years War
1618. A witch hunt forces ten year-old Josefine Dorn and her father to the harsh, unforgiving roads of Germany. That same year, Bohemian Protestants throw the Holy Roman Emperor’s regents from a castle window, sparking a religious war that soon engulfs the whole Empire. Driven by misfortune and desperation, Josefine’s father enlists, and Josefine follows him into the army’s baggage train.
In the army, Josefine learns to survive, first as a child looking after her soldier father, and later, in the unlikely role of field surgeon, tending to the war’s broken and ailing.
Josefine’s story is interwoven with the ordinary people of Germany—men and women; Protestants, Catholics and Jews; believers and unbelievers—as they strive to hold onto what truly matters in spite of plundering armies and narrow-minded princes. Evocatively written and infused with warmth and humanity, Teach the Children to Pray brings to life a richly-drawn cast of characters through the eyes of its striking heroine and her extraordinary story of lost faith, forbidden love, and the search for peace in a time of endless war.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
428 pages, Hardcover
Published March 4, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
February 29, 2024
I was a beta reader for this book so I'm a bit biased, but I think you should definitely check it out if you enjoy character-driven historical fiction! Teach the Children to Pray wrestles with how (and why) to live a good life in a world where there is war and disease and injustice—questions that are as relevant to the book’s characters in 1600s Germany as they are to present day readers. I can imagine this book inspiring interesting book club discussions, and I'm really excited for more people to read it!
March 4, 2024
This was one of the most enthralling works of historical fiction I've ever read! Set during the Thirty Years War in Germany, it follows the life of Josefine Dorn as she goes from a child to a woman over the span of the conflict. The way it changes her is tragic and full of humanity, but her strength is both admirable and compelling.
I felt like the author's writing style was modern enough to hold my interest but steeped in enough history to remain accurate. Her depictions of war seemed realistic and made me take pause to think of all the victims of such strife in any era or country. In fact, at the start, she dedicates this book to all war's children...a very poignant gesture.
The book itself is a bit longer than I typically read, but the pages just seemed to fly by without me noticing! I love it when a book carries me away like that! I definitely would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading about strong female characters and eras of history that are underrepresented in historical fiction. Heck...I would even recommend it to people who don't read the genre because this book will make you change your mind.
Excellent, excellent book!
I felt like the author's writing style was modern enough to hold my interest but steeped in enough history to remain accurate. Her depictions of war seemed realistic and made me take pause to think of all the victims of such strife in any era or country. In fact, at the start, she dedicates this book to all war's children...a very poignant gesture.
The book itself is a bit longer than I typically read, but the pages just seemed to fly by without me noticing! I love it when a book carries me away like that! I definitely would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading about strong female characters and eras of history that are underrepresented in historical fiction. Heck...I would even recommend it to people who don't read the genre because this book will make you change your mind.
Excellent, excellent book!
March 4, 2024
I found Teach the Children to Pray to be a really moving and deeply individualised story of one woman’s experience of life during the Thirty Years War. Josefine is such a dynamic lead, practically bursting off the page. From her heart-breaking childhood through all her trials and tribulations, her character is stoic, just, and brave, but also impulsive, wilful, and quick to anger – in short, remarkably and tantalisingly raw. I found her relationship with Eleanore particularly moving, with Harwick offering a complex, sensitive, and intricate portrait of queer experience. Additionally, the pacing of this book ensures you carry on reading long after you’ve told yourself ‘just one more chapter!’. It’s devastating and thrilling and life-affirming all at once. A vibrant book that will stay with me for a very long time yet.
I received a free copy of this book via The Niche Reader.
I received a free copy of this book via The Niche Reader.
Did Not Finish
March 3, 2024DNF (did not finish) at 12%
I was sent this as an advanced e-copy to read and review. I couldn’t push past 12% and didn’t want to struggle through. Although initially intrigued by the setting and cover, I quickly realized this is not the kind of book for me. I felt the beginning was both rushed and boring and didn’t care for the main character - a young girl struggling to survive traveling from village to village with her father.
I was sent this as an advanced e-copy to read and review. I couldn’t push past 12% and didn’t want to struggle through. Although initially intrigued by the setting and cover, I quickly realized this is not the kind of book for me. I felt the beginning was both rushed and boring and didn’t care for the main character - a young girl struggling to survive traveling from village to village with her father.
March 8, 2024
Full review at: https://readingourshelves.wordpress.c...
Despite the gruesomeness, this was a very engaging read. Our main character is Josefine, and we meet her as a child still living with her parents. Almost immediately, her hometown starts hunting the village’s women as witches.
Josefine flees with her father, and they also pick up a dog along the way. Despite her father being a tradesman, and Josefine posing as a boy to get work, they only have luck finding lodgings and work in short spurts. Eventually, feeling like he is out of options, her dad enlists to fight in the war (known to history as the Thirty Years War).
While her dad is off fighting, Josefine gets into some trouble. She is helped by a young prostitute and a doctor who is traveling with the army. The doctor, Salomon, takes her under his wing, and trains her as a surgeon. Eventually, he and the prostitute marry. After Josefine’s father passes in battle, they bring her along as they try to find a place to settle. This sometimes proves tricky, as the doctor is Jewish and not universally welcomed everywhere.
In trying to do right by her, Salomon sets aside some money for a dowry, and tries to convince Josefine to settle down and marry. She does not want any of the village men, though, and joins the army herself as a surgeon. During the next two years, she does actually marry in secret, but continues to live off her own earnings. When her husband also dies, she reluctantly starts heading back to where she knew Salomon lived last.
When she runs out of money, she ends up working for another doctor in another town for some time. He is a drunk, though, and slips down a ravine. She keeps running his practice for a time, while he is only deemed missing, but his debts keep her from earning a lot of money. Eventually, as his body is found, she must flee again.
By this time, though, she has teamed up with an accomplice, Eleanore. Eleanore was Josefine’s true love, but she had followed her family’s wishes and married. Now she is in trouble, hiding from her husband, and hoping to seek a divorce… once she gives birth to a child he does not know she’s carrying.
By the time Josefine returns to Salomon’s family, she has a daughter. No one knows that the child is really Eleanore’s. She is welcomed back, and once again begins working with Salomon and earning her own wage. The war is still ongoing, though, and our characters are not done facing challenges – of battlefields, racism, and the plague.
The final climax comes when Eleanore’s ex-husband, remarried now, figures out that Josefine’s daughter is really his, and tries to kidnap her. (Needless to say, I had to read all the way to the end after this, because I had to know what happened!)
Josefine mentions a few times that she is writing this account afterward, so we know that she survives, at least. But what about all the other colorful characters we’ve met along the way? And her daughter?!
Read to find out. ;)
Despite the gruesomeness, this was a very engaging read. Our main character is Josefine, and we meet her as a child still living with her parents. Almost immediately, her hometown starts hunting the village’s women as witches.
Josefine flees with her father, and they also pick up a dog along the way. Despite her father being a tradesman, and Josefine posing as a boy to get work, they only have luck finding lodgings and work in short spurts. Eventually, feeling like he is out of options, her dad enlists to fight in the war (known to history as the Thirty Years War).
While her dad is off fighting, Josefine gets into some trouble. She is helped by a young prostitute and a doctor who is traveling with the army. The doctor, Salomon, takes her under his wing, and trains her as a surgeon. Eventually, he and the prostitute marry. After Josefine’s father passes in battle, they bring her along as they try to find a place to settle. This sometimes proves tricky, as the doctor is Jewish and not universally welcomed everywhere.
In trying to do right by her, Salomon sets aside some money for a dowry, and tries to convince Josefine to settle down and marry. She does not want any of the village men, though, and joins the army herself as a surgeon. During the next two years, she does actually marry in secret, but continues to live off her own earnings. When her husband also dies, she reluctantly starts heading back to where she knew Salomon lived last.
When she runs out of money, she ends up working for another doctor in another town for some time. He is a drunk, though, and slips down a ravine. She keeps running his practice for a time, while he is only deemed missing, but his debts keep her from earning a lot of money. Eventually, as his body is found, she must flee again.
By this time, though, she has teamed up with an accomplice, Eleanore. Eleanore was Josefine’s true love, but she had followed her family’s wishes and married. Now she is in trouble, hiding from her husband, and hoping to seek a divorce… once she gives birth to a child he does not know she’s carrying.
By the time Josefine returns to Salomon’s family, she has a daughter. No one knows that the child is really Eleanore’s. She is welcomed back, and once again begins working with Salomon and earning her own wage. The war is still ongoing, though, and our characters are not done facing challenges – of battlefields, racism, and the plague.
The final climax comes when Eleanore’s ex-husband, remarried now, figures out that Josefine’s daughter is really his, and tries to kidnap her. (Needless to say, I had to read all the way to the end after this, because I had to know what happened!)
Josefine mentions a few times that she is writing this account afterward, so we know that she survives, at least. But what about all the other colorful characters we’ve met along the way? And her daughter?!
Read to find out. ;)
March 5, 2024
I received a copy of the book from the author as part of a book tour with @katerockbooktours. Views are my own.
I do read some historical fiction but have never read anything about the time period of the 30 year war in Germany during the 1600’s. I thought this book sounded interesting especially with the title Teach the Children to Pray. When I received the book I started reading it right away because it is almost 500 pages. I should not have worried. I really enjoyed the story, at times couldn’t put it down, and would read a sequel in a heartbeat. Yes, it was that good. The writing was beautiful, the content was so original, the story was captivating, and the characters were all so different. There’s even forbidden love and romance.
It was an interesting story! Narrated by Josefine as a child and then as she grows into a woman. Hearing about life in the 1600’s and how they traveled and their day to day experiences was all so new to me!
And the religions! Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, and those that were deemed unbelievers! Witches!
We cannot forget the war. And its effects on everyone and everything. How it influenced the lives and relationships of each of them.
This is an amazing story. The author’s imagination is astounding to have written this book - it sounds like she was there walking beside Josefine looking for a place to pitch her tent for the night. It’s a big book with a big story and I don’t know that there’s another book like it out there.
I do read some historical fiction but have never read anything about the time period of the 30 year war in Germany during the 1600’s. I thought this book sounded interesting especially with the title Teach the Children to Pray. When I received the book I started reading it right away because it is almost 500 pages. I should not have worried. I really enjoyed the story, at times couldn’t put it down, and would read a sequel in a heartbeat. Yes, it was that good. The writing was beautiful, the content was so original, the story was captivating, and the characters were all so different. There’s even forbidden love and romance.
It was an interesting story! Narrated by Josefine as a child and then as she grows into a woman. Hearing about life in the 1600’s and how they traveled and their day to day experiences was all so new to me!
And the religions! Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, and those that were deemed unbelievers! Witches!
We cannot forget the war. And its effects on everyone and everything. How it influenced the lives and relationships of each of them.
This is an amazing story. The author’s imagination is astounding to have written this book - it sounds like she was there walking beside Josefine looking for a place to pitch her tent for the night. It’s a big book with a big story and I don’t know that there’s another book like it out there.
August 26, 2025
I found myself stealing pockets of time as often as I could to stay with this book. It’s a riveting character-driven novel: the kind of book that makes you want to slow down to be with the characters longer. Josefine’s journey is rife with trials and yet with a tenderness and hope that propels it forward. The writing never loses momentum, it is precise and quietly beautiful without drawing too much attention to itself. Teach the Children to Pray is a historical fiction about the Thirty Year War, which I was keen to learn more about. I love how it brings in Protestant, Catholic, Jew, witches and faithless in a war that did not leave any of them untouched. Readers who enjoy a strong female lead will not be disappointed with Josefine’s flawed and passionate character that make her hard to forget. Some of the male characters like Salomon and Isidoro give the novel a soul, a hope for goodness: characters you’re glad to have met in fiction and would love to meet in real life. I highly recommend this book and hope to see it on more bookshelves and bookstores.
March 6, 2024
So excited to be hosting a booktour spot with Katerockbooktours on this stunning book and my tour stops here.
👧🏻 review: I started this book last weekend and I have finally finished it. What a fascinating historical fiction. This book is big with copious details, and since I am very fond of historical fiction this book gave me the drive to read and finish it. This is Alan Gratz and Jennifer Nielsen combined. Even though the book seemed scary because it is literally voluminous, the author made the book easy to read and the flow is continuous. After reading, I felt that the author put a great amount of research into the book. I am very impressed with this big book.
👧🏻 review: I started this book last weekend and I have finally finished it. What a fascinating historical fiction. This book is big with copious details, and since I am very fond of historical fiction this book gave me the drive to read and finish it. This is Alan Gratz and Jennifer Nielsen combined. Even though the book seemed scary because it is literally voluminous, the author made the book easy to read and the flow is continuous. After reading, I felt that the author put a great amount of research into the book. I am very impressed with this big book.
March 12, 2024
I can't begin to describe how overwhelmed I am by this book. This book was amazing to me and I would recommend it. The book is amazing and I hope to give it a higher rating than 5 stars. My feelings were all over the place while reading this book. As a result, I would say that it broke my heart completely, and then put it back together again. An over-willed girl turned woman lives this story as she goes through various trials and tribulations to survive and finally find her PEACE in the world as she would like to. Throughout the book, I enjoyed the fact that the author used some historical events during the 30 years War and the main character who defied all social norms to become a female surgeon during that period. I recommend this book to all historical fiction fans!
March 15, 2024
Gorgeously written book. I couldn't help but feel the emotions of the characters at each stage of life. The lessons and themes that are emphasized throughout capture the very nature of what it means to live, particularly when life is messy. This book made me cry, laugh, and wonder. It reminded me of one of the greatest lessons ive ever personally learned: there will be painful moments and there will be moments where the reasoning for it isn't clear but ultimately its what we choose to hold on to that defines our very lives. Great book for a group to read and discuss.
March 16, 2024
calling all historical fiction lovers - this book was such a great and UNIQUE read! i was immediately drawn in by the writing style of the author and dove right into the storyline.
i really admired josefine, as she was such a strong female character that we got to watch grow as a child and woman. a life in the 1600’s was also heavily journeyed through in this read, which made it super fascinating for me! id definitely recommend to anyone seeking a unique read with a very strong MFC.
4.5 stars!
i really admired josefine, as she was such a strong female character that we got to watch grow as a child and woman. a life in the 1600’s was also heavily journeyed through in this read, which made it super fascinating for me! id definitely recommend to anyone seeking a unique read with a very strong MFC.
4.5 stars!
March 10, 2024
Told in the 1600’s in Germany during the Thirty Year War we follow Josefine and her father as they survive. This is the oldest in time book I’ve read and I was interested in the 1600’s so I decided to try the book. The author’s writing style is easy to read even when the topic was difficult. I did not find the story to be for me but I can see why many enjoyed this book. I loved the beautiful cover with it looking as if layers were pulled off.
March 4, 2024
I found this book immersive - it’s a good story and located in an interesting setting that was unfamiliar to me so that added an intriguing new twist.
March 11, 2024
A beautifully written historical fiction set in the 1600s that clearly had a lot of research behind it, because it felt modern in many ways. The inclusion of “witchcraft” was especially interesting.
March 24, 2024
I could not put it down!
This was a powerful book that kept me spellbound to the end. The characters were well developed and very interesting, and the story was profound. I loved it!
This was a powerful book that kept me spellbound to the end. The characters were well developed and very interesting, and the story was profound. I loved it!
March 17, 2024
This was an absolutely beautifully written emotionally charged coming of age historical fiction based in the 1600s during the 30 year war in Europe. The setting for this was Germany and follows the extraordinary life of Josefine starting from age 10. It takes us through all the trials and tribulations of her life, the harshness of the people due to their religious beliefs, and the amazing people that come into her life to teach her there truly is good in the world. I really can’t write a review to do this book justice. It is really something you just need to read. I love historical fiction and this is an era I knew absolutely nothing about. The ways of the world back then were so broken, but the goodness of the characters and their faith in this story bleed hope through powerful awe inspiring words.
March 19, 2024
Teach the Children to Pray
Rebecca Harwick
What an incredible story! The unimaginable things, trials, tribulations, and challenges of growing up in a 17th century Germany.
Josefine was born during the 30 years war, and we follow her and her coming of age story as she grows up in a war ridden, Germany. What a tragic time to grow up in the things that she and her family went through was truly heart wrenching. The harsh and gruesome conditions they had to live in because of that war broke my heart. I cannot fathom.
Very engaging novel, a wonderful thought-provoking historical fiction. “ extra ordinary, story of lost faith, forbidden love, and the search for peace and a time of endless war.”
@rharwick_writer @KateRockBookTours #TeachTheChildrenToPray #historicalfiction
Rebecca Harwick
What an incredible story! The unimaginable things, trials, tribulations, and challenges of growing up in a 17th century Germany.
Josefine was born during the 30 years war, and we follow her and her coming of age story as she grows up in a war ridden, Germany. What a tragic time to grow up in the things that she and her family went through was truly heart wrenching. The harsh and gruesome conditions they had to live in because of that war broke my heart. I cannot fathom.
Very engaging novel, a wonderful thought-provoking historical fiction. “ extra ordinary, story of lost faith, forbidden love, and the search for peace and a time of endless war.”
@rharwick_writer @KateRockBookTours #TeachTheChildrenToPray #historicalfiction
July 20, 2024
A gorgeously written and meticulously researched novel of love, loss, and hope in the lives of ordinary people caught up in the tumult of the 30 Years' War.
I say ordinary, but the protagonist, Josefine Dorn, is anything but: forced to flee from home when her mother is accused of witchcraft, she and her father take to the road and eventually to the baggage train of the army, where Josefine grows up and apprentices to a Jewish surgeon. And that's just where the twists and turns begin.
It's a delicate dance indeed to convey the realities, passions, and travails of historical figures who are not kings and commanders, nor ever encounter them, yet whose lives ebb and flow with the movements of History (big H!). Rebecca Harwick has brought Josefine's world to life with astonishing subtlety and concreteness and filled it with such engaging characters that I fretted over them to no end, once I'd brushed up on my Reformation history. This story couldn't possibly end well, right? (I even twisted myself in knots worrying about Josefine's dog.)
Ultimately, though, it is a tale of hope and perseverance. Josefine has agency and finds love and enduring bonds in the face of historical calamity. I shed happy tears more than once over this immersive and very excellent read. Needless to say, I highly recommend it.
Full disclosure: I'm friends with the author and saw an early version of the manuscript.
I say ordinary, but the protagonist, Josefine Dorn, is anything but: forced to flee from home when her mother is accused of witchcraft, she and her father take to the road and eventually to the baggage train of the army, where Josefine grows up and apprentices to a Jewish surgeon. And that's just where the twists and turns begin.
It's a delicate dance indeed to convey the realities, passions, and travails of historical figures who are not kings and commanders, nor ever encounter them, yet whose lives ebb and flow with the movements of History (big H!). Rebecca Harwick has brought Josefine's world to life with astonishing subtlety and concreteness and filled it with such engaging characters that I fretted over them to no end, once I'd brushed up on my Reformation history. This story couldn't possibly end well, right? (I even twisted myself in knots worrying about Josefine's dog.)
Ultimately, though, it is a tale of hope and perseverance. Josefine has agency and finds love and enduring bonds in the face of historical calamity. I shed happy tears more than once over this immersive and very excellent read. Needless to say, I highly recommend it.
Full disclosure: I'm friends with the author and saw an early version of the manuscript.
April 17, 2024
I can't say this is a fun read - the tale of a war-torn Germany in the 1600s and the many lives affected by it is too grim for that description - but I will say it is a reflective and endearing read, and one I will recommend to others.
As the nuanced character of Josefine and others struggle to find food, safety, friendship, and peace, they also yearn for meaning in four-letter words like "love" and "hope". In very quotable lines throughout the novel, the author - by way of the protagonist's reflections - shows a deep thoughtfulness and appreciation for the many marks of goodness still available in a world eroded by fighting, while vigilantly sounding the alarm that the causes of that fighting are ever-present even today.
It's hard to want more from historical fiction than a gripping tale set in a tumultuous time. One that begs you to appreciate your life while it simultaneously invites you to see the world through a slightly different lens. Teach the Children to Pray delivers on every front, and I'm very much looking forward to future works from this author.
As the nuanced character of Josefine and others struggle to find food, safety, friendship, and peace, they also yearn for meaning in four-letter words like "love" and "hope". In very quotable lines throughout the novel, the author - by way of the protagonist's reflections - shows a deep thoughtfulness and appreciation for the many marks of goodness still available in a world eroded by fighting, while vigilantly sounding the alarm that the causes of that fighting are ever-present even today.
It's hard to want more from historical fiction than a gripping tale set in a tumultuous time. One that begs you to appreciate your life while it simultaneously invites you to see the world through a slightly different lens. Teach the Children to Pray delivers on every front, and I'm very much looking forward to future works from this author.
March 7, 2024
Oh my stars, I do not even know where to begin. I absolutely LOVED this book. I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars! This book gave me all the feels. It totally broke my heart and then pieced it back together again. This book follows the story of a strong willed girl turned woman who must face every kind of travesty to finally find her PEACE in the world. I loved how the author used actual events during the 30 years war throughout the book and how the main character defied all social norms to become a female surgeon. I highly recommend this book for this book for all the historical fiction lovers!
August 25, 2024
Read this book if you enjoy historical fiction with attention to the details of everyday life. It’s also great for the strong female protagonist and a queer love story. The story is set in the context of the Thirty Years War (though the protagonist has no idea the war that surrounds her will last that long), so it’s a less common backdrop for fiction.
December 22, 2025
Teach the Children to Pray is a powerful and emotionally resonant work of historical fiction that explores war, faith, love, and moral resilience. Rebecca Harwick weaves a compelling personal story with profound ethical questions, creating a narrative that is both thought-provoking and deeply human. Rich in emotion and hope amid hardship, this novel lingers in the mind long after the final page.
March 18, 2024
This powerful book tells the story of Josefine Dorn, an amazingly strong woman that grows up and learns how to survive during the Thirty Years War. Life was not easy for a girl whose mother was accused of witchcraft and who spent years traveling with the army but Josefine found a way to survive, learn a craft, and build a family and a life. I was drawn to Josefine and her strength. The size of the book, almost 500 pages, was initially daunting but the writing style and the saga pulled me in and I flew through it. I wanted to learn more about Josefine and I was invested in her survival. The thoughts about how to survive and live during a war were timely and continue to resonate with me. This is a book for any reader of historical fiction and for any reader who likes books with strong women.
Thanks to the author and Kate Rock Book Tour for providing a copy for my honest review.
Thanks to the author and Kate Rock Book Tour for providing a copy for my honest review.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews