A Valley of Betrayal

Chronicles of the Spanish Civil War #1

by Tricia Goyer

For reasons beyond her control, Sophie finds herself alone in the war-torn Spanish countryside. What was once a thriving paradise has become a battleground for fascist soldiers and Spanish patriots. It doesn't take long for Sophie to realize just how far from home she really is.

Caught in the middle of what is quickly becoming a bloody battleground, she receives tragic news, but remaining in Spain is her only option. The route to safety is blocked and fighting surrounds her. On her darkest night, Sophie takes refuge with a brigade of international compatriots. It is among these volunteers, through the use of her fiance's camera and her art, that she pledges to make the plight of the Spanish people known around the world.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Spain, Fiction, Christian Historical Fiction, War, Historical

320 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2007

About the author

Tricia Goyer is a busy mom of ten, grandmother of two, and wife to John. Somewhere around the hustle and bustle of family life, she manages to find the time to write fictional tales delighting and entertaining readers and non-fiction titles offering encouragement and hope. A bestselling author, Tricia has published thirty-three books to date and has written more than 500 articles. She is a two time Carol Award winner, as well as a Christy and ECPA Award Nominee. In 2010, she was selected as one of the Top 20 Moms to Follow on Twitter by SheKnows.com. Tricia is also on the blogging team at MomLifeToday.com, TheBetterMom.com and other homeschooling and Christian sites.In addition to her roles as mom, wife and author, Tricia volunteers around her community and mentors teen moms. She is the founder of Hope Pregnancy Ministries in Northwestern Montana, and she currently leads a Teen MOPS Group in Little Rock, AR. Learn more about Tricia at www.triciagoyer.com.

Reviews

[Donna Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this series on the Spanish Civil War with interest in the history of my beloved Spain. While cities and towns were named and some traditions and customs were weaved in, the story really could have taken place in any war-torn country. War, and the gruesome reality of it, was the theme, not much about Spain. The storyline of Sophie and the people she encountered on her journey into the frontline of the war was good. Faith in a sovereign God was sprinkled in the story, but was not the strength of any of the characters in the story. The author brought in faith on the last couple of pages of the book. That was a bit disappointing.
I am reading Book #2 and will read #3 because I did enjoy the story. I will be anticipating any details of Spain in the late 1930s and the Spanish culture and the people that I can glean from my reading.

[Amy S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, I don't think I had ever heard of the Spanish Civil War until I started reading this series by Tricia Goyer. I had read several of her other books about the Holocaust but was not familiar with how Spain tied into the German invasion of WWII. Tricia brings this history series to life in an interesting and intriguing way. I was never a history buff but reading her books is never dull or boring. She draws you into the world she is sharing with strong characters that will make it hard to forget their struggles and triumphs. I hope you take the time to read all three. The other two books in this series are: A Shadow of Treason #2, and A Whisper of Freedom #3.

[Ang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story that I never learned about!!

Loved this story which took place in a time unknown to many Americans, but the people of Spain remember very vividly! Through the dregs of war this story showed so much grace and love and beauty despite all hell breaking lose all around Spain during this time. God's grace and mercy shines ever brighter through this story of war and pain! I couldn't put this down, and now am on to book 2 in the series!

[Edward Arrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I normally read books in a series in sequence but somehow read book two first this time. Therefore, I knew in advance which of the main characters would survive to fight another day. I encourage the reader to start with this one in order to keep the suspense alive and growing. I can vouch that the book abounds in suspense and action. Several characters were struggling with matters of faith and belief in God. Just as today, others were equally as opposed to the existence of God. Those who were struggling displayed true-to-life fears, concerns, questions, doubts, and hope. The heroine, Sophie, has left her home in Boston and headed for Spain where her fiancé awaits. Although civil war rages in Spain, making it difficult for her to enter the country, she is determined to join him. One of the greatest challenges for her throughout the story was trying to discern who she could trust as opposed to those who would try to take advantage of a lovely young single woman from America in a foreign land. The greatest certainty was that the nation was in turmoil and no one was completely safe.

[Linda Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

For reasons beyond her control, Sophie finds herself alone in the war-torn Spanish countryside. What was once a thriving paradise has become a battleground for fascist soldiers and Spanish patriots. It doesn't take long for Sophie to realize just how far from home she really is.

Caught in the middle of what is quickly becoming a bloody battleground, she receives tragic news, but remaining in Spain is her only option. The route to safety is blocked and fighting surrounds her. On her darkest night, Sophie takes refuge with a brigade of international compatriots. It is among these volunteers, through the use of her fiance's camera and her art, that she pledges to make the plight of the Spanish people known around the world.

[Pan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Este libro es increíble porque te hace preguntarte constantemente si la persona que lo ha escrito es española (bastante mal escrito en inglés) pero a la vez sabes que no lo es porque los dichos españoles que la autora se empeña en meter cada capitulo están mal escritos. Como que "en casa del herrero cuchillo de palo"? Anyways libro entretenido pero tampoco hay mucho más la verdad

[Mary Cunningham · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is UNFINISHED!!! They expect you to buy the next book to find out what happens.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tricia Goyer, a writer with a slew of novels about World War II to her credit, stumbled upon the Spanish Civil War in researching an earlier book. She’d read about an American pilot who had crashed in Nazi-occupied Belgium and applied survival skills picked up as a volunteer in the Iberian conflict.

Like many of us, she became smitten with both the conflict and with the country itself and dedicated her efforts to crafting “Valley of Betrayal,” which would appear to be the first in a series.

the highway scribe came across Goyer during one of his frequent forays onto the Web site of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives (ALBA)where students, Hispanophiles, sectarian communists, tried and true veterans of the International Brigades, and eminent scholars like Paul Preston and Fraser Otanelli trade-off information, requests, and arguments on a “list” overseen by New York University.

Or something like that; it’s a little hard to figure out.

Goyer joined the list chatter last year, asking for a little help and got some rough handling due to the fact her publisher, Moody, is a “Christian” editorial house.

A confirmed, confessed and convinced non-believer, the scribe was inclined to smirk as well, but opted for a more gracious approach since he’s found in his long career that writers are mostly self-involved and incapable of kindness toward others of their craft.

Goyer responded to the scribe’s suggestions, whatever they were, by purchasing his book “Vedette,” which, you know, represented the total for sales in 2006.

Soon thereafter, too soon it seemed, she announced on the ALBA list that she’d finished the work. the scribe contacted her and she sent a free copy.

The Christians are winning in highwayscribery’s book.

Despite the short turnover time, Goyer has done an admirable job in tackling a muddled, now distant, and controversial subject. Her capacity for research and historical reconstruction is rather remarkable as she renders lively and detailed portrayals of revolutionary Barcelona, Madrid under siege, the horrors of the front, and the tragedy of Guernica.

That’s a full plate and it is achieved with a simple, straightforward style that doesn’t try too hard, but successfully pulled the scribe into her dramatization.

“Valley’s” primary character is Sophie Grace, a young woman hurrying to Spain on the trail of a photographic journalist named Michael with whom she is in love and hopes to marry. Michael’s betrayal of her affections is mirrored in the larger conflict around Sophie and deepens her confusion as she looks for a rock to lean on in a country where the very earth moves beneath her feet and few people are who or what they claim to be.

The supporting characters include Deion, an African-American volunteer to the International Brigades; Father Manuel, a Basque priest from Guernica trying to reconcile his support for the “godless” Republic with the savagery of Franco’s Catholic crusade; Philip, an American track runner pulled into the conflict by the anti-Fascist impulses of his teammate Atticus; and Ritter, a Nazi pilot with the Condor Legion.

Leading Sophie on her path to self-realization as a painter of propaganda posters for the Republican cause and amateur nurse on the front, Goyer pulls each thread taught to the culmination at Guernica where distinct literary fates await.

Goyer is especially good at spreading layers of increasing narrative desperation in the Republican ranks which seemingly choke the reader as much as those on the ill-fated Loyalist side.

There is an inherent problem with writing literature about the Spanish Civil War in that the conflict was exceedingly complex and hardly anybody knows anything about it anymore. So there is an unavoidable didactic touch, very light, spread throughout early parts of the book that will serve neophytes, but grate on more seasoned buffs.

As to the “Christianity” contained within the tale, it is hard to see where it amounts to anything more than what you find in most literature, faith playing the role it does in so many lives. And Goyer comes alive when she treats the ethical and moral questions confronting both she and her characters. She does it with intelligence and a knowing hand without coming off preachy/creepy.

The unbeliever may cringe somewhat at Sophie’s final realization that her blown-off-course fate in Spain was part of “God’s plan,” but the scribe confesses to hearing that from some of the dearest people in his life, all of whom accept him in spite of the iconoclasm and brazen atheism.

Which is to say this story fits into the story of the world, and certainly into that of Spain circa the 1930s.

[Jeni Enjaian · Rating 3 out of 5]

*update* Upon a second read, I discovered nothing extraordinary about this book. In fact, I found the overall format gratingly similar to nearly every other Goyer novel I have read. Too many characters who are ultimately brought together in ways that sometimes smack of deus ex machina. A nefarious German no-good soldier of some sort who crops up periodically throughout the narrative to pose problems. Goyer's writing is decent, avoids all clichés, and doesn't become preachy. However, once you've read one, it appears that you have read them all.

Once again I find a gem hidden on my own bookshelves. After an unsuccessful reread of a Tracie Peterson book (I gave up...it wasn't worth wasting my time to reread it) I was hopeful for something decent enough to make it worth my while to read all the way through.

This book more than exceeded that low expectation.

I love it when an author lets a tale unfold only as much as it needs to. Tricia Goyer releases pertinent information about her characters almost as if by accident. She doesn't belabor long background descriptions setting the story. Instead she drops the reader down in the middle of an already unfolding story and lets the diverse story lines come together naturally, unhurried and at just the right time.

While several distinct story lines seem to have no connections when first introduced, that serves to make the path crossing of these characters that much more profound. When the characters meet, interact (and in some cases go their separate ways), these connections mean more and tell more of a story than if the backstory had been given in advance.

As a historian (and Spanish speaker) the setting is absolutely fabulous. Not many people know much about the Spanish Civil War that occurred just prior to World War II and especially about Germany's involvement in that war. Tricia Goyer crafts a beautiful story that helps explain that history as well. It's fabulous and I can't wait to dive into book two.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so used to Tricia's Nazi era books that this one took me a while longer to get into at first. However, she had me hook, line, and sinker on this one to the end. Trica is so adept at describing scenes that you feel like you're there. The blood, the smoke, the cries of the dying. Her descriptions are an amazing treat for the senses. Tricia does a fabulous job describing the horror of war. Her writing style is always a cultural banquet and I felt like I got a real taste of war-torn Europe.

She also had me going there for awhile about Michael. I'm still not sure I like the guy. Plus, there is still some major mystery lingering by the books end. And the romance! Oye ve! She BETTER address some of that in the sequel or I'll have to hunt her down. I can almost feel the rope burns on my neck from where she left me hanging! I wish I had the sequel on hand because I'd whip it out and continue the saga right now! Great new series. Makes me want to kick back, put my feet up, roll my Rs, and eat a torta! :)

[April · Rating 2 out of 5]

Underdeveloped characters and too many plot holes! I really wanted to like this book, but from the beginning, I could tell it wasn't going to be good. You would think that with this being the first in a series that there would be time for the author to really develop the characters, which is why I went ahead and read the 2nd book. Unfortunately the characters stay pretty thin, and the plot holes get worse (especially in the 2nd one!). She seems a decent writer, but this story just couldn't keep my interest.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sophie finds herself alone in the war-torn Spanish countryside. Her values change as she begins to think less of herself and more of others. The horrors of war force different individuals to question the choices they are making.

There are many primary characters, so initially, I had to keep a list of characters and descriptions of the two sides of the war to keep things straight. Since this is the first in a series, I must read book #2 to get many things resolved.

[Catherine Lovett · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book didn't get good until the very end. There were so many times I was going to just stop reading, but my need to always finish what I start kept me going. At the very end they bring in a bit of mystery that intrigues me, then it just stops. Turns out there is a book two! Not sure if I want to go there.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were to many characters, to many different perspectives with little to tie them together. I felt as if I was reading three or four books complied into one. I didn't bother to even finish the book. I can tell the author has a lot of talent and I plan to try another one of her books soon, but this didn't meet my expectations.

[Amandasaved · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good!!! "Ellos prefieren morir de pie que vivir de rodilla" they prefer to die on their feet rather than live on their knees. This Spanish proverb is so relevant today. The people of the US today could learn a lot by reading about the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939).

What a great novel too! From the beginning I was drawn to the characters.

[Kellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book - didn't think the writing style was amazing - kind of average. I thought the story line was really good - can't decide if I'll keep up with the series or not! :) Has anyone else read these? Tell me if I should keep going!!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know a bit about the Spanish Civil war, but not much. This book is historical fiction. The writing is okay, but nothing extraordinary. The plot line is very interesting.

I don't like Michael. I think he's lying to Sophie.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book that was well written, but I didn't like the fact that there were some Catholic thoughts thrown in (being as the book involved a convent in a war-torn Spain) without any refute toward those ideas.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great novel by Tricia Goyer, this one revolving around the beginning of the Spanish civil war. I truly felt immersed in the conflict with her writing, and although at first I was a bit overwhelmed by all the different points of view, it got better and improved the overall story.

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the time setting and the placement of this novel. Parts of the books didn't seem to flow as well as hoped but the overall feeling of loss and war was definitely achieved.

[Pat Roseman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this series. It's in our school library and was recommended by the librarian. Because it takes place during Spain's Civil War, it was very interesting to me.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could never really get into this book. So many new characters introduced without a real sense of how they fit in the story line. Ah well.