The Proud Shall Stumble

About the book: It's a truth that has stood for centuries: pride goeth before the fall. And Germany, emboldened by an increasingly popular dynamo, is becoming proud.

Across the ocean in America, people have been enjoying years of plenty since the Great War. Electricity in every home, shiny new automobiles lining the streets, roaring new music, shocking new clothing styles—a whole nation wanting nothing more than to let loose and get rich. But beneath the glittering surface, the economy's foundation has already begun to crumble.

On opposite sides of the world, the Eckhardt and Westland families are as caught up in the fast-paced times as anyone else, and they find their personal lives deeply affected by the shocking events occurring on a global scale. Though they all seek to follow a wise path, the way becomes hazy when powerful forces aim to cloud their judgment. Will they be able to recognize the darkness before they sink further into it? More dark days lie ahead, and the families stand to lose everything if they don't cling to the light.

Join the Eckhardts and Westlands in this fourth volume of master storyteller Gerald N. Lund's gripping tale of war, family and the fight for what's right.

My review: Wow, I really love this whole series! I loved the way this book describes a lot of the causes of not only the rise of Hitler in Germany but also the great Depression that was here in America. I was able to understand these events in a way that I never really have before, even in history class, because of the way the characters interact with each other. It made that whole time period really jump off the pages for me.

I love the way this story is told from so many different perspectives. It made it so I really understood what was going on in the world from all different angles. I'm kind of astounded at the amount of research that would have gone into this to get so many different perspectives about what was going on in so many places around the world.

I really love the characters. I love Hans and Emilee. Their family grows by quite a bit, both number wise and really through their experiences in this one. I love that you really get a front row seat to the rise of Hitler through Hans and you're able to see just why the people followed him and wanted him to be their leader, even good people. I hadn't really realized that Hitler had been sent to prison for treason before he was the leader of Germany. But that's some of what goes on in this one. I'm realizing that there is quite a lot I didn't know.  

And the Westlands are some of my favorite characters that Gerald Lund has written. I love the way they're just normal people. They have no pretenses and their family is pretty amazing. I really enjoyed seeing things in this one from Frank's perspective. His is one that hasn't really been shown before. Frank and Celeste's parts were some of my favorite parts of the book.

This is an amazing book! I loved all of it and I'm hoping for the next volume soon!

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase links: Amazon - Deseret Book

About the author: Gerald N. Lund received his B.A. and M.S. degrees in sociology from Brigham Young University. He served for thirty-five years in the Church Educational System, and he served as a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy from 2002 to 2008. He is a prolific and bestselling author of both fiction and nonfiction and is best known for his historical novels, including The Work and the Glory series, Fire of the Covenant, The Kingdom and the Crown series, and The Undaunted. He and his late wife, Lynn, are the parents of seven children.

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