From Malice to Ashes: Forest of No Mercy (Malice and Mercy Series) by Gary W. Toyn

 

Spanning Nazi-occupied Lithuania, Soviet labor camps, and the refugee corridors of wartime Europe, From Malice to Ashes traces the interwoven fates of three families caught between two totalitarian regimes.

At its center is Olek Kosmen, a young Jewish man who becomes an unwitting chronicler of the Ponary massacre—one of the Holocaust’s least-known mass executions. As he hides a wounded child and risks discovery, his fiancée flees to Sweden, while her parents are deported to Siberia. Their stories converge in a harrowing yet redemptive narrative of exile, resistance, and resilience.

Inspired by true events, Gary W. Toyn’s novel offers an unflinching portrait of survival under dueling genocides. With lyrical detail and moral gravity, From Malice to Ashes: Forest of No Mercy illuminates a little-known chapter of WWII history, asking what remains when the world burns—and who lives to bear witness.

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About The Author

 

Gary W. Toyn has traveled the globe for the U.S. Defense Department. He has interviewed world political leaders, dissidents, and heads of state. He has authored multiple titles relating to inspiration, faith, and humanity, teaming up with notables like Bob Dole, Harry Reid, Orrin Hatch, Stephen R. Covey, Clayton Christensen, and NFL quarterback Steve Young, His first book "The Quiet Hero" was a finalist for the Benjamin Franklin National Book Award. His latest is a historical fiction saga titled "For Malice and Mercy: A World War II Novel." 

My Review

I loved the author's notes and references, we are told that this is a fictional read, but based on real people, sometimes a couple of people to make one, and the references that were used and offered!
This is a terrible time in world history, with this taking place in the Baltic area, and Russia.
Documented murders, a massive loss of life.
This is a fictional story, but the author did a great job of calling attention to the actual crimes being committed, disregard for human life. From Lithuania to Siberia, from the United States to Sweden.
The author brings the main characters alive, and I loved he followed through with the survivors through their lives.
A sad but enjoyable read!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher American Legacy Media, and was not required to give a positive review.