Defiance

Sometimes survival is the ultimate act of defiance.

Eight years after immigrating to the United States, German-born Lukas Ley embodies the American dream: successful athlete, gorgeous girlfriend, loving family. But beneath the surface, eighteen-year-old Lukas is driven by ambition, resolved to avenge the murder of his father at the hands of the Nazi regime. Unfortunately, a failed physical throws his plans for flight school off course. Unlike his war-hero older brother, Lukas’s purpose is unclear. He can’t fly, and in the eyes of the military, he’s good for only one thing—the front lines.

From the foxholes of war-ravaged Luxembourg to the devastation of an enormous German offensive, Lukas’s journey is fraught with peril. But when he’s taken as a prisoner of war, he realizes life is about to get much worse. In the enemy camp, Lukas is viewed as a German fighting for the wrong side. Ripped from the innocence of an idealistic youth, he becomes a man beaten by the horrors of war. Now his only hope of survival is to hold tightly to his faith in God and his love of family and home. But even if he manages to make it out alive, can he ever be whole again?

Defiance comes in paperback, audiobook (narrated by Jason Tatom), and ebook.

Available for purchase on Amazon, Audible, Deseret Book, Seagull Book, and Barnes & Noble. If you’d like to read it as part of your book club, here are some Defiance Book Club Questions to get your discussion started.

Defiance was a 2017 Whitney Finalist for Historical Fiction.

Praise for Defiance:

“Overall, it was the perfect book. I can’t think of anything I didn’t like about it.”

-Joy in the Moments

“This is a terrific tale of loyalty, love, conviction, faith, hardship, endurance, perseverance and discovery of one’s inner strength. A. L. Sowards has brought her character to life, pulled the reader into the story, and caused the reader to connect with the situations and individuals there. . . This is a book you will not want to put down!”

-Rockin’ Book Reviews

“Defiance is a heartbreaking but inspiring story. A candidly told story about the struggles of one young man and his fellow soldiers during WWII from the front lines to various POW camps. It’s also a story of survival, perseverance, forgiveness, and faith. Highly recommended!”

-Tressa’s Wishful Endings

“If you see this book getting 5 stars from most reviewers, there is a good reason why… because it truly deserves it! . . . This is an amazing story of courage, hope, faith, and enduring through great tribulation. . . I’ve read most of the books written by A. L. Sowards and in my opinion, this book is the best. The emotions that this story stirs up in the reader definitely makes this a story you will remember for a long time.”

-Why Not? Because I Said So!

“The writing is real, raw, and just plain amazing. Sowards has an uncanny ability to write about this time in history in a way that engages the reader, tells things how they probably were, and really makes a reader think.”

-Katie’s Clean Book Collection

More reviews available on Goodreads, Amazon, Meridian Magazine, Deseret News and on these fine blogs: A Haven for Book Lovers, Bookworm Lisa, Empower Moms, I Love to Read and Review Books, Joy in the Moments, Katie’s Clean Book Collection, LDS and Lovin’ It, Literary Time Out (Triple Review), Mel’s Shelves, Minimac Reviews, My Book a Day, Getting Your Read On, Rockin’ Book Reviews, The Book Emporium, The Serious Reader, The Things I Love Most, Tressa’s Wishful Endings, and Why Not? Because I Said So!