Unfortunately this book was not for me. I did not enjoy the writing style or the story, so I gave up halway through. The setting is rather lovely though and deals with a part of history that isn't written about much, so I am sure many other readers will find it interesting.

Anna is a staunch Catholic, she is secretly jealous of her dear friend Maeyken who is happily married and the mother of four young children. Her friend reveals to Anna that she and her husband have converted and become Anabaptists, which means that they will now be outcasts, hunted and persecuted for their faith. Anna is shocked by her friend's revelation to her, but she is determined to be a good friend despite the danger.

I admired Anna's friendship, and how she is willing to be there for her friend, yet it also shows her imperfection and struggles with jealousy, anger, and bitterness, which make her more realistic. I liked that she really weighed the questions about faith.

This was kind of a slower read for me, and at times I found myself skimming as I found the arguments in favor of the Anabaptists over Catholicism, while well formed and informative, they tended to be somewhat long and repetitive. One of my favorite characters was Cornelia, who is a spunky woman who has been an outcast most her life, she is daring and at times terrifying. I also liked how she forms a friendship with Jan.

In the end I really liked the strong focus on faith, but at times felt that the book could have been more concise. I'm not sure how I felt about the relationship in the book or why the author was so intent on stressing how ugly Anna was perceived to be outwardly, though I did wonder if it was supposed to have a deeper meaning. There are a lot of difficult things that Anna and her companions must endure for their faith and freedom, and I found that I learned a lot about the Anabaptist movement and the struggles they faced.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions are my own.

Susan F's review
Mar 17, 2019 · edit


really liked it






As a curious fan of Amish fiction I found this book fascinating to read. The historical and fictional account of the birth of the Anabaptist faith is quite interesting. The character of Anna is excellent as she journeys from the restrictive Catholic faith toward understanding portions of the outlawed Anabaptist beliefs in the Saviour Jesus Christ. Two men influence portions of these early days of her intrigue and fear of the Anabaptist and it's life sacrifices. Adriean, her dear friend's husband, and Jan, a red-haired teacher and believer both share their fervor about serving the Lord and not the men who stood as the voices of God.
This story shows that Anna's journey is a huge struggle and continued heartache. It is a realistic story ( mostly) and her quest isn't an easy one. The historical aspect of the book is fascinating to me. I find the abrupt ending a magnetic draw to be watching for the next book in the series. I have not read the first book of the series and this is a stand alone book. I know I would enjoy reading the first and subsequent books in the series.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced reader's copy. This is my own opinion of the book. I certainly wanted the story to continue when I read that final paragraph!

Sword of Peace was just an okay read for me. It had an interesting and good plot but was a little slow at times. I give it three stars.

Sword of Peace
by Louisa M Bauman
BooksGoSocial
Christian , Historical Fiction
Pub Date 10 Feb 2018


I am reviewing a copy of Sword of Peace through BooksGoSocial and Netgalley:

In this book we are transported back to the Sixteenth century Netherlands.


Anna thinks she’s an unlovable spinster, because she’s still unmarried at 20.



In Holland the court is hunting for heretics, heretic women are drowned and buried alive as the Reformation is taking place all throughout Europe. Anabaptists and those who support them are shown no mercy leaving Anna with the choose of staying loyal to her Catholic faith or staying loyal to her friends who have done nothing wrong.


After Adriaene’s wife and Anna’s friend dies of fever, Anna is able to look after their children while he travels through the Netherlands, sharing this dangerous new faith with others. Anna is comforter by the fact he will come back because of the children if he’s not arrested first.

She can only hope the authorities do not figure out where her true authorities lies.


When the turmoil and persecution in her country forced Anna to flee, Anna can not help but wonder if she will ever find peace again. Will the God of the Anabaptists Faith be strong enough to bring her loved ones back together again?


I give Sword of Peace five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

I don’t know what I expected from Louisa M. Bauman’s Sword of Peace, but the novel proved both thought-provoking and historically interesting.

In terms of scope, the story covers the birth Anabaptist faith, a Christian denomination that includes the Amish, the Mennonites, and the Hutterites. I’m not particularly religious but enjoyed exploring the history of the Anabaptists and Reformation. I’d categorize the religious themes as moderate, but I did not find them at all abrasive.

Anna is a naïve and inexperienced heroine, but I felt her perspective well-suited to her arc. I also appreciated the setting of the novel and portrait it painted of sixteenth-century Amsterdam. Bauman’s prose is easy to read and thought the story itself is not overly complicated, I found I enjoyed the I time I spent with this piece and wouldn’t have any trouble recommending to those looking for an off the beaten path historicals.

'Sword of Peace' has to be one of my favourite reads over the past year. One of those books that had me gripped from the first page and did not want it to come to an end. I have never heard of the Anabaptist and wanting to know more, have already started a little research. This was a well written book and one that i can highly recommend. I rarely write what a story is about, as i prefer one to read a book for themselves. I shall certainly be wanting to read more books by Louisa M Bauman.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review.

This was a fascinating fictional insight into the horrors and trials experienced by Anabaptists in 15th century Amsterdam and Europe! In Amsterdam, Holland, Catholic Anna does housekeeping for her employer and enjoys her friendship with Maeyken, her husband Adriaen, and their children.
Anna overhears a representative of Spain’s King Charles V telling a bookseller that all Bibles, religious books and tracts must be destroyed, and the bookseller told the official they’d been running the city for hundreds of years without Charles the V, and it was none of his business what the people read or believe!
When Anna runs to tell her friend about the incident, she meets her new baby, and she finds out that her new friend is an Anabaptist.
Her friend’s husband and her employer are arrested as religious traitors, and Anna tries to help her friend and her children.
Anna stays strong in her Catholic faith but she is impressed by her friend’s faith and that of the other believers she meets.
You will be impressed by the faith of these persecuted believers and how God sustains them!

SWORD OF PEACE by LOUISA M BAUMAN is an inspirational historical romance novel which takes place in the 16th century in Holland. It is a very interesting time in history, with Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperer, coming down very hard on those who would not swear allegiance to him and those who had turned away from the Catholic Church, especially the Anabaptists who believed in the believer's baptism and in reading the bible for themselves and following in Christ's footsteps. They were also pacifists which did not please the Emporer either.
As we follow Anna's story we see the horrors inflicted in the name of Christianity and it makes us want to weep! The terrible torture that awaited those who dared to follow the truth of God's word is too awful. Yet those who were part of God's army counted it joy to be persecuted for their faith.
Anna is a devout Catholic who becomes involved with the Brethren, really against her will, when she helps her friends. She is terribly afraid of the consequences and is tempted to go to the authorities in order to save her own life. However, she gradually comes to acknowledge the wickedness of the clergy, who see themselves as a little lower than God Himself, and who are, according to the Roman Catholic Church, God ordained mediators between man and God. They don't want people to read the bible for themselves and see the truth, as this may cause them to lose their opulent lifestyle.
What I find particularly interesting is the fact that even some of the Anabaptists, who were ready to die for their faith, were led astray by false prophets. This shows how easily error can get in to a church when men take over and fail to follow the truth of the Scriptures.
Although this is a work of fiction, the author has done a great deal of research, and the historical background to Anna's story is authentic.
It is a thought provoking read and one I can really recommend.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from BooksGoSocial. The opinions in this review are completely my own.