Thoene, Bodie 1951–

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Thoene, Bodie 1951–

PERSONAL: Born 1951; married Brock Thoene (a writer); children: Rachel, Jake, Luke, Ellie. Education: Earned degrees in journalism and communications.

ADDRESSES: Home—London, England; NV. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 351 Executive Dr., Carol Stream, IL 60188.

CAREER: Writer and researcher. Worked variously as a journalist for publications, including U.S. News and World Report, American West, and the Saturday Evening Post; John Wayne's Batjac Productions, writer and researcher; ABC Circle Films, writer and researcher.

WRITINGS:

CHRISTIAN FICTION

The Gates of Zion, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1986, reprinted, with Bodie and Brock Thoene listed as coauthors, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2006.

A Daughter of Zion, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1987, reprinted, with Bodie and Brock Thoene listed as coauthors, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2006.

The Return to Zion, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1987, reprinted, with Bodie and Brock Thoene listed as coauthors, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2006.

The Key to Zion, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1988, reprinted, with Bodie and Brock Thoene listed as coauthors, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2006.

A Light in Zion, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1988, reprinted, with Bodie and Brock Thoene listed as coauthors, Tyndale House (Carol Stream, IL), 2006.

Vienna Prelude, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1989.

Munich Signature, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1990, reprinted, with Bodie and Brock Thoene listed as coauthors, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2005.

A Thousand Shall Fall, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1992, reprinted, with Bodie and Brock Thoene listed as coauthors, Tyndale House (Carol Stream, IL), 2006.

FICTION; RESEARCHED BY BROCK THOENE

Prague Counterpoint, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1989, reprinted, with Bodie and Brock Thoene listed as coauthors, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2004.

Jerusalem Interlude, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1990, reprinted, with Bodie and Brock Thoene listed as coauthors, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2005.

Danzig Passage, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1991, reprinted, with Bodie and Brock Thoene listed as coauthors, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2005.

Warsaw Requiem, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1991, reprinted, with Bodie and Brock Thoene listed as coauthors, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2005.

In My Father's House, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1992, reprinted, with Bodie and Brock Thoene listed as coauthors, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2006.

Say to This Mountain, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1993, reprinted, with Bodie and Brock Thoene listed as coauthors, Tyndale House (Carol Stream, IL), 2006.

FICTION (UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED); WITH BROCK THOENE

Writer to Writer (nonfiction), Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1990.

The Man from Shadow Ridge, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1990.

Riders of the Silver Rim, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1990.

Gold Rush Prodigal, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1991.

Sequoia Scout, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1991.

Cannons of the Comstock, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1992.

The Year of the Grizzly, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1992.

Shooting Star, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1993.

The Twilight of Courage, Thomas Nelson Publishers (Nashville, TN), 1994.

Shiloh Autumn, Thomas Nelson Publishers (Nashville, TN), 1996.

Only the River Runs Free, Thomas Nelson Publishers (Nashville, TN), 1997.

Winds of Promise, Thomas Nelson Publishers (Nashville, TN), 1997.

Of Men and of Angels, Thomas Nelson Publishers (Nashville, TN), 1998.

To Gather the Wind, Thomas Nelson Publishers (Nashville, TN), 1998.

Ashes of Remembrance, Thomas Nelson Publishers (Nashville, TN), 1999.

Winds of the Cumberland, Thomas Nelson Publishers (Nashville, TN), 1999.

All Rivers to the Sea, Thomas Nelson Publishers (Nashville, TN), 2000.

Jerusalem Vigil, Viking (New York, NY), 2000.

Thunder from Jerusalem, Viking (New York, NY), 2000.

The Jerusalem Scrolls, Viking (New York, NY), 2001.

Jerusalem's Heart, Viking (New York, NY), 2001.

Jerusalem's Hope, Viking (New York, NY), 2002.

Stones of Jerusalem, Viking (New York, NY), 2002.

First Light, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2003.

Second Touch, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2004.

Third Watch, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2004.

Dunkirk Crescendo, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2005.

Fourth Dawn, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2005.

London Refrain, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2005.

Paris Encore, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2005.

The Return to Zion, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2006.

SIDELIGHTS: Bodie Thoene first began writing professionally for her local newspaper as a teenager. Thoene earned degrees in journalism and communications, and never stopped writing. She eventually went on to write for such well-known publications as U.S. News ' World Report, American West, and the Saturday Evening Post. She also began to work in film and television, as a writer and researcher, first for John Wayne's Batjac Productions, where she is known for her work on The Fall Guy, and ABC Circle Films.

Thoene also writes fiction, and is the author of more than forty historical novels, most of them researched and/or cowritten by her husband, Brock, who holds degrees in history and education. The novels are known for their meticulous historical detail and accuracy, and the "Zion Covenant" and "Zion Chronicle" series, both praised by the American Library Association and Zionist libraries, are used to teach history at the university level. In addition to their historical accuracy, the novels also include many Christian themes.

The Twilight of Courage takes place during the Nazi occupation of Warsaw, and provides varied points of view as it recounts the events of that period, including that of a German officer who is not in favor of all of the Nazis' actions, and a Yank pilot with the Canadian RAF who falls in love with a girl from England. John Mort, in a review for Booklist, called the book "a superior entry in a weary but apparently inexhaustible genre."

Shiloh Autumn takes place, not during the Civil War as the title might suggest, but in Shiloh, Arkansas, during the depression. An area that bases its economy on cotton crops, Shiloh escapes the more immediate effects of the stock market crash in 1929, but eventually the hard times reach Arkansas, as well, forcing Birch and Trudy Tucker to head for California after they lose their farm. Again reviewing for Booklist, John Mort noted that the book tends to illustrate poverty in an unbelievable, down-home manner, but concluded that "many scenes … are authentically touching."

The "Galway" series begins with Only the River Runs Free, which follows stranger Joseph Connor when he arrives in the small Irish town of Ballynockanor and falls in love with a local girl, Kate. Of Men and of Angels, the second volume in the "Galway" series, takes place in Ballynockanor once again, in 1843, at a time when the government deported many of the tenant farmers to America, regardless of religion. The farmers divide between the secretive Ribbonmen organization and those in favor of Repeal. Melissa Hudak, in a review for Library Journal, called the book "a rich mixture of history, romance, and adventure peppered with intriguing secondary characters."

The "Jerusalem" series starts with Jerusalem Vigil, which commences in 1948 when Israel is made a state. The book takes place over the five days after the British withdrew, during which time Arabs and Jews fought to determine the lines of the new territory. A contributor for Publishers Weekly remarked: "The authors do deliver moments of genuine suspense and horror, but these scenes are often outweighed by tired action-film clichés." In a review for Library Journal, Melanie C. Duncan called the work a "remarkable adventure based on historical fact." In the sequel, Thunder from Jerusalem, the action picks up once more in Jerusalem following the siege. A contributor for Publishers Weekly found the work to include a "jaw-dropping anti-Arab, pro-Israeli bias," while Melanie C. Duncan, writing for Library Journal, noted the "suspenseful adventure tinged with the sorrow of reality." In a review for Kliatt, Robin S. Holab-Abelman wrote: "This would be a good accompanying book to personalize this historical Israeli struggle."

Jerusalem's Heart is the third title in the "Jerusalem" series. This book tells of the aftermath of the Muslim attack on May 23, 1948. A reviewer for Publishers Weekly commented that this volume contains "strong characters and fine historical research without succumbing to the embarrassing anti-Muslim stereotypes that so marred their first two novels." John Mort, reviewing for Booklist, called it "a fast-paced, irresistible novel." The fourth in the series, The Jerusalem Scrolls, continues the conflict, and reflects on various religious texts and their pertinence to the ongoing war. A contributor for Publishers Weekly found the book "ambitiously plotted to encompass two different settings." Stones of Jerusalem takes the saga into the past as well, continuing the biblical-era flashback of the previous book. A contributor for Publishers Weekly cited the work for "good writing, careful attention to details and a fresh spin on familiar New Testament miracles and characters." The series continues yet again in Jerusalem's Hope.

First Light, though removed from the "Jerusalem" series, nevertheless returns to the story line and some of the characters. A reviewer for Publishers Weekly found this book to be a "too-long rehash of scriptural stories," and John Mort, writing for Booklist, commented that it "lacks the narrative punch of its predecessors." The first of the new "A.D. Chronicles" series, the book is followed by Second Touch.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, September 15, 1994, John Mort, review of The Twilight of Courage, p. 84; November 15, 1996, John Mort, review of Shiloh Autumn, p. 571; October 1, 1998, John Mort, review of Of Men and of Angels, p. 276; September 15, 2000, John Mort, review of Thunder from Jerusalem, p. 188; October 1, 2000, John Mort, review of Jerusalem Vigil, p. 302; February 15, 2001, John Mort, review of Jerusalem's Heart, p. 1086; October 1, 2001, John Mort, review of The Jerusalem Scrolls, pp. 282, 335; January 1, 2002, John Mort, review of Stones of Jerusalem, p. 777; September 1, 2002, John Mort, review of Jerusalem's Hope, p. 8; December 1, 2002, Nancy Spill-man, review of A Daughter of Zion, p. 689; June 1, 2003, John Mort, review of First Light, p. 1711.

Kliatt, March, 2002, Robin S. Holab-Abelman, review of Thunder from Jerusalem, p. 19.

Library Journal, November 1, 1997, Melissa Hudak, review of Only the River Runs Free, p. 66; November 1, 1998, Melissa Hudak, review of Of Men and of Angels, p. 66; March 1, 1999, Melissa Hudak, review of Of Men and of Angels, p. 127; April 1, 2000, Melanie C. Duncan, review of Jerusalem Vigil, p. 86; September 1, 2000, Melanie C. Duncan, review of Thunder from Jerusalem, p. 188; April 1, 2001, Melanie C. Duncan, review of Jerusalem's Heart, p. 88; September 1, 2002, Melanie C. Duncan, review of The Jerusalem Scrolls, p. 158; February 1, 2002, Melanie C. Duncan, review of Stones of Jerusalem, p. 82; November 1, 2002, Shawna Saavedra Thorup, review of Jerusalem's Hope, p. 74.

Publishers Weekly, August 23, 1993, Phyllis Tickle, "Nelson Signs Couple to Big 11-Book Deal," p. 9; January 31, 2000, review of Jerusalem Vigil, p. 82; August 14, 2000, review of Thunder from Jerusalem, p. 324; March 12, 2001, review of Jerusalem's Heart, p. 63; August 27, 2001, review of The Jerusalem Scrolls, p. 48; February 4, 2002, review of Stones of Jerusalem, p. 52; July 7, 2003, review of First Light, p. 51.

Today's Christian Woman, March-April, 2004, review of Second Touch, p. 8.