About:
Munich, 1938Evelyn Brand is an American foreign correspondent determined to prove her worth in a male-dominated profession and to expose the growing tyranny in Nazi Germany. To do so, she must walk a thin line. If she offends the government, she could be expelled from the country--or worse. If she does not report truthfully, she'll betray the oppressed and fail to wake up the folks back home.
Peter Lang is an American graduate student working on his PhD in German. Disillusioned with the chaos in the world due to the Great Depression, he is impressed with the prosperity and order of German society. But when the brutality of the regime hits close, he discovers a far better way to use his contacts within the Nazi party--to feed information to the shrewd reporter he can't get off his mind.
As the world marches relentlessly toward war, Evelyn and Peter are on a collision course with destiny.
Photo from Christianbook.com and description from BakerPublishingGroup.com
My Review:
Sarah Sundin has tried her hand at something new in When Twilight Breaks, and while I love her previous WWII novels about Air Force pilots, Naval officers, and WASPS, I really did enjoy this foray into pre-war Germany. Neither main character is in the military- Peter is a linguist and professor, Evelyn a journalist- but they have their own important (and deadly) battles to fight.
While the first half of the book is good, it's the middle and end of the novel that truly shines. I wasn't sure what to expect, and I began to truly love the story as I read on.
Evelyn Brand was quite an interesting character. She reminded me of Agent Peggy Carter- a talented and strong female entering what was predominantly a man's field and trying hard to prove her worth. While neither lady is someone to be messed with, they're both also very classy and still feminine (and wear a lot of red!). She and Peter share a different kind of relationship from the norm (especially for that time period), and it works so well. They're a true team.
It was eye-opening to enter Nazi Germany before World War II, when the rest of the world (America in particular) was blind to Hitler's cruelty and greed. The story (Peter's point of view, especially) also showed me how easily it would be to fall prey to the "tranquility" Hitler promised he would offer the Aryans. It's easy to condemn the German people, but would I too have fallen for Hitler's lies? And we seem to forget the brave Germans who stood up to Hitler and protected the Jewish people, something Sarah Sundin also sheds a bit of light on.
Each one of Sarah Sundin's books make me think, and her unique characters and plots cannot be matched. I'm so glad I can now add this new beauty of hers to my shelf!
"Clouds may conceal them, but they're still there. Even in the darkest night, stars always shine."
I voluntarily received this book from the publisher in order to write an honest review. All opinions are truly my own.