‘WHEN TWILIGHT BREAKS’ IS A BEAUTIFUL BUT BLEAK WWII REALITY
Atmosphere and history collide in this intricate WWII novel full of dangerous possibilities and a sprinkling of romance in Sarah Sundin’s historical fiction masterpiece.
STORY: Working as an American correspondent in Germany 1938 is Evelyn Brand’s passion. She loves the work, and is passionate about doing good even if it may sometimes lead to danger. Despite her talent, she finds her articles are being censored, and the truth is being hidden from Americans. Her latest assignment leads her to meet Peter Lang, an American PhD student working on a dissertation specializing in German and American dictation.
Peter becomes instantly intrigued by the fierce Evelyn, but their different viewpoints seem destined to keep them at a distance.
WHEN TWILIGHT BREAKS, SARAH SUNDIN | BOOK REVIEW
REVIEW: Any of the novels I’ve read by Sarah Sundin have had this unique and well written in such a way that balances out the accuracy of its era (she always writes WWII) and keeps things on the “lighter” side of things. When Twilight Breaks is completely different. It’s still written with skill and great care (perhaps even more so), but this one also has a dangerous precedent that’s striking if nothing else.
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The novel looks at socialism in 1938 Munich and is set during Hitler’s demand of power. It’s a startling look into a period in history American doesn’t want to see again. I admire Evelyn’s bravery and courage to want to keep her country free, and the lengths she’s willing to go to help in the fight to protect that. While I do appreciate the more unique characterization of Peter, he takes a bit longer to warm to. At least for me he does. Still, I think it’s sweet how he worries over Evelyn but can recognize that her work is a part of who she is, and therefore, he has to accept it.
With her usual skill and characters, Sundin writes another engaging novel. This is, I think, her most serious in a while, but I should disclose that I haven’t read many her of more recent works, so this may be where her voice is leading. No matter what, I haven’t found an author who does this genre better. This one seems to have a special place in her heart since Peter’s work (which the author, in the notes, wants to make clear is not his viewpoints) is based on her own grandfather’s life. It’s a nice way to pay someone in your life tribute, and to see how important Peter’s work is to him.
No matter the possible prose changes, When Twilight Breaks is an interesting piece of fiction that any historical fiction aficionado will discover is a must read addition to our TBR plans. It’s a bleak reality for the characters living, but has ripples of hope because of the characters who make everything just a bit more beautiful.
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ABOUT THE BOOK
Author: Sarah Sundin
Publisher: Revell
Source: Publisher provided – thank you, Revell!
Publication Date: 2021
Find the Review Elsewhere: Goodreads
Add the Book: Goodreads
Genre: Fiction; Historical
Rating: 4 out of 5
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Content: nothing more than some “tense” moments as characters attempt to flee bad guys. There’s also some beliefs that I as a reader do not agree with which play into the mindset of the German people during this time.
Sincere thanks to Revell for kindly providing a complimentary copy of this novel for reviewing purposes; ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN.
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