‘When Twilight Breaks’ by Sarah Sundin is a historical fiction book set in Munich, Germany in 1938 as the world is on the cusp of World War Two.
Evelyn 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.
A story that the author has clearly researched thoroughly, her interest in this time shines through. In fact, the book was inspired by information she found out about her grandfather and the role he played in the second world war. She has skillfully woven a historical fiction novel with suspense and a dash of romance to create a book that is a riveting read from beginning to end.
Her characters are so well developed and we see Peter, a man working towards his PhD in the German language. He is a supporter of the German culture and feels the orderliness of it. Then he gets to a point where he sees the darkness underneath the surface. Evelyn is a reporter with the American News Service stationed in Munich. A woman entrenched in a mans’ world, she must work twice as hard to make her words heard. She also has to be careful how she speaks the words she wishes to. Her job and life may depend on being careful.
These characters both show us how different people viewed the Pre-war German culture. I know of many German people who did support the regime until it was too deeply entrenched and they realised the evilness underneath. Most people just thought he was bringing Germany back from the brink, not even considering how far he wished to go.
A gripping and powerful storyline that has brave characters who are willing to sacrifice for others. Sarah Sundin is an author whose work I haven’t read before and I am going to have to check out her other books. A new fan right here!
Thanks to Love Books Tours for my copy of the book and my place on the tour
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