Yours is the Night by Amanda Dykes

 Yours is the Night by Amanda Dykes

This is an amazing book!  I really enjoyed reading it via my favorite app, Hoopla.  It had a riveting plot complete with some surprises, a cast full of fascinating characters, and writing that was lyrical and handled difficult subjects with grace.

Set in the Great War, it follows the Angel of Argonne through the war and details some of the hardships that people experienced.  She is rescued by 3 men attached to the British forces. They must complete their mission to return her to her home across a war-torn countryside. 

 Reading this book gave me an appreciation for what men and women suffered as war destroyed their homes and lives.  Despite the chaos and destruction, the author infuses light into the darkness.

I highly recommend this author and this book for those who enjoy historical fiction or anyone who desires to see more of light in their world.

A Novel about Difficult Subjects

 

The Girl Who Could Breathe Underwater by Erin Bartels

Kendra is a successful first-time author, who is under a looming deadline for her second book. To overcome her writer’s block, she returns to Hidden Lake, the setting for her first book where she writes about a girl who has been sexually abused.  There she encounters memories and people who figured prominently in her first book. Determined to be more like her first protagonist, she faces them despite the pain they cause.  And in facing them, she comes to understand more about herself.

Bartels writes a book that speaks to the horrors that many young girls have experienced—sexual abuse.  This book is not for everyone.  There will be triggers for those who have lived through this.  Despite the difficulty of the subject, Bartels handles it well, but I would recommend it only for adult readers.

Kendra’s story also includes the beauty of a pure love story, the strength of a young woman to overcome her challenges and the discovery that every story has two sides.

Her descriptions are lyrical and although this is not expressly a Christian novel, it contains hope, personal growth and a character who shows Christ-like love.  I thought it was very well written and commend Bartels for broaching difficult and complicated subjects with grace.  I received a free copy from the publisher and was not required to write a positive review.  These thoughts are my own.