Even in Darkness {Book Review}

Even in Darkness {Book Review}

All avid readers probably have a few genres they enjoy more than others. For me, I enjoy a mix of humor, crime fighting, and faith based fiction novels. One that recently surprised me was called Even in Darkness by Barbara Stark-Nemon. It covers everything from family to lovers, survival, war and religion, covering over 100 years and several countries.

Spanning a century and three continents, Even in Darkness tells the story of Kläre Kohler, whose early years as a dutiful daughter of a prosperous German-Jewish family hardly anticipate the often-harrowing life she faces as an adult—a saga of family, a lover, two world wars, a concentration camp and the unconventional life she builds in post-war Germany. As the world changes around her, Kläre makes boundary-crossing choices in order to protect the people she loves—and to save herself. Based on a true story, Even in Darkness highlights the intimate experience of Kläre’s reinvention as she faces the destruction of life as she knew it, and traces her path beyond survival to wisdom, meaning, and—most unexpectedly—love.

As my children were growing up, we studied history of not only the US, but also the world. Obviously a big part of these lessons were the great Wars, and events like the Holocaust. A few novels and movies have been made mainstream, but this is a different kind of book. It’s a historical novel based on true stories of the author’s family that had fascinated her growing up.

The story is based around Kläre, who finds herself trapped in war torn Germany. She belongs to a German-Jewish family and finds herself having to take great care as she tries to protect her loved ones. While she is able to arrange an escape for her sons, she herself is taken to a concentration camp where she puts her skills & training as a massage therapist to use, enabling her to stay alive.

Along her journey, she meets a Catholic priest and together, they find love against all odds, defying religion, social standards and even their own family’s concerns.

This is a beautiful story, even more so when you consider it is based on real people and their life’s story. While I generally find tales of the Holocaust, concentration camps, and war in general as uncomfortable and difficult to read, that wasn’t the case with Even in Darkness. I found myself reading a few chapters and putting it down, allowing my brain and my heart to consider what I had read and pictured in my head. I can’t imagine being torn from my family and everyone I loved, simply because I was of a different faith than the party that was in power of my country.

I found this book to be very thought provoking, and while it may not be suitable for children, I think young adults could definitely benefit from reading about these events from another point of view. It would probably make for a terrific book club or small group to study together.

You can purchase your own copy of Even in Darkness by Barbara Stark-Nemon on Amazon today. You can also learn more about the author on her website, as well as follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned in this article in exchange for my honest opinion. Some of the links in the article may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I may receive a small compensation. Regardless, I will only recommend products or services I use personally or believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”