Valerie S. (VolunteerVal) -
Flame in the Night by Heather Munn is an intense novel set during World War II in rural France, based on actual events. An entire community in Vichy France banded together to protect hundreds of Jewish youth from German persecution during its occupation.
The plot is a 'slice of life' account of 18-year-old Julien Losier and his family (sister Magali, pastor father, housewife mother, and farmer grandfather) and the complex system of patrols, alerts, and other Resistance activities they participated in to keep Jewish people safe, at great risk to themselves. The main female character is Elise, a Jewish teen who seeks refuge for her younger siblings after they were smuggled out of a concentration camp while their parents remained.
While some classify this as YA, I do not. Despite their ages, the main characters are forced to deal with life-and-death issues and wrestle with their faith as a result. The author grew up in southern France with second-generation missionary parents, and states on her long-quiet blog, "I'm fascinated by war and peace, faith and doubt, gravity and grace." All of those themes are evident in this story.
The writing is excellent and thought-provoking; several times I found myself holding my breath, eager to learn how a perilous scene would resolve. The ending is abrupt but reflects real life.
This is the third novel featuring Julien and his family; the first two were co-written with the author's mother. Flame in the Night was published in 2018, and it appears Ms. Munn hasn't released any books since then.
I'm grateful a book swap motivated me to take this off my TBR shelf. Now I want to go back and read the beginning of the series.
The plot is a 'slice of life' account of 18-year-old Julien Losier and his family (sister Magali, pastor father, housewife mother, and farmer grandfather) and the complex system of patrols, alerts, and other Resistance activities they participated in to keep Jewish people safe, at great risk to themselves. The main female character is Elise, a Jewish teen who seeks refuge for her younger siblings after they were smuggled out of a concentration camp while their parents remained.
While some classify this as YA, I do not. Despite their ages, the main characters are forced to deal with life-and-death issues and wrestle with their faith as a result. The author grew up in southern France with second-generation missionary parents, and states on her long-quiet blog, "I'm fascinated by war and peace, faith and doubt, gravity and grace." All of those themes are evident in this story.
The writing is excellent and thought-provoking; several times I found myself holding my breath, eager to learn how a perilous scene would resolve. The ending is abrupt but reflects real life.
This is the third novel featuring Julien and his family; the first two were co-written with the author's mother. Flame in the Night was published in 2018, and it appears Ms. Munn hasn't released any books since then.
I'm grateful a book swap motivated me to take this off my TBR shelf. Now I want to go back and read the beginning of the series.
