Christian Chapters: When Twilight Breaks by Sarah Sundin

A Well-Researched and Consuming Historical Romance!

When Twilight Breaks
by Sarah Sundin

Publication Date: February 2, 2021
Publisher: Revell
Length: 384pp
ISBN-13: 978-0800736361

Related Links:
Sarah Sundin’s Website
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Praise

★ “Sundin’s novels…set the gold standard for historical war romance, and When Twilight Breaks is arguably her most brilliant and important work to date…Sundin masterfully combines action and attraction to generate multilayered thrills while exploring such themes as individual freedom versus the common good, gender and racial discrimination, and the polarization of viewpoints, which all have deep relevance today.”―Booklist, starred review

★ “Sundin is a must-buy for any Christian fiction collection, and her latest World War II tale positively crackles with tension. The characters struggle with changing sympathies while wrestling with the balance between freedom and order. Attentive readers may see parallels between the circumstances depicted in the book and the world today.”―Library Journal, starred review

Publisher Synopsis

Munich, 1938

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.

My Review

My first reading encounter with Sarah Sundin was The Land Beneath Us, which I liked well enough to consider reading more of her work. My next opportunity was her newest, When Twilight Breaks — a standalone so impressive that, in my eyes, Sundin’s future releases have been promoted from might-reads to must-reads!

The events of the novel take place over a period of roughly nine months during 1938, in Berlin, and more heavily, in Munich. It’s the lead up to WWII, and anti-Semitism is rising as Adolph Hitler’s power and influence grows.

Our heroine, Evelyn Brand, is an American news reporter. Our hero, Peter Lang, also American, is in Munich working on his Ph.D. and teaching German to American exchange students. The two cross paths when Evelyn is assigned to interview Peter. Sundin takes the time to thoughtfully develop both characters. From the scene of their meeting, which is entertaining for its witty repartee, the two are established as foils to one another. Evelyn is an emboldened, determined woman fighting for equal treatment and respect in a male dominated profession. Peter is a more deliberate, methodical man. While he values order and admires the new prosperity that Germany has gained since the first World War, Evelyn sees the country through a more measured, critical lens.

Some romantic historical fiction lacks detail, dropping the characters into a time period and location without convincingly setting the scene or giving attention to authenticity. Happily, When Twilight Breaks is not that kind of novel. Sundin’s research is impeccable. Germany comes alive as she uses Evelyn’s professional work to relate notable events and developments in a way that lends interest, immediacy, and emotional investment. Indeed, Sundin brings a healthy amount of detail and information to her readers without ever resorting to info dumping.

If When Twilight Breaks has a weakness, I didn’t find it. The novel shines in all facets. Alongside the historical element, both the romantic and the faith elements are strong. The relationship between Evelyn and Peter develops naturally and convincingly; neither character is perfect, and each grows as the story progresses. The theme of faith, including reflections on Micah 6:8, fits neatly into the story without feeling forced or jarring. Finally, Sundin’s prose is skillful with some beautiful, thoughtful, and ultimately memorable phrases. Indeed, Sundin’s story shows that hope never dies. As she writes: “Even in the darkest night, the stars always shine.”

— Dawn Teresa