MY REVIEW:

Unlike most historical fiction that is written from an adult point of view, How Huge the Night views life in Nazi occupied France through the eyes of young teens whose lives have changed forever. Featured characters include:

• Julien who has had to leave friends and his beloved Paris to move to the small country village of Tanieux where his father grew up. Despite his family history, Julien has struggled to be accepted by the other boys his age.
• Samuel whose parents have sent him to live with Julien’s family to protect him from the Nazis. Having seen firsthand the cruelty of the Nazis, Samuel fears for his parents and for the Losier family. The fact that he is Jewish and was born in Germany makes his life at school miserable.
• Nina and Gustav, two young Jews who have fled Austria at their father’s death to escape the Nazis. Their journey to safety was hampered by the loss of their money, lack of food and shelter, and violent encounters with others along the way. Their dramatic arrival in Tanieux challenged Julien, Samuel, and the other villagers to decide whether to do what was right.

Told with poignant realism, How Huge the Night spotlights the thoughts, emotions, and reactions of these young people as they struggle to understand why God would allow such horrific things to happen to innocent people. And in the midst of their struggles, they are given a chance to respond. This story takes the characters through a gamut of emotions from despair to hope, from anger to compassion, and finally to an effective faith.

How Huge the Night is a story that will stay with the reader for a long time and is a must read for those who love history.

Learn about an exciting promotional contest and see what other bloggers have to say about How Huge the Night HERE.

This book was provided for review by LitFuse Publicity.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Fifteen-year-old Julien Losier just wants to fit in. But after his family moves to a small village in central France in hopes of outrunning the Nazis, he is suddenly faced with bigger challenges than the taunting of local teens. Nina Krenkel left her country to obey her father’s dying command: Take your brother and leave Austria. Burn your papers. Tell no one you are Jews. Alone and on the run, she arrives in Tanieux, France, dangerously ill and in despair.

Thrown together by the chaos of war, Julien begins to feel the terrible weight of the looming conflict and Nina fights to survive. As France falls to the Nazis, Julien struggles with doing what is right, even if it is not enough-and wonders whether or not he really can save Nina from almost certain death.

Based on the true story of the town of Le Chambon-the only French town honored by Israel for rescuing Jews from the Holocaust-How Huge the Night is a compelling, coming-of-age drama that will keep teens turning the pages as it teaches them about a fascinating period of history and inspires them to think more deeply about their everyday choices.

Purchase a copy of How Huge the Night HERE. 

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Heather Munn was born in Northern Ireland and grew up in southern France where her parents were missionaries like their parents before them. She has a BA in literature from Wheaton College and now lives in a Christian intentional community in rural Illinois, where she and her husband, Paul, host free spiritual retreats for the poor, especially those transitioning out of homelessness or addiction. When not writing or hosting, she works on the communal farm.

Lydia Munn, daughter of missionary parents, grew up in Brazil. She received a BA in literature from Wheaton College, and an MA in Bible from Columbia Graduate School of Bible and   Missions. With her husband, Jim, she has worked in church planting and Bible teaching since 1983, notably in St. Etienne, near the small town in the central mountains of France which forms the background of How Huge the Night. The Munns now live in Grenoble, France.