The Ragged Edge of Night
In 1942 Germany, the Nazis force Anton Starzmann, a former Franciscan monk, to leave his monastery and return to the life of a layperson. Desperate to atone for not doing enough to save the children under his tutelage at the monastery, Anton answers an advertisement and marries Elisabeth Herter, a widow with three young children in a small German village; she needs help and wants her family to somehow survive the war. Once married, Anton has difficulty supporting his family through his music lessons alone and he begins to work for the German Resistance, shuttling important messages between towns. As World War II progresses, Anton’s acts grow more daring and he is suspected of treason. How far will he go to atone for his sins and will he risk the lives of the family he now has?
In The Ragged Edge of Night, Olivia Hawker tells the true story of her husband’s grandfather, Anton. She brings to life a small German town during World War II and the acts of resistance that the villagers hope will help bring the Reich to an end. In the midst of this, Anton and Elisabeth slowly fall in love. Hawker’s book has received rave advance praise from notable authors but unfortunately, I found the writing style too wordy and in need of editing. This is clearly a personal preference, and there will be others that praise Hawker for her lyrical and poetic writing style. I also found that the plot was thin and that the book moved slowly. This book was about the German Resistance in World War II, but there was not enough suspense or drama for me.
