by Sarah Sudin
publisher’s synopsis
When the Germans march into Denmark, Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt exchanges his nobility for anonymity, assuming a new identity so he can secretly row messages for the Danish Resistance across the waters to Sweden.
American physicist Dr. Else Jensen refuses to leave Copenhagen and abandon her research–her life’s dream. While printing resistance newspapers, she hears stories of the movement’s legendary Havmand–the merman–and wonders if the mysterious and silent shipyard worker living in the same boardinghouse has something to hide.
When the Occupation cracks down on the Danes, these two passionate people will discover if there is more power in speech . . . or in silence. Bestselling author of more than a dozen WWII novels, Sarah Sundin offers pens another story of ordinary people responding to extraordinary circumstances with faith, fortitude, and hope for a brighter future.
I love reading historical fiction novels that either focus on unfamiliar events, or familiar events from a different angle. The Sound of Light is the latter, focusing on Denmark during WWII. Do you know what the German occupation was like in Denmark? I didn’t before reading the book.
Sudin did a nice job of giving each of the characters unique voices that fit their personalities. It was also fun to read a book with a physicist as the main character.
As the characters got further involved in the resistance work in Denmark, the pacing really picked up–though it never dragged prior. Sudin balanced the main plot and the subplots well, allowing the subplots to keep the pace moving while the characters learned about the resistance efforts. The events around the climax were a little predictable, but they didn’t ruin anything for me.
Having been to Copenhagen, I really appreciated all the tidbits of Danish culture that Sudin wove in throughout the novel–I couldn’t help but smile when the characters passed a landmark or ate smørrebrød.
If a story with spies, science, and some romance sounds like your cup of tea, you’ll probably enjoy The Sound of Light.
Cautions: brief, non-graphic interrogation violence; moderate romance; several kisses
Hailey Huntington 