When the World Goes Quiet: A Novel
- Downloads：8314
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2024-02-23 07:21:47
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Gian Sardar
- ISBN：1501224999
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
In the final days of World War I， an aspiring artist’s courageous journey is just beginning in a powerful novel about love， danger， and survival by the author of Take What You Can Carry 。 It’s 1918 in German-occupied Bruges， Belgium。 With luck， Evelien will make it to the end of the war and be given what she was a prized painting in exchange for safeguarding her employer’s possessions。 Until then， Evelien knows to keep her head down and stay out of trouble。 But life never goes to plan， especially in war。 A member of the Resistance approaches steal a list of names hidden in her employer’s home。 In return， she’ll get a letter from her long-missing husband， Emiel。 She’d lost hope of Emiel’s survival， but the promised letter puts her certainty of his death in question。 Evelien begins her mission and soon forms a friendship with a soldier who is struggling with the devastating demands of battle。 Their shared passion for art deepens the bond， and Evelien faces a heart-wrenching she longs for Emiel’s safe return…but not necessarily to her。 As the final days of the war loom closer， Evelien has never been in more danger。 And should she survive the war’s bitter end， what choices will she make for a life beyond liberation？
Reviews
Mark Eckerich
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World War1 in BelgiumA multi-layered story of surviving the German occupation of your homeland。 Evelien is able to continue her love of painting and art with few supplies and carry the guilt of not providing enough for her husband's parents。She works for a German officer and is involved in a plot to steal information from him to exchange for letters from her husband。 There are many unexpected ways that this unravels。 I enjoyed the character development of the heroin especially。 World War1 in BelgiumA multi-layered story of surviving the German occupation of your homeland。 Evelien is able to continue her love of painting and art with few supplies and carry the guilt of not providing enough for her husband's parents。She works for a German officer and is involved in a plot to steal information from him to exchange for letters from her husband。 There are many unexpected ways that this unravels。 I enjoyed the character development of the heroin especially。 。。。more
Harry
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We read a lot about the atrocities committed during World War II， but not so much about the deprivations during the First World War。 This book paints a detailed picture Beautifully written but much too slow for me。
Dahlene
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This book is so slow。 I've read a couple of reviews that say the first 200 pages drag on and then the rest of the story is wonderful。 I got to page 79 and grew bored。 I can't read another 121 pages to wait for the story to really begin。 I have far too many books that I'd rather read。 This book is so slow。 I've read a couple of reviews that say the first 200 pages drag on and then the rest of the story is wonderful。 I got to page 79 and grew bored。 I can't read another 121 pages to wait for the story to really begin。 I have far too many books that I'd rather read。 。。。more
Darnly Motter
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Excellent novel。 Really made me think about and better understand how war affects those suffering in it day after day。 The stresses of war and the fact that truth is the first thing lost causes people to do things they wouldn’t otherwise do。 The story line was amazing including the emphasis on how artists think。
Melissa Osburn
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I finished this book in 3 days （if I'd had a whole day to do nothing， I'd have finished it in one）。 This story has a way of pulling you in， and keeping hold。 The twists and connections made me smile， as well as tear up。 Set in WWI Belgium， the author does a wonderful job of keeping to historical accuracy， as well as making you feel like you may actually be in this town。 9/10 recommend！ I finished this book in 3 days （if I'd had a whole day to do nothing， I'd have finished it in one）。 This story has a way of pulling you in， and keeping hold。 The twists and connections made me smile， as well as tear up。 Set in WWI Belgium， the author does a wonderful job of keeping to historical accuracy， as well as making you feel like you may actually be in this town。 9/10 recommend！ 。。。more
Tara Young
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Slow start， but such a great read！ There are not many characters， and few settings， but this book still has great depth。
Hillary
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2。5 starsI chose this as my Kindle First Reads book for February 2024。 I was enticed by a story of WWI， for a change。 While I've read books set during WWI， it seems WWII books are much more popular overall。 I've read a lot of those。 This one offered a different take。The best part of this book is the description of civilian life in a war zone。 The reader gets the smell， taste， view， and feel of what it's like。 We can try to imagine the hunger， illness， fear that are constant companions of the vic 2。5 starsI chose this as my Kindle First Reads book for February 2024。 I was enticed by a story of WWI， for a change。 While I've read books set during WWI， it seems WWII books are much more popular overall。 I've read a lot of those。 This one offered a different take。The best part of this book is the description of civilian life in a war zone。 The reader gets the smell， taste， view， and feel of what it's like。 We can try to imagine the hunger， illness， fear that are constant companions of the victims of the war。 While far from pleasant， those scenes made it all seem very real。 Educational and interesting。On the other hand， I just couldn't get attached to the characters， nor the plot。 The writing is poetic in its descriptions， but it felt bogged down。 I sometimes found myself scanning a paragraph， and having to go back and reread it once or twice in order to understand what was going on。 My mind wandered。 I think something more direct would have been more my style。By the same token， I forgot small details and plot information that came back chapters later。 I had forgotten who that person was or what happened with that particular thing。 I just didn't mesh with the writing style and the structure。I imagine that some people in wartime tend to reflect a lot on human nature， good and evil， making decisions in life， etc。 Evelien certainly did。 She's the main character and， while the narration is in the third person， we see everything through her eyes。 She's young （about 19 at the start of the story）， which means she doesn't know everything about her family and neighbors， and has less life experience。 She often misinterprets other characters and their motivations， causing pain and also some serious missteps in her decisions。 Her mother-in-law， Coletta， has very firm beliefs and needs。 She's a powerful woman who does not realize that her decisions have caused pain for several others。 These two characters stand out more than any others。 There is much thinking and discussing how people react and the consequences of their actions。 This， too， takes away from the plot development， in my opinion。Bottom line: Because of the book's style， it was not for me。 I think others will probably like it more。 As for war？ Some things never change， and humans will continue to do awful things to each other， while the civilians carry much of the burden。 。。。more
beth messner Fischer
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Great history， beautiful descriptions，suspenseful，and surprising！
Rebecca
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Amazon First Reads - February 2024
Mindi Lamar
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Glad I finished itThis was an Amazon First Read book I chose because I enjoy historical fiction。 The first 2/3 of the book were slow and I almost shelved it。 The last 1/3 of the book， with it's revelations & turns rewarded me for sticking with it。 My rating is based on the ending， which was well done。 Glad I finished itThis was an Amazon First Read book I chose because I enjoy historical fiction。 The first 2/3 of the book were slow and I almost shelved it。 The last 1/3 of the book， with it's revelations & turns rewarded me for sticking with it。 My rating is based on the ending， which was well done。 。。。more
Lois Zander
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loved when the Workd Goes QuietWhat can I say to do it justice。 It is full of feelings spoken aloud。 Full of color， descriptions of life。 Slow building happiness。
Janene Walker
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Amazing！I learned a lot of history while reading this wonderful story。 Everything was so well written。 I was kind of sad when it ended。
Jessica
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"Once more， everything Evelien thought she understood has changed。 So many questions， so many varied responses and experiences。 Nothing is absolute， everything nuanced and enigmatic and always somewhere in between。"This quote encapsulates the book。 It is not a book for those who like black and white， good vs evil。 It seems easy to judge the war in these ways， but when you get to the micro level with these characters， you begin to see that everything is nuanced。 And just when I thought I figured "Once more， everything Evelien thought she understood has changed。 So many questions， so many varied responses and experiences。 Nothing is absolute， everything nuanced and enigmatic and always somewhere in between。"This quote encapsulates the book。 It is not a book for those who like black and white， good vs evil。 It seems easy to judge the war in these ways， but when you get to the micro level with these characters， you begin to see that everything is nuanced。 And just when I thought I figured things out， the book and characters would take another turn "because life is layered upon life， and nothing is simple。" 。。。more
Deonna
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Heartwrenching tale of self-discovery and lossEvelien tells her story at the end of WWI in occupied Bruges， one of the most beautiful cities I've been to。 Just as the war is coming to an end， Evelien's life is falling apart like the broken Belgian rooftops around her， leading her down a path of self-discovery， one she might not have had in a place not torn apart by war。 She is given a mission， and as she unlocks one secret， more lies and questions are unearthed， and she slowly realizes that all Heartwrenching tale of self-discovery and lossEvelien tells her story at the end of WWI in occupied Bruges， one of the most beautiful cities I've been to。 Just as the war is coming to an end， Evelien's life is falling apart like the broken Belgian rooftops around her， leading her down a path of self-discovery， one she might not have had in a place not torn apart by war。 She is given a mission， and as she unlocks one secret， more lies and questions are unearthed， and she slowly realizes that all is not fair in love and war。 After a series of losses and letters， she finally gets to know the truth and be true to herself。This captivating book will have you saying "just one more chapter" all night long。 I hope to see it adapted into a movie one day。 。。。more
Kelley
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LOVED this book。 So refreshing to read a clever war-time historical fiction book that does not use tired cliches such as “chill up my spine”， “my heart in my throat”， and “prickle in my eyes” blah blah blah。 I could read this book again actually。
Steven Garber
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Every once in awhile you come across a book that captivates you and this was one of those books。 I took a shot with an author I have never read before and I can’t wait to read another one of her books。 This book has climbed to the top of my favorites list and I highly recommend it to everyone。
SHEILA R FINCO
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Amazing writingAt first the book seemed cumbersome but then the author described scenes and colors so vibrantly and wove the story so deftly I had to read the last half in one sitting--something I haven't been urged to do in a long time。 Can't wait to read another。 Amazing writingAt first the book seemed cumbersome but then the author described scenes and colors so vibrantly and wove the story so deftly I had to read the last half in one sitting--something I haven't been urged to do in a long time。 Can't wait to read another。 。。。more
Dennis
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WWI is not a subject I'm well versed in but this book held my attention - there were so many unexpected connections that made it hard to put down and also very emotional to read。 I'll definitely be reading more by this author。 WWI is not a subject I'm well versed in but this book held my attention - there were so many unexpected connections that made it hard to put down and also very emotional to read。 I'll definitely be reading more by this author。 。。。more
Chelsea Triano
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To repurpose what another review shares， the “trapped setting” of this story helps you to better imagine the feel of living in an active war town and the dynamic relationships that come with that。 I rooted for Evelien to have the chance to make more for herself outside of her current moment。
Amzon_Reader
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Ah， but Love and War are such complicated events！This is a superb story based on a real-life and world shattering event， but using characters to convey the narrative。Being the type of reader I am， I found the start a little slow to ‘my’ mind。 It’s nothing to concern yourself with as the detail must be invested for you to take joy and sorrow from the ‘whole’ narrative。The fact of war is complication is not alien - it’s normality。 Peoples feelings， desires， commitment’s， ideas， priorities and so m Ah， but Love and War are such complicated events！This is a superb story based on a real-life and world shattering event， but using characters to convey the narrative。Being the type of reader I am， I found the start a little slow to ‘my’ mind。 It’s nothing to concern yourself with as the detail must be invested for you to take joy and sorrow from the ‘whole’ narrative。The fact of war is complication is not alien - it’s normality。 Peoples feelings， desires， commitment’s， ideas， priorities and so many other emotions behaviours and outlooks can and do become conflicted。The abnormal becomes the normal， the unwise the wise， the riskiest behaviour can be a life saver， no matter; if people want to understand themselves in conflict then a conflict of self is a great way to do it。 This is the first book by the author I’ve read - it won’t be the last。 I’m often critical （in recent years） of the standards of writing in the commercial market。 Therefore， I can say categorically: great author！ 。。。more
Sarah Barnes
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While not my favorite book， it redeemed itself with an unexpected plot twist towards the end。 Still wondering how I miss it！？
Greta G。 Hambsch
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Taking place in Bruges， Belgium at the end of WWI， this well-written novel captures the terrible destruction and the ways humans adapt to survive。 Key to its overarching theme， it explores loyalty， love， and core values。 It's a stunning novel。 Taking place in Bruges， Belgium at the end of WWI， this well-written novel captures the terrible destruction and the ways humans adapt to survive。 Key to its overarching theme， it explores loyalty， love， and core values。 It's a stunning novel。 。。。more
Rachel
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This book is amazing！ I could not write a review worthy of it。 It amazes me how creative this author is。 All of the twists and connections right to the end left me saying “wow！”
Judy Rafanelli
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Many lessons to be learned from this bookVery impressive novel with so many life lessons。 I hadn't expected this at all。 I hate that I've finished it but it's taken us as far as we needed to go。 Don't pass this one up。 Many lessons to be learned from this bookVery impressive novel with so many life lessons。 I hadn't expected this at all。 I hate that I've finished it but it's taken us as far as we needed to go。 Don't pass this one up。 。。。more
Gisela
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2。5/5Please see the bio for a full breakdown of the rating scale Ho-hum。 I typically enjoy WWII fiction， but this wasn't for me。 Throughout reading， I found myself simultaneously enjoying and disliking this book。 I did enjoy the writing and pacing， but the story wasn't executed the way I was hoping。 2。5/5Please see the bio for a full breakdown of the rating scale Ho-hum。 I typically enjoy WWII fiction， but this wasn't for me。 Throughout reading， I found myself simultaneously enjoying and disliking this book。 I did enjoy the writing and pacing， but the story wasn't executed the way I was hoping。 。。。more
Donna Foster
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A majority of this story is told using artwork， confusion and suffering through all the lies that are kindness during World War I， giving hope for one heartbeat of determination。
Susan Terry
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The story was very well written。 I find I like historical novels。
Amy
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This book grabbed my attention from the first few pages and held it for the entire story。 It was so well written！ I often don't find myself surprised with how stories play out in books， but， while there were some elements that seemed predictable， the author surprised me several times。 Beautiful and sad， I thoroughly enjoyed this read。 This book grabbed my attention from the first few pages and held it for the entire story。 It was so well written！ I often don't find myself surprised with how stories play out in books， but， while there were some elements that seemed predictable， the author surprised me several times。 Beautiful and sad， I thoroughly enjoyed this read。 。。。more
Kathleen
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Truthfully one of the best historical fiction books that I have ever read。 The depth of the main characters and their transformation throughout the course of the book was spellbinding。 I could not put the book down and could not stop thinking of the main characters when I was not reading。 This book is a true masterpiece and should be included on all historical fiction reading lists this year and going forward。
Danielle Gimbal
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Unexpectedly beautifulThis was a bit of a slow burn for me at the beginning， but about halfway through I was extremely compelled by these characters and the multiple revelations at the end of the book led me stunned and deeply moved。 Really loved finding this on Amazon First Reads！！
Tag
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when the world goes quiet a novel