Yours is the Night by Amanda Dykes has been sitting on my kindle for far too long, and at last, I finally carved out time this week to read it.
Warning: If you decide to read this book, make sure you have a solid block of time in your week dedicated for reading. This book will grab you and hold you in place until the very breathtaking end.
Not that this is a book you’ll exactly rush through. To the contrary, the lyrical writing-style and gentle descriptions balance out the plot perfectly.
And yet, once you meet these characters, you’re invested and just have to find out what happens. And part of you dreads what might actually happen at the very end . . .
Things I Loved About Yours is the Night:
- Wonderful characters (really the best)
- A hurting hero who fights despite his own suffering
- A heroine who is strong and resilient, yet gentle and so very gracious
- Lovely setting in the Argonne Forest (at least the places unaffected by war)
- Rich historical details
- A strong message of faith and hope
Why Yours is the Night is Worth the Read for You:
This story is . . . wow.
First of all, the entire book is told in first person from the viewpoint of five different people. Only a master author could handle such a feat without disorienting the reader, but Amanda Dykes more than accomplished that. Each character had such a different voice and personality that there was no confusion. If I opened the book to any random page, I would instantly know who was talking, the voices were that clear.
The characters were hands down probably the best thing about this book. Matthew, the hero, has obvious wounds both from his past and the present, and he has all the character qualities that make him the best of heroes–a sacrificial one. To help him out, his companions Henry and George were exactly what he needed and formed the perfect circle of unlikely allies. I really didn’t expect to laugh so hard over this book.
So many historical details add an even greater depth to this book, little details like using glow worms for light, certain foods being forbidden because of rationing, and France’s tumultuous past.
It’s a Story of Light Versus Darkness
Are there hard things in this book? Yes. The setting is World War I, and because of that, there is violence, loss, and pain. One woman faces a situation no girl wants to even think of*.
Yet the story is far from being dark. Instead a thread of light is woven into the story, growing brighter and brighter until it shines full at the very end when hope wins the battle. Yours is the Night clearly displays that even in the darkness of human depravity, God is the restorer of life. He is the One who brings hope and the One who is brightness itself. The book’s message is one so very important for all times and circumstances.
*One thing I appreciated about this book is that even though difficult situations such as PTSD and rape were touched on, it was handled in the gentlest of ways. Nothing cringe-worthy happened on page. The characters deal with the aftermath of these things, and yet even in this, that theme of light in the darkness and of God being present in the pain shone through all the more clearly.
If you want a story with characters you’re bound to love, a plot that will have you sitting tight in your chair, and a gentle message of hope, Yours is the Night is sure to be that book you’ve been searching for.
About Yours is the Night:
A mysterious song in the forest . . .
A discovery in war-torn France . . .
A journey toward hope.
The trenches of the Great War are a shadowed place. Though Platoon Sergeant Matthew Petticrew arrived there with a past long marked by shadow, the realities of battle bring new wounds–carving within him a longing for light, and a resolve to fight for it.
One night, Matthew and his comrades are enraptured by a sound so pure, a voice so ethereal, it offers reprieve–even if only for a moment. Soon, rumors sweep the trenches from others who have heard the lullaby too. “The Angel of Argonne,” they call the voice: a mysterious presence who leaves behind wreaths on unmarked graves.
Raised in the wild depths of the Forest of Argonne, Mireilles finds her reclusive world rocked when war crashes into her idyllic home, taking much from her. When Matthew and his two unlikely companions discover Mireilles, they must embark on a journey that will change each of them forever . . . and perhaps, at long last, spark light into the dark.
On the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier comes an emotive tale inspired by the courageous soldiers of World War I.