A review by duskk_novels
Light in the Dark by Robert Marshall

dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Lvov, 1943, a cold city perched on polish borders. Where the dead are decaying on the ground, fires are consuming streets whole and the Nazis are massacring every Jew they can find.  Man, woman, child

However, a warren of survivors have evaded the hell above by escaping 6 feet below. Into Lvov's rat-infested, flooded, freezing sewers, teeming with sewage, storm-water and human remains. And their only help? An ex-criminal working for the Nazis - their only light in their infernal darkness

Through multiple, mind-numbing POVs (including one from a 7 year old child) and haunting imagery, we relive how these survivors spent every harrowing moment battling with the nightmares that surfaced from hell. From grenades, smoke bombs, washed-up corpses to unrelenting floods and even murder

These pages preserve the unfathomable, powerful history of 7 survivors whose unyielding faith and endurance withstood the maelstrom of WW2

I loved this from start to end. A terrifying, extraordinary survival story that unveiled the extent of human kindness as well as cruelty. A traumatising historical non-fiction focusing on the power of humans and all they can endure

At times, the settings contained vague explanations that were hard to visualise and comprehend. Some paragraphs jumped to new topics quickly which impeded the emotional flow of the writing. Although a more descriptive prose would have been appreciated, this only occurred a few times and didn't affect the overall experience of the novel 

For historical/true crime fans, this one is perfect