Inspired by true-life adventures, Darker the Night follows Hedy as she spends her childhood marching with her Hitler Youth group through the hills of western Germany. When the Führer’s troops march across Europe, she is determined to assist her beloved country by becoming a physical therapist. The Nazis, however, have other plans. Suddenly she finds herself assembling airplanes, dodging bombs, battling hunger, and standing up to invading tanks. As the pride in her country and her support of the war are shattered with the news of Nazi atrocities, her father reminds her, “The darker the night, the brighter the stars.” Is her star the charming American Counter-Intelligence Agent who keeps appearing in the oddest places? Hedy must decide between her love of country and her newfound desires.Darker the Night is an uplifting story of an extraordinary young woman persevering through the challenges of love and war. London's touching debut novel (after a series of accounting guides) explores the effects of WWII on a young German woman's life. Starting in 1937, the story follows the courageous Catholic Hedy Weiß from ages 11 to 20 from her home in Birresborn to volunteer posts throughout Germany during the war. Hedy's initial pride in Hitler's rise to power gradually progresses to disgust and disillusionment with the Nazi regime and the war, though she continues to serve her country, first by volunteering as a nursing assistant, then as a farmer's helper and as an airplane factory worker. As the years pass, she returns to helping wounded soldiers until she meets a handsome American officer in Trier at the beginning of Allied occupation. Hedy's concerns and challenges are rendered in unadorned prose, and her troubled existence of hard labor, sheltering from falling bombs, near-starvation, and inconvenient love is palpable. The brisk storytelling and excellent characterizations perfectly frame Hedy's perspective, shedding light on her eventual hatred of the Nazis and the scruples of other civilians and draftees who must endure the war's destruction. London's accomplished narrative speaks volumes on the horrors of war. - Publishers Weekly "Wow....just, wow. That's exactly what I thought when I finished reading Darker the Night, the haunting and interesting story inspired by a true life story by author Lisa London....Hedy's development as a person and the changes in her life as the war progresses, including the introduction of a charming American love interest, is a story that will keep readers turning the pages from the start all the way to the very end. I very much enjoyed Darker the Night. Exploring a much studied time period from a viewpoint not often considered, this book, while a work of fiction, provides an incredibly realistic and interesting glimpse into the past. Author Lisa London has done a fantastic job in creating a character in Hedy that readers will connect with, relate to, and ultimately care about very much. If that isn't a hallmark of a great author, I'm not sure what is. I highly recommend Darker the Night to any reader who enjoys an excellent work of historical fiction. I look forward to reading more from the very talented author, Lisa London, as soon as I possible can. If it's anything like Darker the Night, it will absolutely be worth a read!" -Readers' Favorite- Chris Fischer "This approach gives the book a stunningly realistic, absorbing quality that will make it a powerful juxtaposition to Diary of Anne Frank , recounting the youth experience from quite a different vantage point and making it a special recommendation for a companion read and contrast to Anne Frank's more famous Diary's perspective." Midwest Book Review -D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer This book was truly a joy to write. My friend Hilde, the woman who inspired the story, let me ask her questions for hours and hours. I had not realized how little I knew about the wartime and post-war situations in Germany for the civilians. I've posted some videos of her sharing some of the experiences on DarkerTheNight.com. It is her picture at the age of 19 on the cover and the back cover has a photograph taken by her husband as he followed the invasion troops through France after landing in Normandy. "...a stunningly realistic, absorbing quality that will make it a powerful juxtaposition to Diary of Anne Frank, recounting the youth experience from quite a different vantage point and making it a specialrecommendation..." Midwest Book Review- D.Donovan, Senior Reviewer Inspired by a true story and told from a fresh perspective, Darker the Night follows Hedy as she spends her childhood playing with her Hitler Youth group in the hills of western Germany. When the Fürher's troops march across Europe, Hedy is determined to help the soldiers by becoming a physical therapist. The Nazis, however, has other plans. Suddenly she finds herself assembling airplanes, dodging bombs, battling hunger, and standing up to invading tanks. As the p