Yours Is the Night, one of the most moving books I have read for a while. It’s November, so this book is just in time for Remembrance Day.  The book starts with Matthew and the birth of his little sister. Disaster strikes their little family, and I felt their heartache. The beginning threw me a little, as there were different characters and I couldn’t see where they connected or how their childhood was important. Until the story started to unfold.

Amanda Dykes, the author, brought the characters together in a wonderful way, weaving their lives together. The book deals mostly with WWI and the awful trenches. Amanda brings out the horror, bravery and grief of the men as they face this war. She paints the settings so well, especially the woods in the Argonne and how Amanda contrasts it with Paris.

The message of Yours Is the Night is wonderful and uplifting; speaking of the God who made the Light, Who is the Light and with Him is no darkness at all. I loved how Matthew brings this out, supported by Mira, the young French woman. Then there is George, the chaplain, who isn’t really a chaplain. He was one of my favourite characters as I wanted to know when somebody would set him straight. God did in the end, and it was beautiful.

I loved how the book deals with so many aspects of the war. There are the trenches, the ‘going over the top’, zeppelins, gas… It was all there. The book would be great for older teenagers as well, helping them to understand some beautiful truths as well as the horrors of war and God’s abiding presence through it all. The way Amanda deals with difficult issues like ‘shell shock’

Yours Is the Night moves between different characters, but the chapters are clearly marked. There is also a difference in tone, which I enjoyed. For example, it was very clear when it was George speaking… There are also prologue and epilogue type chapters, dealing with the Unknown Soldier and how the choosing worked. The ceremony is explained beautifully, making you look at the Unknown Soldier tomb differently. As I said, it’s the ideal reading for this month, and I am so glad I read it just now.

I received a review copy via Love Books Tours but was under no pressure or obligation to write a favourable review.