Sunday, January 18, 2026

Review: Dark Is the Night



In Nazi-occupied Holland, a mother and son fight to survive.

When his sister Lotte dies of blood poisoning, Casper Van Doujke leaves his island home of Terschelling for Amsterdam. Blaming himself for Lotte’s death, he studies to become a doctor.

Meanwhile, his mother Elske Van Doujke’s quiet mourning for her daughter is interrupted when the Nazis occupy Terschelling. When a face from the past returns to the island, Elske has a final chance of happiness. But can she take it?

Mother and son join the Dutch resistance, risking everything for their people as they live through occupation and famine. In her remote cottage, Elske shelters young Dutch men trying to escape to England and Allied airmen attempting to avoid capture. In Amsterdam, Casper works as a doctor for the resistance and falls in love with the fiancée of his cell’s leader.

But when the war threatens those closest to them, Elske and Casper are forced to make impossible choices just to survive.

Review

First, I love this book art. So beautiful. I want it to have enough readers that they can publish a version where the green and vines bleed onto every page. The space between the characters is also *chef's kiss* for echoing the feel and complexity of the story. Absolutely gorgeous. My inner book dragon wants a copy on my shelf to love forever.

This story of Elske and Casper Van Doujke is heartbreaking. Set in occupied Holland during World War II, there aren't many happy stories to tell. This mother and son team desperately tries to stay on the kinder side of humanity while the world falls apart around them.

Expect a slow read that aims for you to love the characters before you endure the torture of what evil times do to good people. The author does not shy away from the terrifying troubles of the day - and the horrible deeds done by devils and man. This is a fairly dark tale though the author allows goodness to shine through when it can.

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Night-Nazi-occupied-Holland-survive-ebook/dp/B0FR4XTW45

https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Night-Nazi-occupied-Holland-survive-ebook/dp/B0FR4XTW45

Author Bio – Since I was a little girl, I’ve always written stories (which I kept in a shoe box beneath my bed). Having cerebral palsy, I found an escape in writing and I still do. After doing a BA (Hons) in English and French and an MA in Modern Languages Research, I trained to be a newspaper journalist. I now work as a teaching assistant in a primary school where I share my love of writing with the children I teach. In my free time, I spend every moment I can writing. Escaping to the past, especially World War II, helps me cope with the stresses of life in the present. 

https://www.instagram.com/rachelevansauthor/




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