A Light Beyond the Trenches

by Alan Hlad

A WW1 Novel of Betrayal and Resilience

From the USA Today bestselling author of Churchill’s Secret Messenger comes a WWI novel based on little-known history, as four very different lives intertwine across Europe from Germany to France—a German Red Cross nurse, a Jewish pianist blinded on the battlefield, a soldier tortured by deadly secrets of his own, and his tormented French mistress. This life-affirming tale of heroism and resilience will stay with you long after turning the final page.

By April 1916, the fervor that accompanied war’s outbreak has faded. In its place is a grim reality. Throughout Germany, essentials are rationed. Hope, too, is in short supply. Anna Zeller, whose fiancé, Bruno, is fighting on the western front, works as a nurse at an overcrowded hospital in Oldenburg, trying to comfort men broken in body and spirit. But during a visit from Dr. Stalling, the director of the Red Cross Ambulance Dogs Association, she witnesses a rare spark of optimism: as a German shepherd guides a battle-blinded soldier over a garden path, Dr. Stalling is inspired with an idea—to train dogs as companions for sightless veterans.

Anna convinces Dr. Stalling to let her work at his new guide dog training school. Some of the dogs that arrive are themselves veterans of war, including Nia, a German shepherd with trench-damaged paws. Anna brings the ailing Nia home and secretly tends and trains her, convinced she may yet be the perfect guide for the right soldier. In Max Benesch, a Jewish soldier blinded by chlorine gas at the front, Nia finds her person.

War has taken Max’s sight, his fiancée, and his hopes of being a composer. Yet despite all he’s given for his country, the tide of anti-Semitism at home is rising, and Max encounters it first-hand in one of the school’s trainers, who is determined to make Max fail. Still, through Anna’s prompting, he rediscovers his passion for music. But as Anna discovers more about the conflict’s escalating brutality—and Bruno’s role in it—she realizes how impossible it will be for any of them to escape the war unscathed . . .

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, World War I, Romance, War, Germany

370 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 30, 2022

About the author

Alan Hlad is the internationally bestselling author of historical fiction novels inspired by real people and events of WWI and WWII, including The Book Spy, Churchill’s Secret Messenger, A Light Beyond the Trenches, and the USA Today and IndieBound bestseller The Long Flight Home. A member of the Historical Novel Society, Literary Cleveland, Novelitics, and the Akron Writers' Group, he is a frequent speaker at conferences, literary events, and book club gatherings. He currently divides his time between Ohio and Portugal and can be found online at AlanHlad.com.

Reviews

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anna Zeller works as a nurse in a busy hospital in Oldenburg, here she meets her fiancée Bruno Wahler and he’s recovered and fighting on the western front. By 1916, the excitement of the war is a distant memory in Germany and now everyone's enduring terrible suffering and hardship. The British have a naval blockade in place, Germany can’t import goods, food is in very short supply and Anna and her father Norbie are eating turnips.

Dr. Stalling is the director of the Red Cross Ambulance Dogs Association, he wants to train German shepherds as guide dogs and to help the thousands of German soldiers blinded in the war. Anna has always loved dogs, she’s not the most skilled nurse and she convinces Dr. Stalling to let her work at the guide dog training school. Here she and her friend Emmi clean out the dog’s cages, feed them and treat them for minor ailments.

Max Benesch is engaged to Wilhelmina, he’s a talent pianist and after the war ends he hopes to be a composer. Fighting for Germany, Max loses his sight and his lungs and hearing are damaged and he’s struggling to do everyday tasks. He's summoned to train for eight weeks at the new guide dog school at Oldenburg and he’s not at all hopeful they will be able to help him. Max boards with the Zeller family, they make him feel at home and Anna is taking care of an injured guide dog Nia and she likes Max. Unfortunately not everyone does, Max is Jewish and one of the schools trainers would like him to fail and is rather nasty to him.

With help from Anna, Max discovers his life isn’t over, he can still play the piano beautifully despite his ruptured eardrums and it does wonders for his self esteem. Anna still writes to Bruno, it takes ages for their mail to reach each other and as time goes on she’s starting to forget what he looks like. She has no idea about Bruno’s involvement in using chemicals weapons, a new and horrible way to fight a war.

Alan Hlad is a gifted writer and he makes you feel like you’re living in Germany at the time and you look at The Great War from the Germans point of view. From the overrun hospitals full of broken bodies, soldiers having to fight and kill to survive and the horrendous conditions they endured in the trenches and the terrible "turnip" winter of 1916.

I received a copy of A Light Beyond the Trenches from Edelweiss and Kensington publishing Corp in exchange for an honest review, it’s an absolutely outstanding story about the world’s first guide dog training school and one of the best WW I books I have read. Due to the memorable characters and it made me feel very emotionally connected to the narrative, I highly recommend reading it and five big stars from me.
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[Marilyn (not getting notifications) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 strong stars for this very well written and impeccably researched historical fiction novel. A Light Beyond the Trenches was the third book I had read by Alan Hlad and found it equally if not more engaging and enlightening as his past novels. I listened to the audiobook that was pleasantly performed by Peter Noble. What set this book apart from the many books I have read and listened to about World War I was that it was told from the perspective of both the German officers and soldiers and the German civilians. The Light Beyond the Trenches was based on the true story of how the first guide dog school for blind soldiers was created in Oldenburg, Germany. Many of the characters mentioned in The Light Beyond the trenches actually existed. Author, Alan Hlad, gave details in his author’s notes about which characters, battles and scenarios were real and which were fiction. Alan Hlad, in my opinion, has more than succeeded in becoming a masterful storyteller.

In 1916, Germany was firmly established in its efforts to come out victorious in World War I. Anna Zeller, a German nurse, was doing her part at the local hospital in Oldenburg, Germany, caring for the wounded soldiers under her charge. Anna realized that she was not as skilled as some of the other nurses in certain tasks but her bedside manner more than made up for that. While caring for an injured soldier named Bruno Wahler, the two fell in love, experienced a whirlwind courtship and were engaged to be married before Bruno returned to the front. One day after Bruno’s departure, Dr. Stalling, the director of The Red Cross Ambulance Dogs Association, paid her unit a visit. Dr. Stalling accompanied Anna and a blinded soldier outside to the hospital’s garden for a walk and some fresh air. His German Shepherd dog accompanied them. The doctor was called upon to return inside the hospital to assist with a patient’s care. He left his dog and the blinded soldier in Anna’s care. When Dr. Stalling returned, he witnessed the most wonderful sight. The doctor was amazed to see that the dog was guiding the blinded soldier and watching out for him. That realization put a seed into the doctor’s thoughts and mind. With so many soldiers returning from the front, blinded from poison gas chemicals, Dr. Stalling was excited and determined to start a school where guide dogs could be trained to become companions for these blinded soldiers. Anna was so excited about Dr. Stalling’s endeavor that she eagerly tried to convince Dr. Stalling to allow her to be one of the pioneers in his new undertaking. He readily agreed. Since Anna had no experience in how to train dogs to become guide dogs, she and one of her fellow nursing friends, performed much of the menial jobs, at least at the very beginning. When the school welcomed a new German Shepard named Nia, Anna bonded instantly with the dog. Nia had served at the front with the German soldiers but had suffered from trench-damaged paws. Anna convinced Rolf Flech, the manager of the school, to allow her to take take Nia home to nurse her back to health. Nia, Anna and Anna’s father would go on to form an incredible bond with one another and a fondness that was immeasurable and not able to be broken.

One of the requirements of working at the school was that each one of the trainers and the nurses had to host one of the blind soldiers at their own home during the training period. The host was responsible for feeding the soldier despite the food shortages. During this time, Germans were experiencing devastating food shortages due to the British Naval blockade and the failed potato crops. Germans called that time in their history the “turnip winter”. The German people were forced to rely on Swedish turnips or rutabagas, as their main source of food even though turnips had been reserved for animal feed in the past. It was a time when many Germans were starving and dying, especially children.

Rolf Fench approached Anna and asked if she would host a Jewish soldier who had been blinded when chemical gas tanks that were buried in the trenches targeted the German soldiers instead of the enemy soldiers. Max Benesch was one of those unfortunate soldiers taking cover in a trench that hid some of the tanks. However, he was the only one from his regiment to survive. The trainer that was supposed to host Max flatly refused. He was adamantly opposed to having a Jewish soldier in his home. His open and aggressive anti-Semitic sentiment disturbed Anna greatly. Any soldier that fought for his country deserved the same treatment and opportunities as any other soldier despite their religion. Jewish soldiers were treated poorly in combat as well. They were usually assigned the tasks that were the most unappealing and were put in harm’s way and made to fight the most dangerous battles. Jewish soldiers were never awarded praise or higher rankings.

Max was warmly welcomed by both Anna and her father but Max was a broken man. Before serving Germany in the war, Max had aspired to become a composer of music. He was a talented pianist. When he was blinded by the poison gas, the gas also affected his hearing. Max could no longer hear high sounding notes on the piano. How could he play his beloved piano or compose music if he could not hear high notes? Max had also been engaged to marry. His fiancé was not able to handle or cope with Max’s blindness. She broke his heart and ended their relationship. Reluctantly, Max traveled to Oldenburg to attend the guide dog school but he was not convinced that this was the right path for him. Anna was extremely instrumental in changing Max’s mind and getting him to rediscover the piano and his music. With Anna’s and Nia’s help, Max became a vested student in learning how to navigate his way through life despite the antagonist ways of the anti-Semitic trainer at the school. Bruno and Anna wrote letters to keep in touch during the course of the war but Bruno had hid many secrets about his role in the war from Anna. He was harboring many internal demons. Would Anna’s and Bruno’s love be able to survive all the consequence of actions Bruno had taken and carried out during the course of the war? What would become of Max? Would he successfully master the lessons taught at the school for guided dogs? Could he learn to love music again and find a new purpose in life?

I really enjoyed listening to A Light Beyond the Trenches by Alan Hlad. As in all his books that I have read so far, I managed to learn new things about World Was I. I liked that Alan Hlad told this story from the viewpoint of the German people. The characters were well developed and likable except for a select few. A Light Beyond the Trenches was about rationing, anti-Semitic feelings that existed even then in Germany, food shortages, romance, chemical warfare, parent/child relationships, aspirations and determination. I highly recommend this book.

[theliterateleprechaun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alan Hlad continues to be a trusted author for me because he creates a world so real that I can feel and see history developing around me. I finished this book feeling like I’d been on the battlefield with Bruno and at the seeing eye dog school with Anna and Max instead of simply reading about the Germans’ use of toxic warfare and the first seeing eye dog school in a history book.

One thread of Hlad’s wartime fiction deals with a soldier’s integration after being released from duty. In the wake of WW1 many soldiers were left blind and a German doctor, Dr. Gerhard Stalling, saw the potential benefits of training guide dogs to help them. Hlad shares how Dr. Stalling and the German Red Cross Ambulance Dogs Association opened the first seeing eye dog school in Oldenburg. Readers will see the introduction of the rehabilitation project from the ground up; the type of dog’s chosen, the training, the pairing with soldiers, and the success of the first graduates. I’m happy that Hlad didn’t write about how love heals PTSD and trauma. He showed how love and patience help, but it can’t erase the effects of battle trauma. Integration in this character’s arc is Hlad’s focus. We see Max’s family life before he enlisted, his career potential as a pianist and aspiring composer, his battlefront experience, and then his initial lack of integration back into the society he’s come from. War permeated everything for Max and readers are ever aware of how the war changed his life.

Another thread of Hlad’s wartime fiction deals with another soldier’s integration into his role in toxic warfare. The Chemistry Section in the Ministry of War utilizes Oberleutnant Wahler for his skills as a chemist. Bruno accepts because of his quest to be noticed and seen as worthy by his family. Readers will see the introduction of chemical warfare during WW1 and its effect on both the soldiers producing and placing the canisters on the frontline in addition to the effect on the soldiers who became victims. I’m happy that Hlad didn’t make Bruno an egomaniac superhero who took pleasure in gassing the enemy, but rather a real and ordinary guy who had doubts about what he was doing but who followed through on the nocuous project because his career and his future at home depended on him following orders. We see what craving human love and comfort does to Bruno and we see him wrestle with his conscience. Hlad’s use of primary sources to give readers insight into Bruno’s character is a necessary personal perspective. Integration for Bruno is only possible when he’s honest about what he’s done.

It was a thought-provoking read and I’d never considered that soldiers often have a ‘self’ and a ‘military self’ and that they hide information from each side of their life and the people in it. I’d never considered that Jewish soldiers were limited in rank and regardless of education and combat training and performance, they were given the lowest rank of enlisted men in the army and were often assigned to the front. I’d never considered how awkward military leave was for soldiers. Hlad has written to give readers pause and opportunity to aid in integration for our servicemen today.

I appreciated Hlad’s panoramic lens with which he viewed WW1. His primary action takes place on the battlefield and then pans to a domestic setting of the Zeller family and the German Red Cross Guide Dog School in Oldenburg. His panning captures the economy, highlighting the blockades, rations and hunger as well as captures the mindset on the homefront, highlighting delayed engagements/marriages, reliance on communication from the frontlines and a desperation to survive. His battle scenes are taut, only focusing on one regiment, the Pioneer Regiment 36, otherwise known as the Disinfection Unit, his characters are well-developed and capable of empathy, and both battles and romance are sensitively written.

Hlad reminds us that “in war, there are no winners, only losers.” Maximilian and Wilhelmina Benesch, Anna Zeller, and Bruno Wahler will attest to that fact.

This 5-star historical fiction about how war renewed interest in man’s best friend’s guiding eyes
needs to be on your reading list.

I was gifted this advance copy by Alan Hlad, Kensington Books, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

[Shirley Chapel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written and well researched story about the German side of WWI. Readers are taken through the years during the war and a year after the war ended. I thought the story was educational as the writer wrote about the start of a seeing eye dog training center for German Soldiers who had been blinded during their service to their country. I loved all the characters except for two, but all of them leapt off the pages and walked through my mind as the story unfolded. There was romance that blended in with the hard times of rationing and food shortages. The story was very realistic and I was totally drawn in almost from the first page.
Anna Zeller worked as a nurse at the hospital in Oldenburg Germany. Her duties were caring for wounded soldiers and assisting the Doctors who treated them. She was engaged to be married to a German Soldier, Bruno Wahler who had been wounded and recovered and had returned to the war. There were things Anna didn’t know about Bruno and he kept secrets from her.
Max Benesch was a German Jew who was a gifted musician before the war broke out. Germany had told Jews that if they became soldiers in the war that they would be considered equal to a German citizen. Max signed up to serve but soon found himself along with other Jews fighting on the front line against the British and French soldiers. Secretly Germany had decided to engage in chemical warfare. German soldiers on the front line were unaware that dangerous chemical gas tanks were buried in their trenches. The first time the disinfectant unit turned the gas valves on the wind shifted direction and bought the gas back on the German Jews on the front line. Most of the soldiers died but Max lived through it losing his sight and developing a serious lung condition from the gas he had breathed in.
Dr Stalling worked at the hospital in Oldenburg where Anna worked. He planned to start a training center for blind German Veterans teaching them to depend on German Shepherds to be a guide for them and be their eyes, allowing them to have a better quality of life. He opened the first school in Oldenburg Germany and used Ambulance Dogs to train as seeing eye dogs. Anna wanted to work for this school training blind Veterans in the seeing eye dog programs. Would Rolf Fleck, the manager of the seeing eye dog training center agree to hiring a woman to train his dogs and the blind veterans?
I recommend this book to readers of WWI and WWII fiction. Readers who enjoy reading Historical Romance will enjoy this book. It is a stand alone book. There are a few situations of light intimacy so readers that are sensitive to this might not appreciate this book for that reason. Book is scheduled to be released on March the 29th, 2022.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed here in this review are my own.
#alightbeyondthetrenches#netgalley

[Kellie O'Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is so much that I can say about this amazing, beautiful and emotionally moving book, however I will attempt to make this review as short as possible because of all of you who want to read it! I learned so very much about WW1 that I never knew before. I learned about food rations, what people ate and drank, starvation and survival. This book is close to my heart because I am disabled and use a wheelchair to get around. This doesn't stop me from living. When I was 14 years old I simply went from walking to wheeling. My family, friends and caregivers are amazingly supportive of me, I am extremely blessed!!
I know about guide dog training and all the amazing people who raise puppies for others so they can live independently. I went to CCI (Canine Companions for Independence) twice at separate times and received two beautiful Service Dogs!! There are my heart ❤️. Like Max , I went through intense training too... it's fun, exciting and emotionally draining at times, but it's all worth it!!
I never knew how the first guide dog school for battle blinded soldiers started. To be honest, I never knew it existed until I read this amazing book. Dr. Stalling was a beautiful man to even think about starting and running this school, especially during the war when money and support were scarce. By God's grace, he did it and changed the lives of people and dogs forever!!!
All the characters are so easy to connect with. You will fall in love with Max, Anna,Norbie, Emmi and Nia( the beautiful shepherd Max graduated with) . The horrors of war are there but Alan Hlad didn't make it gruesome. He focused on how people and their dogs work together to change lives for the best forever!! I have learned so much more than this but since I want you to read this amazing book, all I can say is that after reading this beautiful book, people in todays world have a lot to learn about from this generation 💖💖💖I loved it and it will stay with me for years. I highly recommend this emotionally moving book to all!!! Happy reading!! 🐕‍🦺

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well-written, entertaining WWI historical fiction novel which is based on true events, and is told from the perspectives of a German nurse and two German soldiers. It vividly depicts the horrors and brutality of war, and has heartbreak, the love and support of friends and family, a touch of romance, the healing power of music, hope, strength, resilience and a bittersweet ending. I listened to the audio version of this novel, and the narrator, Mr. Peter Noble, has a captivating voice and is truly talented.

[Gabyal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tengo que decir que la historia me ha encantado. Sé que debe haber novelas que hablan sobre el tema de éste libro, más sin embargo está narrado de una manera diferente para mi, por un lado nos muestra los horrores de la guerra y por otro la esperanza, el amor y como cambia la vida de una persona que sufre las consecuencias de esa guerra gracias al empeño y si, llamémosle amor de un perro.
Me encantó la bondad de Anna, su no dejarse amedrentar por los hombres que consideran que no es apta para el trabajo que con mucho anhelo pretende cubrir. Me encantó Max al ver como al final su perspectiva hacía la vida cambia gracias a la llegada de Nia. me gustó como Bruno acepta sus errores, y sufre las consecuencias de sus actos. Nia se lleva a todos de calle, es increíble como un perro cambia la vida de las personas, como sufren junto con ellas y también se alegran, son amigos, que aunque no hablen, con sus lametones, su compañía, su entrega y tantas cosas que nos dan sean parte de la familia.
Se que sonaré cursi, pero fue una grata sorpresa este libro y su autor, manejó súper bien la trama, la época y los personajes, me dejó un corazón apachurrado pero en buen plan

[Shirley McAllister · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guide Dogs for Veterans

An inspiring story of the start of a guide dog school for blinded veterans during WWI and the German Shepherd dogs trained to guide them. This provided these brave men with a way to regain some of their freedom and former lives.

Anna is a nurse at the hospital in Oldenburg Germany. Maybe not the most experienced. She struggles with everyday tasks at the hospital. What she lacks in technique she makes up for in compassion for the many wounded soldiers she cares for every day.

The war is taking its toll on everyone. Anna's fiancée Bruno is fighting at the western front and rationing is slowly starving the civilian population. There are a few bright moments in her job. One day as she is in the hospital garden talking to Dr. Stallings they both watch as a German Shepherd dog guides a blinded soldier along the garden path. At that moment, they have a vision of a training school to provide shepherd guide dogs for the blinded soldiers returning from the war.
Anna asks Dr. Stallings to be included in this venture and although she wishes to be a trainer, as a woman she is put in charge of feeding, cleaning and taking care of the dogs. When she nurses a wounded ambulance dog named Nia back to life she wants so badly to be a trainer and to save this dog as a guide dog.

Max is a Jewish veteran who lost his sight in the battlefield. Since the trainer his is assigned to will not have a Jewish man in his home, Anna takes Max into her home where she lives with her father and Nia whom she is still caring for. As Max trains, none of the dogs bond with him and he does not do well with the trainers, especially the one that doesn't like him because he is Jewish. Anna starts training him with Nia a home and eventually is allowed to train with him and Nia. This is their story and the story of the school for guide dogs.

This was an inspirational story with some very special characters. I really liked the character of Anna's father he was such a special person with so much hope, encouragement and love for Anna. The character of Max was as very special. I didn't like the trainer with anti-semantic views , nor did I especially like Bruno's character although both of them were good for their parts.

I enjoyed reading this book and I would most definitely recommend it to others. You will enjoy reading it as much as I did.

Thanks to Alan Hlad for writing a great story, to Kensington Books for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me.

[Lucia Nieto Navarro · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5
Creo que el momento histórico que menos leo es en el que está ambientada esta novela, quizá porque haya menos o no lo sé…
.
Novela de ficción histórica que está basada en hechos reales, con una historia que desde el principio engancha, engancha porque quieres saber qué ocurre con todos los personajes …
.
Y es que si algo tengo que destacar en esta novela son lo personajes, casi todos inventados..pero es que todos te van a gustar, desde la protagonista una enfermera que trabaja en un hospital con soldados que vienen del frente, hasta Nia, un pastor alemán, uno de esos perros que ayudan a las personas invidentes o mejor, a todas.
.
Otra de las cosas que destaco es la gran documentación, sobre la época, sobre la ambientación, y sobre todos esos animales que ayudaron a muchas personas.
.
Como en “El largo camino a casa” el autor centra su novela en animales que ayudaron tanto y que no se conoce si labor, otra novela que recomiendo mucho…
.
Una novela que te va hacer sentir de todo, con un final ( el que tenia que ser) que a mi me ha hecho soltar alguna lagrima… asique si eres amante de los animales, te gusta la novela histórica… tienes que leerlo …

[Leyendo con Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Completamente maravilloso.

Uno de los libros más bonitos que he leído en mi vida

[Audrey Dry · Rating 4 out of 5]

PopSugar 2023: categoría 6 (avanzado): un libro como una mascota como personaje.

4,5/5

Tengo muchas cosas buenas que decir de este libro. En primer lugar me gustaría hacer hincapié en la grata sorpresa que me he llevado al descubrir a un autor con una pluma tan bonita. Su estilo claro y su forma de narrar sumergen al lector en un mundo devastado por la Primera Guerra Mundial. Además de esto, es de muy agradecer la facilidad con la que se lee el libro: atrapa desde las primeras líneas y en ningún momento se pierde el hilo.

Es posible que exista una gran cantidad de libros ambientados en este lamentable episodio histórico. Sin embargo, me ha resultado muy llamativo que el punto de vista fuera el de los habitantes alemanes. Tenemos tres puntos de vista diferentes: dos hombres, Max y Bruno, destrozados física y emocionalmente (respectivamente) por la guerra y una mujer, Anna, con una bondad inmensa en tiempos donde lo bueno apenas existía. Por supuesto también debo nombrar a Nia, el pastor alemán que acaba robando el corazón de los lectores.

Al principio no sabía muy bien cómo iban a converger las distintas situaciones que vivían cada uno de los personajes. Sin duda, el autor ha sabido llevar muy bien las líneas argumentales de cada uno de ellos para que la historia tuviera un nudo llamativo y un desenlace del que no voy a hablar porque sería horrible por mi parte.

Por otro lado, y a pesar de que Bruno me empezó a caer mal por diferentes circunstancias, ha sido, en mi opinión, el personaje más humano. Quizá por sus defectos e imperfecciones, por su culpa y ansiedad, por sus errores y dolor. Con esto no quiero decir que los demás no me hayan agradado; lo han hecho, sobre todo Max y Nia, pero Bruno tenía ese arrepentimiento y desesperación que me han hecho engancharme a su trama.

Debo admitir que pensé que iba a haber un antítesis (Waldemar), y que me he llevado cierto chasco al ver que el "malo" era un malo "descafeinado". Tal vez el autor perdió una buena oportunidad de darle más protagonismo a este personaje con el fin de crear más obstáculos a los protagonistas. No obstante, creo que su intención fue reflejar a la guerra como enemigo de todos. Algo que consigue sin duda alguna.

En definitiva, ha sido un libro que me ha sorprendido, que me ha emocionado. Una historia de esperanza para personas que necesitan luz en su vida.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Light Beyond the Trenches by Alan Hlad is an excellent WWI-era historical fiction that has it all: history, suspense, action, love, loss, and was gripping from beginning to end.

I have read several books from Mr. Hlad in the past and loved both, so I knew I had to read this one, too.

I really, really enjoyed this book. It is so refreshing when I can learn something new while being entertained, and this book definitely gave me that experience.

This book gives the reader a gripping narrative from several different characters’ viewpoints and gives us the background knowledge of several historical aspects: the use of dangerous and toxic gases in battle, the long-term and short-term detrimental effects on the soldiers in battle from toxic gas use, and the fantastic inspiration and basis for the foundations of service canines for soldiers blinded during battle.

So many subjects that I was able to learn so much about. As a passionate supporter for service canines, it was so engaging and intriguing to learn about Dr. Stalling and his German Sheppards. The training, the foundations, and the inspirations…it was emotional and moving as well.

I loved how the author created this narrative from several different viewpoints and was able to weave such a stunning tale from this.

The Author’s Note at the end was able to give us what was real vs fiction and what was inspired by real historical events. The author clearly researched this material and has a real talent to be able to create such a beautiful story from this research.

Just stunning. I cannot recommend this book enough. It is real, raw, and moving.

5/5 stars enthusiastically

Thank you NG and A John Scognamiglio Book Publishing for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 3/29/22.

[Elijah McLellan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I saw about this book and was interested by the story. I was happy to receive the book via the Goodreads Giveaway; however, my excitement was slowly drained as I started to read the book. Firstly, the characters were rather shallow, and much of the dialogue and actions felt very unnatural and forced. Secondly, as I got further in the book, I found that there was unnecessary and what seems to be anachronistic sexual content (let's be honest, is there any chance that a father in the 1910s would be okay sleeping on the couch while his "unwed" daughter sleeps with a man in the other room?). It was unnecessary and out-of-character, and also out of place in the otherwise-well-researched book.
Sorry, but I would not recommend this book... Read something better.

[lore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Han pasado ya un par de horas desde que me lo acabé y sigo sin saber muy bien cómo escribir esto, pero allá voy.
Desde que me regalaron este libro y leí la sinopsis, supe que era para mí: mezclaba literatura histórica con perros y amor. Sin embargo, a pesar de haberlo empezado con unas expectativas bastante altas, las ha superado todas.
Hacía años que un libro no conseguía hacerme llorar como lo ha hecho este. En muchas partes, sobre todo cuando ya el libro se acerca al final, no podía contener todas las emociones que estaba sintiendo y tenía que parar, cerrar el libro y continuar una vez me hubiera tranquilizado.
Anna es un personaje que desde el principio tiene fuerza a pesar de sus inseguridades, y a lo largo del libro se lo va demostrando a sí misma de una manera que el lector siente que todos los pasos los da junto a ella.
Max es un ejemplo, a la vez que una persona rota con la que se consigue empatizar desde el primer momento. No voy a decir nada más de él porque sería spoiler, pero desde un suceso en concreto se metió en mi corazón y estoy segura de que siempre habrá un huequito para este personaje en mí.
Norbie es una persona fuerte, que ha sufrido , pero ha sabido seguir adelante y sabe cómo apoyar a las personas que tiene alrededor para que no se hundan.
Nia. No tengo palabras todavía para hablar de ella, de su historia, de su evolución, del impacto que tiene en los demás y no solo dentro del libro, porque a mí también me ha marcado. Este personaje refleja a la perfección la fuerza de los perros y lo que pueden conseguir solo con su compañía y amor. Además, quien haya tenido un pastor alemán verá que las características de esta raza están descritas a la perfección y verá en Nia un trozo de su mascota. La mía ya está en el cielo, pero gracias a Nia la he revivido entre páginas.
Por último, no puedo no mencionar la gran labor de documentación que se observa desde la primera página hasta la última y lo mucho que agradezco que se le de visibilidad a este tema. Hay muchos libros de la Primera Guerra Mundial y también de la Segunda y siempre se habla de historias de personas (lo cual está muy bien, no quiero decir lo contrario), pero nunca había leído un libro que le diese visibilidad a los perros.
Sin este libro nunca hubiera conocido la gran labor humanitaria realizada por los perros durante la guerra. Para mí son los ojos de quien no puede ver y el corazón de quien piensa que no puede volver a sentir.

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as I read the synopsis, I knew I had to read this book, and boy am I glad I did! Set in WWI when the first school for training guide dogs for the blind began.

I fell in love with the three main characters, Anna Zeller, a Red Cross nurse who joins the school; Max Benesch, a Jewish soldier who returns from the front blinded by chlorine gas; and Nia, a German Shepherd with injured paws suffered in the trenches.

We see a different perspective as the impact of the war on German citizens is presented, with the extra humanizing factor of the new guide dogs for those blinded in combat.

A wonderful read, highly recommended for lovers of historical fiction, romance, and animals. Out March 29.

Thanks to the author, Kensington Books, and
NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.

#alightbeyondtheyrenches #alanhlad #Kensington Books #NetGalley

[Desiree Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another one hit out of the park by Hlad.
Both a tragic and a sweet story. The horrors of WWI, woven about with a love story, and the amazing German shepherd guide dogs.
This one takes place in Germany, which is somewhat unique, in that most 20th Century English-language war stories are set in England or France.
Graphic war descriptions in parts, several premarital relationships, and an unusual amount of a single woman spending time alone with a man for the time period.
But, beautifully done, and wonderful. Highly recommend, not only to read, but to keep a place of honor on your bookshelf.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this story. It was not a difficult story to understand how the guide dog training school came about during World War I. Of course, there is that romance and a bit of action that keeps the reader engaged.
There were happy times, sad times, and rough times that make this story an interesting read.
I kept rooting for the star figure, Anna Zeller, to go down swinging to make things happen that would benefit the blind soldiers needing their guide, a shepherd dog to become their eyes, and a companion.
The story gets more interesting as you turn the pages.

[Anne-Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my what an exceptional story
Deserves more than a 5 star rating

What can I say about this amazing story! I loved every page and word! My first book by Alan Hlad and I hope it isn't my last. He pulls you into the story like no other...I felt like I was there while Anna and her father, Norbie would try to make the best of their life living during WWI. The lack of food made me stop and think what I would do if I went back to that time and didn't have the food I have today. It was gut wrenching what they had to endure. Not to mention what happened to the soldiers in the trenches...I literally cried so hard reading this story....I have never had a story touch me like this one did.

Exceptional characters and it was like I was watching them go about their days at the hospital then at the training facility. We went from the town of Oldenburg to the trenches of WWI....it was heart wrenching what everyone went through during WWI but some good did come out of it...the first school for training dogs for the blind. I learned a lot while reading Mr Hlad's story....it really made me think about freedom and who fought for it. What they went through during the chemical bombings.

HIGHLY recommend this story....you won't regret reading it. Although I will warn you to have a box of tissues handy for the last 45 minutes of the book. I cried so much and so hard. Just when I thought it was over I cried some more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books, A John Scognamiglio Book for allowing me to read an advanced digital copy of Mr Hlad's book. The opinions in this review are mine and mine alone.
A truly exceptional book.

[Jenny Ar · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 🌟
Me encantó conocer esta gran historia basada en hechos reales en Alemania de 1916 me llevo al momento de la creación de los primera escuela de perros guías, al principio era para ayudar a los soldados que regresaban, en voz de Anna una enfermera de la cruz roja en epocas de la promera guerra mundial y en compañía de Nia una pastora alemán que llega a la escuela herida y enferma. Vivi con ellas la guerra, la esperanza, el romance, amistad, aventura, el uso de gases tóxicos, huérfanos, guerra y más. Una gran novela muy bien narrada y ambientada.

[Mercyfaith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
As I have an interest in service dogs, WWI history and history in general, this book seemed to fit the bill for a fun read. I really appreciated the close attention to historical detail and I learned quite a bit from this book. It also inspired me to do some research on my own about WWI. However, the story, characters, and conversations mostly felt forced and lacked flow making it hard to get lost in the story. I also wish this story had done better at depicting the culture it was set in. The German characters were always giving each other hugs and sharing their feelings. As someone with not so distant German roots, I found it be an odd way to depict German's. I appreciate that this book confronts the anti-semitism of pre WWII Germany, but I did not think it did well at representing the German Jewish subculture. Other than the racial prejudice Max faces and that he lit a menorah once, there was no real acknowledgment of Jewish culture.

[Of Butterflies & Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Kensington Publishing for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was initially very intrigued by the premise and subject matter this book focused on because I don't think I've ever heard of or at least read a book involving service dogs before but this book has definitely sparked my interest in seeking out more books like this in the future. I thought the book was very well written and emotional. The only thing I felt that I struggled with was the shifting of the different perspectives. I don't know if they flowed as much as I would have liked because I would be reading about one character and then, all of a sudden we would shift to another character and it felt like a very sudden transition into a new setting/mind set.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book through the GoodReads First Reads giveaways.

This is my second time reading a book by Alan Hlad and I was pleased with his latest novel, A Light Beyond the Trenches. As a fan of historical fiction, I was intrigued to learn more about the first guide dog school for the blind. I felt a lot of research went into the writing of this book and especially pleased to hear that the author spent time utilizing the resources of The Seeing Eye guide dog school of Morristown, NJ. Similar to Alan Hlad's other book that I read, I want to call his writing style more of a historical romance and this time it was set in Germany during WWI. In this story, we learn about a physician named Dr. Stalling, who is the director of the Red Cross Ambulance Dogs, and while treating a blind soldier a German shepherd guides/assists this soldier in the hospital's garden. Our main female character, Anna, who is a nurse at this hospital, witnesses this exchange between the dog and the soldier and quickly informs Dr. Stalling about the incident. Dr. Stalling believes that with the many blind soldiers returning back from war, perhaps training shepherds will allow these soldiers to have companions and helpers in the future. And so the dog school for the blind is created. Anna so wants to be part of this school that she asks Dr. Stalling to consider her to become a member of the school and leave her nursing post at the hospital. With a little persuasion she is granted this wish. While working at the school, Anna and her best friend, Emmi begin caring for the dogs, and one injured dog captures Anna's heart. Anna makes it her mission to help Nia, the shepherd, so that the shepherd can participate in this program. As additional soldiers come to this school, one named Max ends up being housed with Anna and her father. At first Max is hesitant to participate in the program with his whole heart and soul because in his mind, what's the point? However with Anna's encouragement and determination, both Max and Nia become stars in this program. Meanwhile, Anna has a fiance, Bruno, who is involved in chemical warfare and has participated in war atrocities. Bruno fears what will Anna think of him if/when she knows the truth. Meanwhile, Max, Anna and Anna's father, Norbie, slowly become a family. What will Anna do when Bruno comes home to her? Will Max and Nia complete the program? These are all questions I will leave unanswered, but I will say the reader will definitely know love is in the air, but who will capture and keep Anna's heart? I leave that up to you to find out.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating and well written story about the first guide dog school for the blind established in Germany during WWI. Anna is a nurse who feels called to help the dog trainers as they assist the veterans and the dogs. She also rescues a German shepherd dog name Nia that she trains on her own. Nia is eventually paired with Max, a Jewish pianist now battle blind from poisonous gas. The story is gritty, the battle scenes and death are not glossed over. Anna’s fiancé Bruno is often on the front lines, and fighting many internal demons as well. Anna and her father struggle sometimes to even get food when ration supplies are limited as Germany directs nearly all resources toward the war effort. I’ve never read a WWI book from the perspective of German citizens and German soldiers, so to me it was unique and interesting. The ending tugged at my heart.
4.5 stars, rounded up.

I received an eARC from Kensington Publishing via NetGalley. A positive review was not required and all opinions are my own.

[Terri Wangard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anna is a nurse caring for World War I soldiers in Oldenburg, Germany, when she transfers to the new guide dog school to provide dogs to blinded veterans. She saves a wounded dog from euthanasia and works with Nia in secret.

Max, a German Jewish pianist, is blinded by gas from a ruptured German canister and boards with Anna and her father. He and Nia bond as they train together under Anna’s tutelage.

Anna’s fiancé Bruno is a chemist working in gas warfare but tries to keep this a secret from Anna, as well as other unsavory details.

Anna and Max will win your hearts. Their perseverance amid deprivation and harassment is heart-warming, even with the tragedy that strikes.

This novel brings to light the seldom noted starvation of German civilians due to the British blockade, and how conscientious men become harden to the horrors of war. Contains pre-marital intimacy, though not explicit, and minimal swearing.

[Nancy Shepherd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of the book from the publisher via goodreads. Without a doubt, this is a top-notch book, one of the best I have read in a long while.It has all the elements we have come to expect in novels dealing with war, wounded soldiers, and scarcity of food everywhere, not just on the battlefield. I remember my parents telling of eating turnips in place of potatoes, but I never knew why.
Also, we read of the early days of seeing-eye dogs and their training. This story is set in WWI in Germany and it tells a story I had never heard nor even given any thought.

[Marie Christensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I can’t imagine eating turnips & drinking wood coffee daily. What jerks Fleck & Waldemar were….Fleck not so much near the end. I was sad when Max passed

[Albóndiga Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tierna historia sobre la introducción de los perros guía en veteranos de guerra invidentes. Me han parecido flojillos los personajes, pero el perro es un auténtico amor.

[Kinsey Breland .: avid_midnight_reader :. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn’t aware that the Jewish community in Germany were so looked down upon during World War I. It sounds like things just got worse for them in the next war. We also got a point-of-view from one of the men that worked closely with creating the chemical warfare side of the battle. Bruno’s heartbreak over all the losses that were caused by him was painful to read. He was holding so much inside. Not to mention coming home to find his fiancée working with guide dogs to help aid the soldiers that he helped to blind.

I love how the idea to train dogs to lead the blind came about due to the war. It was amazing getting to read about people training these dogs to work with blind veterans.

[Kobietaczytajaca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sama nie wiem czemu zwlekałam z przeczytaniem tej książki, która wycisnęła ze mnie chyba wszystkie łzy, jakie posiadałam. Jest to przepiękna opowieść o miłości, przyjaźni człowieka z psem, o trudnych wojennych czasach, gdzie śmierć jest tuż za rogiem, o głodzie i zimnie oraz walce o pożywienie. Postać Anny to anioł, kobieta zrobi wszystko, aby innym żyło się lepiej, postanawia zatrudnić się w szkole dla niewidomych weteranów wojennych i chce szkolić psy. Niestety trafia do zajęć porządkowych a szkolenia może tylko podglądać, ale nie zraża się tym i wykonuje swoją pracę najlepiej jak potrafi. Do szkoły przywożą chorą suczkę Nię, nikt nie daje jej szansy przeżycia a Anna robi wszystko by suczka stanęła na nogi i nie została uśpiona. Max to oślepiony na froncie żołnierz z korzeniami żydowskimi, kiedy jeden z instruktorów odmawia jego przyjęcia pod swój dach zostaje zakwaterowany u Anny i przechodzi szkolenie. Mamy tu jeszcze postać Bruna, narzeczonego Anny, który walczy na froncie, ma on wiele na sumieniu, lecz boi się stracić swoją ukochaną i nie mówi jej prawdy. Kolejna postać to ojciec kobiety Norbert, który jest zegarmistrzem, ojciec staje się dla niej oparciem w tych trudnych czasach. Książka jest podzielona na pięć części, każdy rozdział zatytułowany miejscem i datą, lubię ten zabieg, ponieważ ułatwia czytanie. Myślałam, że książka będzie przewidywalna, ale tak nie jest autor bardzo dobrze to rozegrał i kiedy czytałam koniec to aż zapierało mi dech w piersi bo moje zakończenie w głowie nie przewidywało tego ułożonego przez autora. Książka fantastyczna dodatkowo inspirowana prawdziwymi wydarzeniami, polecam wszystkim, musicie koniecznie ją przeczytać.

[Estela VR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me ha gustado mucho a pesar del narrador del audiolibro.