This was an excellent WWI-era book that kept me glued to the pages from the first word until the end.

We follow three main characters, Anna, Max and Bruno as their stories become intertwined with each other. Max is a Jewish German soldier, blinded by toxic gas. Bruno is also a German soldier, however his chemistry background makes him perfect for the so-called Disinfection Unit, which you learn is a top secret name for the until that creates these toxic weapons. Anna is Bruno’s fiancée, a nurse working at a hospital until she has the opportunity to work where they’re training guide dogs. Max meets Anna when he qualifies for a shepherd and he boards with Anna and her father when no one else wants a Jewish man to live with them.

This is a gripping book that was full of love and endurance. These three characters have heartbreaking stories to tell, and Alan Hlad wrote a story that had me rooting for Anna and Max in particular. Without being dreary, this was a realistic look at ordinary, everyday people who suffered during the war. While this story doesn’t have a stereotypical “happy ending” it was a satisfying end.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.