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The
Darkest Hour,
Tony Schumacher's debut novel, has a very intriguing storyline.
It can be considered an alternate history of sorts that questions
morality. Through the character's eyes, readers examine if
it is even possible to redeem oneself after committing terrible
acts. What makes this novel very interesting is how the author
creates an action-packed plot while still exploring questions
such as: Could the British people become like the Nazis; and
what doors would someone open to survive?
The author noted that he drew the idea "from a documentary
on television. It showed a photograph from the Second World
War of an English policeman in the Channel Islands, just off
the coast of France, occupied by the Germans. This policeman
was holding a car door open for a German officer, where both
he and the German officer were smiling. It was a propaganda
picture taken by the Germans to show they weren't such bad
guys. When I saw the photo, I was momentarily angry with the
policeman. I'd been a policeman for ten years, and to me,
this officer had disgraced the uniform. But almost immediately,
I realized I couldn't think like that. This guy was probably
told, 'Open that door and smile. If you don't, you'll get
shot. So, open the door.' And to stay alive, he'd done what
he was told to do. After all, he might have a family at home
and wanted to live. So I began wondering what I would have
done in that circumstance. Once you cross that line, it begins
to recede. Each time you're told to do something abhorrent,
that line moves back a bit more. You compromise your values,
your integrity. and you have to weigh how much you want to
stay alive against doing something you find despicable."
The plot begins with Germany controlling Western Europe after
a pact is signed in 1946. The Germans are occupying Great
Britain using brutality, fear, and consensus to control the
English. The main character is John Rossett, who won the Victoria
Cross for rescuing his fellow soldiers from Dunkirk. After
the war he returns home to find his wife and son killed by
a bomb that was meant for the German authorities. He is chosen
to work in the Office of Jewish Affairs, charged with hunting
down and rounding up the Jews for deportation. He attempts
to fool himself into believing that they are sent to France
as laborers, never questioning, and willingly believing the
propaganda. He goes along to get along until he finds Jacob,
the grandson of someone he knew. Determined to find redemption
and to find a purpose to his life, he decides to save this
one boy who "deserved the chance of life and love."
Trying to help Jacob escape to America, Rossett must battle
the resistance and the Nazis, who have their own agenda for
wanting Jacob dead. During this portion of the story, the
novel becomes a thriller with non-stop action as well as many
twists and turns.
At times emotions vary from liking and rooting for certain
characters to utter distaste of them. The author skillfully
never allows the reader to forget that, although Rossett is
a redeemable hero, he has a sullied past. Does one good action
nullify the previous bad ones? This hero is a complex character
who is emotionally damaged and attempts to save his soul by
offering Jacob a future, turning from an evil person who assisted
in the dirty work to becoming a caring rescuer. Rossett is
contrasted with SS Officer Ernst Koehler, who on the surface
is very likeable, but in reality is a devil in disguise who
inwardly cares little about human life.
Tony noted, "A number of scenes had Jacob taking John
Henry Rossett's hand. The readers know it is 'dirty,' but
Jacob believes John will do the right thing by him. I get
the sense readers wanted to hate John, but didn't because
of Jacob's view of him. Jacob becomes Rossett's guardian angel
giving him some of his soul back, forcing him to explore within
himself. Although Jacob is a character who does not speak
a lot in the book, he is a thread through the whole story.
Jacob made John recognize and confront that monster inside
of himself. John carried a lot of guilt and was tortured by
his own actions of doing nothing. On the other hand, the German
SS Officer, Koehler, had people like him on the surface. They
thought of him as charming, but in reality he is a killer,
a nightmare."
The Darkest Hour is the first in a series of books
about the "German occupation of England." Throughout
the thrilling storyline is a moralistic thread. Readers should
not question, "what if this did happen," but "could
it happen today?" considering the rising anti-Semitism.
This book is a page-turner with engaging characters, plot
twists, and a very intelligent storyline that is thought provoking.
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