A Light Beyond the Trenches

By: Alan Hlad

Narrated by: Peter Noble

April 1916, Germany: 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. 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 firsthand in one of the school's trainers. 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 . . .

©2022 Alan Hlad (P)2022 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

war on the homefront is difficult, but we can still help people

saddened that the jewish people have such a history of being disliked and persecuted just for being Jewish. encouraged to see that there are good people who are above such ignorance.

Peter makes the story A+

Love the three stories merging. Well written, but even more so well read. I haven’t been so entrenched in a in many years.

Fantastic Story!!

Terrific read!!
This is my second book by this author, and he does a beautiful job weaving his story into the history of the time - I didn't want to put it down!! The audio narration was fantastic and a perfect fit!
Highly recommend!!

Wonderful listen!!

Wonderful book! Excellent narration! My husband and I listened to it together and thoroughly enjoyed it!

Beautiful but sad story

This was a very beautiful but sad story about the Great War .
The details about the chemical warfare Germany unleashed
On the world we’re grim and horrific .
Certainly showed the effects of war on both sides .
There was no glory for Germany just death and suffering.
The narrator was very good .

Gripping yet heartwarming

This novel is quite unique among the literature on WWI (at least in terms of books in English) since it takes the perspective of how average German people and German soldiers suffered during the war and from the folly and brutality of their government and their military. But the story is richly emotional, with beautiful family and romantic relationships, a strong theme of classical music and, especially, the wonderful tale of how dogs were first trained formally to serve blind veterans. The narrator's performance is also wonderful.

One of best , an emotional experience, totally

excellent!!!! highly recommended, the reader made the book. The terrible horrors of war comes to life.

100 stars

Where has this author been hiding? We look forward to many more future novels linking historical fiction to the true human experience.

A different view of WWI

The book started a bit slow…more dark than slow but soon picked up to the author’s usual superb writing. So interesting to read how Germans suffered during the war.