When the World Goes Quiet

A Novel

By: Gian Sardar

Narrated by: Jesse Vilinsky

Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

In the final days of World War I, an aspiring artist’s courageous journey is just beginning in a powerful novel about love, danger, and survival by the author of Take What You Can Carry.

It’s 1918 in German-occupied Bruges, Belgium. With luck, Evelien will make it to the end of the war and be given what she was promised: a prized painting in exchange for safeguarding her employer’s possessions. Until then, Evelien knows to keep her head down and stay out of trouble. But life never goes to plan, especially in war.

A member of the Resistance approaches Evelien: steal a list of names hidden in her employer’s home. In return, she’ll get a letter from her long-missing husband, Emiel. She’d lost hope of Emiel’s survival, but the promised letter puts her certainty of his death in question. Evelien begins her mission and soon forms a friendship with a soldier who is struggling with the devastating demands of battle. Their shared passion for art deepens the bond, and Evelien faces a heart-wrenching truth: she longs for Emiel’s safe return…but not necessarily to her.

As the final days of the war loom closer, Evelien has never been in more danger. And should she survive the war’s bitter end, what choices will she make for a life beyond liberation?

©2024 by Gian Schwehr. (P)2023 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Most of all, the novel examines human survival, love, and loyalty in a time of war in an occupied area with a shortage of resources and denial of services by the oppressors…The inclusion of art, paintings, and other artifacts adds appeal to the story and plot. Highly recommended.”—Historical Novels Review

“Sardar paints an intimate portrait of a passionate young woman—Evelien, an aspiring artist desperate for a future beyond domestic conventions—struggling to survive the last weeks of World War 1 in occupied Bruges. When the World Goes Quiet asks us to grapple with the difficult questions of what we owe each other of duty, love, and loyalty during times of unprecedented chaos and devastation. Sardar is a master weaver of electrifying unlikely allegiances—and shining hope in the darkest places. The payoff is unexpected and satisfying.”—Yoojin Grace Wuertz, author of Everything Belongs to Us

“When the World Goes Quiet is a gripping page-turner about the moral compromises of life in a war zone, but it’s also a delicate tapestry that captures how love and art can keep us alive inside devastation. Gian Sardar always writes with great lyrical beauty and emotional acuity, and this book is no exception. I loved it.”—Janelle Brown, New York Times bestselling author of I’ll Be You and Pretty Things

Brilliantly connected every thread of the story

I have read and/or listened to a lot of historical fiction books, and always find them interesting, but this book was captivating from the first moment. The orator, Jesse Vilinsky, was masterful and brought the story to life for me. But, the story itself was so nuanced and the tension Gian brought to countless moments was impressive. I have already downloaded her book, Take What You Can Carry, and cannot wait to hit play!

DNF because of narrator

I did not finish because of the narrator. It was very hard for me to get to the story when I was distracted by her modulating voice that made me adjust the volume and her slipping in and out of characters, so it was hard to know who was talking.I didn’t really get to understand the story because it was hard to hear and I paid more of attention to her voice voice then the story.

Beautifully haunting story

The storyline was well written, had a great flow and gave you hope amid tragedy.

Civilian side of WWI

I really enjoyed the pace of this book. In the last few years I have found several books that tell of wars by those whose lives have been most affected. I always saw tanks and planes and artillery when I heard of wars but now we can hear from those who lived on the battlefields.

Couldn’t finish it

Didn’t like at all. Great to hear a First World War story but didn’t grab me. Characters had multi dimensions but hard for to relate at all to the German soldier or the tortured girl.

Wonderful recommendation!

My sister recommended this book while we were traveling together.
I loved it! It is even better than she described!

It is so beautifully written and the characters are perfect and believable!

I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great book that unfolds beautifully into a perfectly written story you’ll think of again and again!

Sometimes Lying is Necessary

Powerful story of families dealing with war and the aftermath of war, hunger and so much more. This speaks to what one will do when faced with choices in a dire situation. Lying is not so bad or is it? What are the consequences of the “white lie?” Lastly, love comes at you when least expected. The one downside for me is the narration of Eveline. Her voice annoyed me.