Comes a Little Light

by Darice Bailer, Rosemarie Molser, Nancy Stember (Illustrator)

In 1938, a 17-year-old German girl named Rosemarie Marienthal received a letter from a young Jewish doctor living in the Belgian Congo, in the primitive heart of Africa. The young man was a new doctor, and a refugee from his German homeland. Get out of Europe, the doctor pleaded with Rosemarie, before it's too late. In the aftermath of Kristallnacht, the Nazis' crushing invasion of Poland, and a world declaration of war, Rosemarie was faced with a decision. What should she do? Follow her heart to this stranger, or wait with her parents for a visa to America? Comes A Little Light is a love story that you will not soon forget, a rare gem of hope amidst this war's tragic ashes.

209 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Heathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

**I won this book through a Goodreads Giveaway**
I don't often give out 5-star reviews. Even if I really enjoyed a book, it's difficult to say that I loved it. What made me decide to give this book the extra star is that it left me blubbering like a baby on multiple occasions.

The characters were very well-written and I adored Rosemarie's father. I think he's truly my favorite character in the book. Something about his birthday cart tradition really tugged at my heartstrings. He seemed like such a wonderful, loving father & it was impossible not to like him.

This book hit close to home for me, because I had a long distance correspondence with someone, as well... even though I was advised against it. Maybe that's why I fell in love with this book, because I could relate to Rosemarie in many ways.

Although this book is a WWII/holocaust memoir, it really doesn't focus JUST on that. Yes, there is mention of the concentration camps, the Nazis, Hitler and those things. But it's more focused on the HUMAN aspect and the struggle for a family to stay together. It's also about Rosemarie finding herself and her place in the world.

Unfortunately, Rosemarie has since passed away. Otherwise, I would love for a second book to come out and chronicle her journey to America.

[Brianna Rabe · Rating 1 out of 5]

After spending a semester studying the rise and fall of Hitler and visiting countless locations of his horrendous anti-Semetic legistlation, I seem to be drawn to stories of survirors. After seeing this kicking around the Darien Library, I decided it was time to dive into another story of personal strenght during the Holocaust. The story was not what I expected, instead dealing with a true story of love despite the hardships of the era. The story follows a young girl as she escapes Germany following the implementation of Nazi regulations. As her family finds ways to leave their life behind, the main character finds a penpal in Africa with whom she falls in love. The story dealt more with personal choices as one grows old than the horrors of Nazi-controlled and plagued Europe. It was decent, I was intrigued throughout the story, although the level of writing left something wanting.

[Erin Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Per regulation, I must state that I won this book through the Goodreads First Reads/Giveaway program.

A story of hope comes out of a hopeless time.

I feel like I keep finding Holocaust literature to read, and this book delivers a different view on the Holocaust. People are lost, but most importantly, Rosemarie grows up and learns that even in the darkest of times, a little light can change one's life.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this for my AAUW book club. Completely mesmerized!