You meet many people throughout your life time. I would have liked very much to have met Bob. His grace and are amazing. I wish you a good, long life Bob. ( )

This historical novel is based on the actual experiences of Bob Inama, an American soldier stationed in West Berlin during the cold war. It covers the creation of the Berlin Wall and the hardships experienced by all Berliners, but especially the plight of East Berliners who were forced to succumb to Russian rule and depravations. Luisa has a beloved grandmother in East Berlin and is desperate to convince her to relocate to West Berlin. Luisa and Bob meet at a social, and their connection becomes a strong force for both of them, in spite of Luisa's father's antipathy toward American soldiers. Each is unaware of the other's efforts to undermine the East German/Russian governance, and when Bob disappears Luisa doesn't know that he's been arrested for his espionage. For both of them, their faith and spirituality are strong influences that contribute to their endurance throughout hardship and danger. The author's devotion to telling Bob Inama's story carries the novel, even though the writing is not always polished. ( )

Even though I lived through most of this part of history, there was so much I was unaware of, never knew, or had simply forgotten. I highly recommend this to everyone, especially in light of what is currently happing in Europe. I pray that we do not let this happen again. Filled with real quotes, statements, records, and so forth. Yes, it is a novel, but there is much truth revealed here.

In the summer of 1961, a wall of barbed wire goes up quickly in the dead of night, officially dividing Berlin. Luisa Voigt lives in West Berlin, but her grandmother lives across the border and is now trapped inside the newly isolated communist country of East Germany. Desperate to rescue her grandmother and aware of the many others whose families have been divided, Luisa joins a secret spy network, risking her life to help bring others through a makeshift underground tunnel to West Germany. Their work is dangerous, and not everyone will successfully escape or live to see freedom.

Bob Inama was an outstanding university student with plans to attend law school when he is drafted into the US Army. Stationed in West Germany, he is glad to be fluent in German, especially after meeting Luisa Voigt at a church social. As they spend time together, they form a close connection. But when Bob receives classified orders to leave for undercover work immediately, he does not get the chance to say good-bye.

With a fake identity, Bob’s special assignment is to be a spy embedded in East Germany. His undercover job will give him access to government sites to map out strategic military targets. But Soviet and East German spies, the secret police, and Stasi informants are everywhere, and eventually Bob is caught and sent to a brutal East German prison. Interrogated and tortured daily, Bob clings to any hope he can find - from the sunlight that marches across the wall of his prison, to the one guard who secretly treats him with kindness, to the thought of one day seeing Luisa again. ( )

Set mainly in Germany during the Cold War in the early 1960s, The Slow March of Light by Heather B. Moore is based on actual happenings in the life of Bob Inama, an American soldier who went undercover in East Germany to gather information for the U.S. Army. Although some of it is fictionalized, it was inspired by real events as related by Mr. Inama to the author. Bob Inama’s courage, faith, and conviction carried him through incarceration and torture in an East German prison.

The harsh conditions existing and atrocities committed in East Germany and East Berlin during this period of time prior to, during, and after the building of the Berlin Wall are hard to read about, even though I grew up during this time. The author did an excellent job of researching the subject matter and giving sources and information to the reader. I’m so glad she was able to tell Bob Inama’s story before he passed away. This is a compelling and heart-wrenching book, and very much worth the time spent reading it. 4.5 stars

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Shadow Mountain through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. ( )

It’s been awhile since I’ve had a work of fiction touch me as deeply like The Slow March of Light did. An emotional story that is based on the true story of Bob Inama, a US Army soldier that served in Germany in the early 1960’s as the Cold War rages and the Berlin Wall is erected, who finds himself in a place that is the stuff of nightmares: a prisoner in East Germany, where Soviets rule with fear and an iron fist.

I have read many historical fiction novels that include Germans and/or Germany and they always give me a cold sense of dread, knowing the dark history that swirls around this region. I felt that foreboding quite a bit in The Slow March of Light, anticipating when the proverbial ball would drop, but with Luisa’s story, though fictional, it gave flesh to all of the Germans that were against the inhumane actions of their country, and for that I am thankful. It is a remarkable reminder that even in the darkness there is light and was the perfect balance to Bob’s harrowing tale.

The author’s notes are incredibly thorough, leaving no question as to what parts of the story came straight from Bob himself and what she took creative liberties on, which surprisingly wasn’t as much as I had expected. Heather truly wanted Bob’s story to shine, which it does like a shimmering diamond, and even much of the fictitious parts of the story still held quite a bit of truth, paralleling the actual account nicely, with Heather explaining the motivation behind it all.

The amount of research that went into this novel is obvious and astounding, and I commend Heather for her heart and dedication, and for another incredible true story that has echoed in my mind since I finished the final page and I know will be forever etched in my heart. I was so inspired by Bob’s positivity, thankfulness, and his endurance to never give up hope that I have found myself being more focused and thankful for the many blessings in my life, even in the hard times I am currently enduring. If Bob Inama can go through what he went through and come out with a grateful heart, why can’t I?

“Bob could have never predicted the journey that was in store for him, but looking back, he saw the Lord’s hand in every detail. Every frustrating, painful, bewildering, and joyful detail.” ( )