The Village Light

The setting for the book is northern Europe between the 17th and 19th centuries. Authoritarian rule by monarchs and state-based religion is curtailed, as a result of the struggle for greater freedoms during this period. The story follows the adventures of an assembly of French refugees who escape from the conflict of the Thirty Years' War to assist in restoring decimated Prussian villages. The theme of light overcoming the darkness is illustrated with personal stories of triumph, interwoven with the events of the time.
The style of this book is a biographical historical novel based on facts from reputable sources. Covering the refugee's early life in Prussia, it includes details of their migration and settlement. Another key theme of the book is the gradual assimilation of the French with the native Prussians.
This is the first book in a series that covers roughly 200 years from the early 17th century. The next book covers the subsequent 200 years up to the modern day. The motivation to write these stories came from an inspired series of events following the author's visit to the family village in old East Germany. The book is well-referenced and further supported by various illustrations, maps and a family tree.