“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